The interior of Beyond Restaurant and Lounge is as sleek as the name suggests, with grey walls and spots of color provided by bright yellow chairs and enormous red lamps that hang from the ceiling. The chic atmosphere was somewhat contrasted by the unabashedly colorful paintings that any college freshman would be eager to hang on her dorm room walls.
My housemate was accompanying me to dinner after a long day of classes and work. We had visited Beyond a little over a year prior and had been unimpressed with the food. Nevertheless, we were eager to give the Asian-fusion restaurant another shot.
We opted for outdoor seating and were led by our server to the balcony out back. I sat facing the door. Behind me was a wall of wide-plank wood, and to my right was a brightly- painted yellow brick wall. The fans kept us cool in the humidity and chased away any bugs that may have otherwise pestered us. To my left, a little stream flowed below us, trickling quietly over rocks and overgrown grasses. The Denton’s apartment building stood behind us. Its LED sign reflected on the water where, if not for the stormy weather, the moon may have glinted.
After ordering a plate of coconut shrimp to start, we lounged comfortably in the black metal chairs at our pale-green “marble” table, sipping water from the tall cylindrical glasses that dripped condensation on our menus and the notebook where I scratched down details of our visit. We admired the window box- es of ornamental peppers and the hanging baskets of chrysanthemums that lined the balcony. I faced the alley between Beyond and Finnigan’s Cove, a perfect spot to watch the assortment of Harrisonburg characters that walk downtown in the evenings.
I had never eaten coconut shrimp before, so the image of popcorn shrimp from sports bars hung warily in my mind as I ordered. Contrary to my prior conceptions, the server brought a plate of delightfully crunchy shrimp breaded in golden shredded coconut. The shrimp crackled against the plate as we each ate our shares, savoring the subtle sweetness of the coconut against the perfectly fried shrimp. The dish was accompanied by two dipping sauces, a spicy red thai sauce and what the menu called a “lobster sauce,” a creamy, less-hot sauce containing mayonnaise, chili powder, and vinegar.
My next course was a plate of lemongrass and ginger chicken with rice. I snacked on the cucumber meant for garnish before digging into the thinly-sliced chicken and sticky rice. The ginger was the star of the show; I could feel it on my tongue just as evidently as I could taste it in the dish. Whatever lemongrass was present was overshadowed by the ginger, but the chicken was tender and complimented the chewy texture of the sticky white rice.
After pretending to consider the other dessert options, we eagerly requested the flourless chocolate cake with coconut ice cream. I was curious to see how they would utilize the coconut in a sweet dish this time around. Beyond did not disappoint. The chocolate ganache was rich, smooth, and thick with a cocoa flavor that lingered on my tongue. The coconut ice cream, in contrast, was cool and sweetened wonderfully by the toasted coconut, which added a chewy texture to the smooth dessert. Together the velvety chocolate was cut by the creamy ice cream, the sugary coconut flavor complimenting the slightly bitter, dark chocolate ganache. Though we struggled to scoop the melting ice cream off the plate, we took this as an excuse to savor the dessert longer. Not too much longer, though.
I would recommend Beyond for the ambiance alone, but the flavor-packed menu and polite and attentive wait staff are more than enough reason for you to come downtown to 50 W. Water St. and see for yourself.
