April 20, 2007

Bring It Ong

P*Ong Restaurant Opens

A recipe for success:

Ingredients:
- 1 Pichet Ong, a self-taught pastry chef and Jean Georges alum
- 1 desire to flex culinary skills and do savory as well as sweet
- 1 visually interesting, 35-seat West Village space
- 1 long counter with seats for optimal chef-watching
- Acres of sesame spice wood; 1 color scheme inspired by raspberry and green tea; lots of pillows
- 1 menu of are-they-drinks-or-apps cocktails
- 1 extraneous asterisk

1. Blend all ingredients and simmer for a summer and fall of eager anticipation.

2. Strain and distill into a three-part menu of Savory (toro tartare with Meyer lemon sabayon, American caviar tart with crème fraiche ice cream), Sweet-Savory (Roquefort soufflé with arugula ice cream), and Sweets (olive oil cake with roasted honey tangerine and ricotta salata).

3. Present in stunning arrangements almost too pretty to eat. (Almost.)

Result:
P*Ong finally opens today. Sit back, eat, enjoy, have another of everything.

P*Ong, 150 West 10th Street, at Waverly Place (212-929-0898).