Periyali

My friend and I have often walked by Periyali on W. 20th Street, always on the way to somewhere else. Periyali has been a bastion of upscale Greek cuisine since 1987, long before it was fashionable. It’s one of those restaurants that flies under the radar — a place that can usually wait for another day. Last night, we decided to give it a try.

Coincidentally, we both landed on identical choices: the fried calamari to start ($11) and the braised lamb shank ($26). The breaded calamari was competently prepared, but I found the garlic dipping sauce and accompanying green salad totally forgettable. The lamb shank was a hefty portion and beautifully done. You hardly needed a knive (always the test with braised meats). The accompanying orzo in a light tomato sauce was a welcome bonus. Homemade bread with olive oil would be welcome on my table any day.

The wine list is a mix of Greek and world wines (mostly France and America). I didn’t trust my ability to pick a Greek wine, so I chose a Francis Coppola Syrah at $40. I don’t usually buy wines named for celebrities, but this one was a winner. In this kind of restaurant, I’m always happy to find a good choice available that doesn’t ask for a major investment.

The space at Periyali instantly transports you to the Greek islands, with its billowing white fabrics on the ceiling and colorful banquettes. I would highly recommend it for a romantic getaway. The storefront is narrow, but goes very deep. It was not full (we were seated immediately without a reservation), but clearly doing a strong business on a Thursday night. There’s an outdoor garden (which I didn’t check out), but on this unusually balmy November evening the French doors at the front were open, and a large party was dining outside.

Service was just fine. I can’t remember the last time a manager made so many trips to the table to check if we were happy. He must have checked up on us at least three or four times.

Eighteen months ago, Frank Bruni wrote, “Nothing at Periyali proves hugely intriguing. Nothing wows,” but awarded two stars, adding that “the little touches add up slowly and nicely.” He suggested it was a forerunner to Molyvos and Thalassa. Maybe, but those other restaurants have surpassed it. Still, Periyali does a competent job, and it’s worth a look if you’re already in the neighborhood.

Periyali (35 W. 20th Street between Fifth & Sixth Avenues, Flatiron District)

Food: *
Service: **
Ambiance: **
Overall: *½

Election 2006

I didn’t blog about the midterm elections during the campaign, as I don’t think my 2004 prognostications were particularly accurate. But now that it is just about over, I can’t resist making a few comments. I have voted for Republicans on numerous occasions, but this year (as in 2004) I was strongly in favor of a change.

The Results. Democrats have taken control of the House, wresting at least 29 seats from the Republicans while losing none of their own. (A few seats are still too close to call.) In the Senate, Democrats won six seats formerly held by Republicans, while losing none of their own. That’s enough to ensure a 51–49 Democratic majority in the Senate next year. Democrats also now control a majority of the state governorships for the first time in 12 years, and won control of several state legislatures.

Observations.

• The Democrats didn’t win this election; the Republicans lost it. Democrats didn’t win because they offered a specific agenda that voters wanted; Republicans lost because their agenda clearly wasn’t working.

• Pending the results in a few of the undecided races, not a single Democrat incumbent lost in a Senate, House, or Gubernatorial race. That is probably unprecedented, and it is certainly very rare.

• The old saying is that “All politics are local.” Yesterday, that wasn’t the case. The results reflected a dissatisfaction on national issues, particularly the war in Iraq.

• The northeast is now solid blue, and the deep south is almost entirely solid red. But in the midwest and far west, formerly red/blue states are now varying shades of pink and purple. These states are in play for either party. I don’t see the Democrats becoming competitive in the deep South (other than perhaps Florida) anytime soon.

• Democratic Chairman Howard Dean’s fifty-state strategy worked. Democrats were competitive in states like Wyoming where, a year ago, no one would have given them a snowball’s chance.

• Polling, and particularly exit polling, worked. There were no embarrassing glitches or races called the wrong way, as happened in 2000 and 2004. The late pre-election polls and early exit polls were remarkably close to the final results. Apparently, the pollsters have learned their lesson.

• Independence has its virtues. The non-partisan analysts (Charlie Cook, Stuart Rothenberg, Larry Sabato) got their projections just about right. Conservative bloggers — even those who professed to be following a rigorous methodology — underestimated the size of the Democratic wave. (A few Democratic bloggers missed on the high side, but their errors were less pronounced, perhaps because you’d have to be utterly irrational to imagine a much better outcome for the Democrats.)

• Most of the incoming freshman class of Democrats are centrists. A generation ago, many of them would have been Republicans—back in the days when the phrase “moderate Republican” wasn’t an oxymoron. Democratic leaders appear to understand that the Humphrey–McGovern–Mondale era is over, and to retain their majority, they must govern towards the center.

• George W. Bush isn’t going to change his stripes overnight. But he will come under pressure to compromise. Republican colleagues know that they have to turn things around, to avoid another beating in 2008. As governor of Texas, Bush was known for working effectively with a Democrat-controlled legislature. But he wasn’t a lame duck then. Even with a favoring wind, it has always been difficult for a president to control the agenda in the final two years of an administration. Look for Bush to focus on foreign policy and Iraq (with much more visible Democratic oversight), while the domestic agenda is set by a new generation of leaders in both parties.

• Having said that, I don’t expect the Republicans to make any kind of meaningful shift to the center. Despite yesterday’s loss, they’ve won 7 of the last 10 presidential elections, and the Republican party is dominated now by “movement” conservatives, who view their ideology as a jihad. These aren’t the kinds of folk who compromise their principles, merely because it’s electorally convenient to do so. Many of them will argue that they lost, not because they were too conservative, but because they weren’t conservative enough.

• On ballot initiatives, both sides can claim victories. Democrats can be pleased that proposals to limit abortions went down to defeat in three states, stem cell research was approved in Missouri, and three states passed minimum wage increases. But Republicans can be pleased that gay marriage bans passed in seven out of eight states, and Michigan voters passed a ban on affirmative action.

• Democrats do not have a clear standard-bearer in 2008. Their two most prominently-mentioned presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, are almost certainly too liberal to be elected.

• I don’t expect the Republicans to abandon their ultra-conservative, “mobilize-the base” strategy in 2008. Although it failed this time, it has worked often enough that I think they’ll give it at least one more try.

Blip or Tsunami? What does this election tell us about the national electorate? Republicans want to believe that this outcome is merely a blip, and in two years they’ll start another winning streak. Democrats want to believe that a tsunami has finally brought the conservative movement to an end.

The truth is probably somewhere in between. Like many politicians before him, George W. Bush over-played his mandate. He was a minority president in 2000, and probably would have been defeated in 2004 had the Democrats not fielded such a feeble candidate. By running a government that catered almost exclusively to the far right, the Republicans practically begged independents to vote for Democrats. Because moderates have been practically banished from the Republican Party, I wonder if those left actually have a clue about how to appeal to independents, or whether they’re just hoping Democrats will implode again?

But the new Democratic coalition is still both weak and unproven. Many of the independents who handed them this victory have voted Republican before, and will do so again, if the Democrats fumble away this opportunity. We are just eighteen years removed from the 1988 presidential election, when the elder Bush captured 40 out of 50 states. A Republican could quite easily do that again, but it is impossible to imagine a Democrat doing so. To win in 2008, Democrats will once again have to thread a needle through the electoral college.

As I noted above, Democrats didn’t really offer a clear alternative this year—they just stood back and allowed the Republicans to self-destruct. As the majority party in Congress, they will no longer be mere observers, and they will be expected to lead.

Blue Hill

Monday night was the final stop of my culinary mini-tour with my Mom, who was visiting from Detroit. I chose Blue Hill, an iconic New York restaurant that you simply wouldn’t find anywhere else. As we were chatting, it occurred to me that Fleur de Sel, which we visited on Sunday night, is clearly the better restaurant, but you could find it anywhere; Blue Hill could only be in New York.

New York’s Adam Platt coined the phrase “haute barnyard,” referring to restaurants that self-consciously define themselves with a reliance on locally-sourced seasonal ingredients. Blue Hill fulfills that ideal better than any. The cooking is impeccable and technically precise, although to some tastes it may seem a bit bland.

I started with the Stone Barns Greens Ravioli ($12), made with ricotta, zucchini puree, pancetta, and lettuce. There wasn’t much zing in this dish; its only point was to show that you can turn fresh farm vegetables into an acceptable ravioli. Stone Barns Berkshire Pork ($30) was served on a bed of spaetzle and spinach. The pork loin medallions were cooked to gorgeous tenderness. A square of crisp pork belly offered the right contrast, but it was only the size of a large postage stamp. My mom loved the lamb ($32), which like the pork was served in bite-sized medallions.

On a previous visit, I complained of a lack of red wine choices around $40. This time I had no trouble finding a satisfying California red at around that price. Service was up to the usual standard, and I especially liked the warm and hopelessly addictive warm bread sticks.

Blue Hill (75 Washington Place between Sixth Avenue and Macdougal Street, Greenwich Village)

Food: ★★★
Service: ★★★
Ambiance: ★★★
Overall: ★★★

Fleur de Sel

Note: Fleur de Sel closed on February 21, 2009. Chef Cyril Renaud plans to focus on his casual restaurant nearby, Bar Breton.

*

I had dinner at Fleur de Sel on Christmas Eve a few years ago. It didn’t wow me. Like other expensive restaurant dinners I’ve had at holiday times, it seemed mass-produced and over-priced. But with Fleur de Sel winning a Michelin star for the second year in a row, I thought it was time to give it another chance and was very glad I did.

Dinner at Fleur de Sel is $79 for a three-course prix fixe, which we had. Also available are a six-course tasting menu (with two choices for most courses) at $87, and the chef’s tasting menu (number of courses not specified) at $112.

The evening’s only dud was my appetizer choice: Maine Lobster salad, with truffle mayonaise and Asian pair ($5 suppl.). I found the cold lobster thin and flavorless. My mom and my girlfriend both had the goat cheese and artichoke ravioli topped with caviar. Both of them gave me a taste, and it was outstanding. The kitchen sent out a a trio of crabmeat pancakes as a bonus mid-course, which were also excellent.

We went our own ways for the main course. I had the crispy poussin, with organic arugula, wild mushrooms, and foie gras emulsion. This was the best poultry dish I’ve had since the bluefoot chicken at Alain Ducasse. The crispness of the skin and the tenderness of the flesh inside were a perfect contrast. My mom ordered the Atlantic Halibut, and my girlfriend the Duo of Lamb ($6 suppl.), and both pronounced themselves delighted.

A roasted fig dessert (which two of us had) was wonderful, as was a chocolate tart. A complimentary order of the raspberry feulletteé with white chocolate and caramel ganache was also sent out for us to share.

The wine list is rather expensive. Many pages have no choices under $125; bottles under $75 are scarce. I was happy with a Chateauneuf du Pape at $80, but I don’t think it would hurt to offer a few choices at lower prices. In an unusual arrangement, open bottles for the whole restaurant are kept on a table in the center of the room. We found this annoying, as we are quite capable of refilling our own glasses, and would prefer to do so at our own convenience, rather than a server’s.

The space at Fleur de Sel has a quiet, comfortable elegance. The décor is understated, but arguably a bit bland. The restaurant was less than half full on a Sunday night. Indeed, there was only one other occupied table when we arrived at about 6:20, although it had started to fill up nicely by the time we left.

Fleur de Sel (5 East 20th Street between 5th Avenue & Broadway, Flatiron District)

Food: ***
Service: **½
Ambiance: **½
Overall: ***

Landmarc

Note: This is a review of Landmarc TriBeCa. Click here for a review of Landmarc at the Time-Warner Center.

Landmarc in TriBeCa was an instant hit when it opened almost three years ago. A second branch of the restaurant is expected to open in the Time-Warner Center early next year. I dined at Landmarc a few times within the restaurant’s first year or so (report here), but then it fell off of my radar screen. A dinner last Friday night reminded me that I ought to return to Landmarc a lot more often.

My mother and I had no trouble getting seated at around 6:30 p.m. I ordered the warm goat cheese profiteroles with herb and roasted red pepper salad ($11). Anything with goat cheese is well-nigh impossible to ruin. The doughy profiterole pillows yielded quickly to the fork, surrendering the juicy goat cheese prize inside.

My mom ordered the pan seared monkfish with tomatoes, red onions & black olives, and spaghetti squash ($22). This was a very large portion, perfectly prepared. I tried the pumpkin & gorgonzola risotto with sage and toasted walnuts ($22; also available as an appetizer for $15), which was competently prepared, but slightly too dry.

Landmarc has a strong bread service for a restaurant in its class, but like many casual places I’ve visited lately, there is no butter knife. In other respects the service is solid. When you are seated, the menu is already at the table, folded in sixths like a homework assignment. This is an affectation that should be dropped.

The wine program remains first-rate, with many excellent bottles in the $30–50 range. We had an excellent 2002 Crozes-Hermitage at $36, for which many restaurants would have charged over $50.

Landmarc (179 West Broadway between Leonard & Worth Streets, TriBeCa)

Food: **
Service: *½
Ambiance: *½
Overall: **

Devin Tavern

Note: Devin Tavern closed in January 2009. Click here for a more recent review.

I had a first look at Devin Tavern late last week. The website describes it as a “rustic American tavern.” I didn’t detect much rusticity in the décor, which reminded me of a country club, but it certainly applied to the cuisine.

The menu steers toward hearty comfort food, such as a fresh ricotta tortelloni appetizer ($14), which comes with braised beef cheeks and chanterelles in a red wine reduction. The combination worked, but it felt more like an entrée.  One of the side dishes was a wild mushroom flan ($8), which had the appearance of a dessert, but was too substantial to be a mere side dish. Perhaps a shift to the appetizer section would help. A citrus cheese cake ($11) came poised atop a sponge cake that didn’t yield easily enough to the fork.

That tortelloni isn’t an anomaly. The current menu includes severak other “heavy” appetizers, like Chicken & Biscuits ($12), Braised Lamb Shank & Barley Stew ($12), Shrimp & Grits ($16), and a Lobster & Corn Soufflé ($14). I wonder how many diners want to move on from such fare to entrées like Braised Short Ribs ($26), Grilled Whole Fish ($36), or a Bison Rib-Eye ($34)? To be sure, you can also get a salad at Devin Tavern, but the meaning of “rustic” is abundantly clear.

The space is large, and on a Wednesday evening it didn’t seem close to full. Service was professional and sharp.

Devin Tavern (363 Greenwich Street between Franklin and Harrison Sts, TriBeCa)

Food: *
Service: *½
Ambiance: *
Overall: *

Will that be Mr. and Mrs?

Gordon Ramsay at the London doesn’t open for another 17 days, so the only thing we can talk about is the reservations line. Over at eGullet, every comment by Ramsay’s reservationists is being thoroughly dissected. For instance, one caller was told, “No trainers are allowed in the dining room.” (Trainers are the British word for athletic shoes.)

This morning, I called for a December 30th reservation. The person who answered spoke American English, and explained the dress code as “jacket & tie for the gentlemen, smart dresses for the ladies.” But there was one quirk. When I requested a table for two, she asked, “Will that be Mr. and Mrs?”

I have no secrets about whom I’m dining with. Nevertheless, there are probably some diners for whom that’s an awkward question. In New York, married couples are outnumbered by gay couples, dating heterosexual couples, unmarried partners living together, married people cheating on their spouses, business associates, and friends who are simply having a social night out. Does the restaurant really need to know the relationship of its customers?

Ramsay’s New York restaurant will be the latest serious contender for four New York Times stars and three Michelin stars (see press release). Opening night is November 16th. Introductory pricing will be $45 prix fixe for three courses at lunch, $85 prix fixe for three courses at dinner, or $117 for the tasting menu. I do not expect those prices to last.

Ramsay already holds three Michelin stars for Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, and he also operates several one-star restaurants. I dined at Ramsay’s one-star Savoy Grill over the summer (report here). Another of Ramsay’s one-star restaurants, Maze, is the inspiration for a companion restaurant called The London Bar, which will serve small plates and bar food—also at The London Hotel.

Gordon Ramsay at The London (151 W. 54th St. between Sixth & Seventh Avenues, West Midtown)

BLT Burger

Note: BLT Burger closed in April 2014. Long before that, the chef Laurent Tourondel had severed his relationship with the restaurant and all of the other “BLTs”. As of May 2014 the space was a Mexican restaurant called Horchata.

*

The Bistro Laurent Tourondel empire keeps growing, and this week Tourondel added another offspring to the brood: BLT Burger. If first impressions are any guide, the new outpost will be just as successful as the first three (BLT Steak, BLT Fish, BLT Prime). An eGullet post mentioned that the place was packed on a weeknight just a day or two after it opened, but I had no trouble getting a table at 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon.

The restaurant doesn’t much resemble the other BLT’s, except for the chocolate brown upholstery on the banquettes. The prices certainly set it apart. Unlike the other BLT restaurants, BLT Burger could actually be called a bargain.

In addition to the “Classic Burger” ($7), there’s the “BLT” Burger (two patties, $11), a Kobe Burger ($16), Lamb Burger ($10), Turkey Burger ($7) or Veggie Burger ($7). All burgers come with tomato, onion, lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. Cheese is an extra $0.50, other toppings (such as bacon, avocado, portobello mushroom, chilli) are $1.50. A “combo” of the classic burger with fries and a milkshake will set you back all of $13.

There’s a variety of sandwiches ($10–15), salads and appetizers ($9–14), sides ($2–5), and desserts ($3–6). The whole back page of the menu shows an impressive array of drinks, including nine kinds of milk shakes ($5), five kinds of floats ($5), four kinds of alcoholic milk shakes ($9), house cocktails ($11), twenty-seven kinds of beer ($3–10), and six wines by the glass ($6–9). Sodas are $2 or $2.50. Tap water (free) comes in a beautiful tall glass caraffe.

I had the classic burger with cheddar cheese ($7.50). The burger was enjoyable, but nothing special. I would have preferred a thicker patty. The “BLT” Burger, with two patties, is always an option, but I thought that would be too much of a good thing. Onion rings ($4) were delicious. I especially admired the lightness of the batter. A strawberry-banana milkshake ($5) was plenty of fun. Service was friendly and efficient.

You have to wonder if Laurent Tourondel can keep up the quality as his empire grows. Ominously, BLT Fish was stripped of its Michelin star, and I must admit my last visit to that restaurant wasn’t stellar. At least two more BLTs are on the way: BLT Market in the former Atelier space, and BLT D.C. But for now, Tourondel is happy to go downmarket, and at these prices BLT Burger is sure to be a hit.

BLT Burger (470 Sixth Avenue between 11th & 12th Streets, Greenwich Village)

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

Note: The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro closed in March 2007, not long after it had opened, after receiving mostly terrible reviews.

*

The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro carries a 27 out of 30 Zagat food rating in Dallas. If it were in New York, that would put Lonesome Dove on a par with such standouts as Alain Ducasse, Chanterelle, Gotham Bar & Grill, Masa, and Veritas.

Celebrity chef Tim Love has opened a New York branch of the Lonesome Dove. His version of western cooking is fun, but the restaurant is befuddled with service problems and has already received one pan at the hands of the Post’s Steve Cuozzo. Based on our experience last night, I suspect more are coming. [Update: The critics did indeed give the Lonesome Dove a thrashing, with both Adam Platt (NY Mag) and Frank Bruni (NY Times) awarding zero stars.]

The signature dish is called the Tomahawk Chop, a portion for two that includes a 24–30 oz ribeye with an 18-inch “tomahawk” bone (Love designed the cut himself), a lobster tail, seared scallops, yukon gold mashed potatoes, and baby asparagus. The menu doesn’t show a price, a conceit whose absurdity Frank Bruni has already pointed out. Are they hoping people will order it without realizing they’re on the hook for $125? [Update: Per Bruni, the restaurant denied they were trying to trick anyone. The price ($120) is now printed on the menu.]

Anyhow, we already knew the price and were happy to give the Tomahawk Chop a try. There is nothing subtle about Love’s cooking. The scallops, asparagus and steak were slathered in butter. Did such a heavily marbled cut as ribeye need any more fat? I wasn’t sure what Love did to make the mashed potatoes and the lobster so spicy, but they both packed plenty of heat. Even a margarita came laced with jalapeño peppers. The whole meal was solidly prepared, if not transcendent.

The staff at Lonesome Dove are enthusiastic about the food, and they don’t hesitate to tell you so. Their enthusiasm doesn’t translate into good service. It took ages to order a drink at the bar. Getting a bar tab also took forever (they would not transfer it to the table), and finally I just plopped down cash. Once seated, we asked for tap water, but none arrived. Our server asked us about water again later on, having completely forgotten that we’d already asked for it. We ordered wine; a few minutes later, she was back to clarify what bottle we wanted. A wonderful warm homemade bread was served with butter, but no butter knife.

We had probably the worst seat in the house, looking directly into the open kitchen. We don’t blame the restaurant for this—after all, someone has to sit there. But if the kitchen is open, it ought to be neat. What we saw was a cluttered mess. A server dropped a pair of tongs; she picked them up, shrugged her shoulders, and took them out to the dining room to serve food with. Another server appeared to sneeze into a customer’s water glass. The washroom clearly hadn’t been cleaned in hours, as used towels had overflowed the wastebasket and were covering the floor.

All of the chefs wear cowboy hats, including Love, who was in the house. Our server boasted that if we ordered the Tomahawk Chop, Love himself would personally carve it for us tableside. Someone carved it for us, but not Love. (We did see him carve a steak at one table, and share a glass of tequila with friends at another.) I couldn’t care less who carves my steak, but servers shouldn’t be selling an audience with the Great Man unless he is able to follow through. The server at our table didn’t even leave that gorgeous 18-inch bone behind for us to admire; at another table, they did.

Chef Love takes credit for the décor, but it’s nothing to be proud of. There’s a cowskin carpet outside, a stuffed buffalo head on the back wall, some cheesy watercolor paintings, and a lot of exposed brick. The ugly space is at war with the false elegance of the white tablecloths. The wine list is a serious one, but it’s presented as loose sheets fastened to a clipboard. In everything it does, Lonesome Dove fails as a fancy restaurant, but it also fails as a rustic cowboy restaurant.

There is much that is clever in Tim Love’s cuisine. I’d love to come back and try the prairie butter (buffalo bone marrow), the kangaroo nachos, the quail quesedillas, the deer chops, the wild boar foreshank, or the stuffed tenderloin. But what Love clearly needs is a service manager—someone who will whip the lackadaisical staff into shape. As we were leaving, we asked for business cards. The hostess produced a card for the Dallas restaurant’s beverage director, wrote a New York number in pencil (having first looked it up on a computer screen), then handed it to us. Doesn’t that sloppiness just sum up what’s wrong with the Lonesome Dove?

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro (29 W. 21st St. between Fifth & Sixth Avenues, Flatiron District)

Food: *
Service: needs a ton of work
Ambiance: unimpressive
Overall: * (just barely)

Update: The restaurant closed in early March 2007. Tim Love contacted me by email shortly before the restaurant folded. He said:

In your review of my restaurant you do not make one comment on the flavor, texture or presentation of the food. While you did comment on the water color paintings (which are actually oil), the buffalo head (which is actually a Hereford steer) and a clipboard for a wine list (which is actually a cowhide mounted with saddle spurs made by one of the most famous saddle makers in the world, Leddy’s).

Love conceded that service was sub-par in the restaurant’s early days, though he insisted the problems had since been fixed. He felt that I, like other reviewers, were criticizing West-of-Mississippi cuisine without having any basis for evaluating it. He thought it was like dining at Lupa, and comparing it to a sushi bar.

Love’s message gave no hint that the restaurant was about to close, but as the announcement came just a few days later, clearly he must have known. He probably thought that the New York critics were out to get him. Truthfully, I wanted to like the Lonesome Dove. I just wasn’t wowed, particularly given the sloppy service and stratospheric prices.

Kittichai

Note: This is a review under chef Ian Chalermkitticha, who has since left the restaurant. Ty Bellingham is his replacement.

*

My friend and I had dinner at Kittichai on Friday night. The Thai-inspired cuisine is artfully presented by executive chef, Ian Chalermkitticha, for whom the restaurant is named. The décor is spectacular, but it doesn’t upstage the food, which is uniformly successful.

The menu is divided into several categories:  appetizers ($7–19), soups ($8–10), vegetarian ($6–14), curries ($19–24), fish & shellfish ($24–28), poultry & meat ($22–25), and sides ($3–7). Every dish we saw, on our table and others, came on a differently-shaped plate or bowl. At Kittichai, presentation is part of the game. Most dishes are suitable for sharing.

I started with the Meing Tuna Tartare ($10), which comes with eight small round pastry shells that would normally be used for petits-fours—the menu calls them “limestone tartlets”—each holding a small peanut.  An ample portion of tuna comes spiced with ginger and lime. One at a time, you spoon a mouthful of tuna into one of the tartlets; eat and repeat. It was one of the most clever appetizers I’ve had in a long time.

My friend started with the Crispy Rock Shrimp ($13), which came in a grilled eggplant and palm sugar-tamarind sauce. She pronounced them terrific; I tasted one, and fully concurred.

For the main course, I had the Baked Chilean Sea Bass ($28). The menu describes the marinade as “yellow salted beans with morning glory,” which isn’t very helpful. Frank Bruni’s description, “divinely moist Chilean sea bass under a caramelized sheen of palm sugar and red curry paste,” is more apt. My friend had the Dry Spice Rub Duck Breast ($25). Once it arrived, a server brushed on a decadent pinapple broth tableside. It was perfectly tender and came with a side of crispy leg confit.

The wine list didn’t have much to do with Thailand. It was over-priced in relation to the entrée and appetizer prices, with not many reds below $50.

Kittichai (60 Thompson Street between Spring and Broome Streets, SoHo)

Food: **
Service: **
Ambiance: **
Overall: **