p*ong

Pichet Ong wants to know if it's too much dessert. We are sated and tipsy, having nibbled our way through the 13 course suite ($79). Nah, we tell him, it was just right. We are the last diners in the restaurant on a Thursday night and he has come out from the kitchen to chat.

Ong's new restaurant p*ong is 9 weeks old and after the glowing review in the Times, we went for a test drive. The menu is divided into three parts: savory, sweet and savory and sweet. Plates are priced between $10 and $15. He is famed for his desserts, as his roots are as a pastry chef. But it was the dessert-like preparations of savory dishes that I personally liked the best. Foie gras brulee is a 1" round of foie on a toast and torched to crunchy perfection and served with cherries and a biscotti jelly, which is deliciously light and translucent. The burrata with the frozen roasted tomato was also a wonderful combinations of temperature, taste and texture. Our least favorite was the stilton souffle, which was a little too heavy for a summer evening, although the basil-arugla ice cream was delicious and worth having a scoop on its own. The fresh dates seemed a little too simple - served with shards of aged Spanish mahon - after the artistry of the other plates. As we finished our sparkling black muscat we chatted with Ong. He told us he is planning to open an ice cream shop next door in the near future and signed a cookbook for us. The service was wonderful - both the host and our server were very friendly and warm, creating a great and comfortable experience. I give p*ong four belly ups.

Where: 150 West 10 Street, 212-929-0898