This week Bruni goes to P*ong, the dessert/savory restaurant brought to us by pastry chef Pichet Ong (formerly of Perry Street and Spice Market), awards the restaurant one star. Finds the restaurant "tantalizing, often irritating," and says it challenges one's ideas of what should be sweet and what should be savory. But the desserts are the restaurant's strenth, says Bruni, and also it's too crowded and the service is not good enough to make staying for a longer meal worth while. He likes the special cocktails, though.

In Dining Briefs, Marian Burros goes to China de Puebla, says the Mexican/Asian restaurant "has fresh, carefully prepared combinations of Mexican and Asian ingredients that are a delightful surprise in a casual neighborhood restaurant." (But if you plan to check it out, do note that the restaurant doesn't have a liquor license yet.) Peter Meehan stops by the tiny restaurant/bar that Wild Edibles added to its seafood store in Murray Hill. Says that while the kitchen may lack some finesse, "honest seafood from an honest kitchen that doesn't charge like it's the next coming of Le Bernardin is the chief appeal..." And Bruni goes to Ichimura for sushi, says that "it isn't a start-to-finish joy, but it has pockets of pure transcendence."

Ryan Sutton stops by Gemma for Bloomberg News, says "it's Waverly Inn 2.0." The owners are Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson, who--along with Graydon Carter--brought us Waverly Inn. Here also, there is no phone, and reservations aren't accepted. Sutton says that the owners are taking the Keith McNally path to success: "simple, straightforward food mixed with beautiful people."

Paul Adams goes to FR.OG for the NY Sun, where chef Didier Virot (formerly of Aix) cooks food influenced by France's former colonies (Morocco/Vietnam/Lebanon). Says, "the food is at its most exciting when the chef melds the disparate traditions," like the chickpea dip served with flatbread, or the roasted chicken. But that while the chef "has a virtuosic ability with flavors," he's not quite so skilled at playing with texture, a problem with a number of dishes.