p*ong

[BryanZ]

My visit to p*ong last night goes to show how much one's surroundings can influence his or her impressions of a meal. I'm usually one to focus on the food and, to a lesser degree, service. Rarely does the surrounding context in which I am enjoying my meal factor into my overall impressions of that meal. Yet the extent to which I enjoyed my visit to p*ong last night was more a function of my surroundings and company than the food itself. This may seem a knock to the restaurant, but I've had many meals at "better" places in which I've enjoyed the experience significantly less.

I'm still not sold on the culinary merit of p*ong itself. There is still not a single cooked item on the menu--I'm not sure a twirl of soba noodles count--and execution remains lacking. The flavor combinations are good (but not great) and presentations novel (but not striking), but the food itself has yet to really wow me. From a food perspective p*ong is like Chikalicious-plus, more ambitious, more sexy, more daring but not so much that it really stands out.

Beyond the food, however, I had a really encouraging visit last night, and the restaurant itself played a large role in that. Service was accommodating, if not expert, and I was allowed to roughly dictate what dishes my friends and I would try on our three-course dessert tasting. In addition, they let us put in our order in waves due to the tardiness of a couple members in our rather large party and let us stay well beyond closing time. We were also sent out an extra dessert course in lieu of petits fours, a gesture I appreciated. So last night I sampled the lemon ice with marscapone, pinapple upside-down cake, roasted peaches with rosemary shortbread, and sesame-chocolate napoleon.

To further sweeten the deal, we happened to be seated next to a table occupied by two really cool guys, one of whom happened to be a sous chef at Per Se. When it comes to talking food, you can't get much better than that. Between getting together with a group of friends who I hadn't seen in quite some time, making new friends, and enjoying some pretty solid desserts until past 2 AM, it made for a really enjoyable experience. Of course much of my enjoyment was circumstantial but without p*ong's sound fundamentals the overall experience would not have been as fun.

[chiram]

My visit to p*ong last night goes to show how much one's surroundings can influence his or her impressions of a meal.  I'm usually one to focus on the food and, to a lesser degree, service.  Rarely does the surrounding context in which I am enjoying my meal factor into my overall impressions of that meal.  Yet the extent to which I enjoyed my visit to p*ong last night was more a function of my surroundings and company than the food itself.  This may seem a knock to the restaurant, but I've had many meals at "better" places in which I've enjoyed the experience significantly less.

I'm still not sold on the culinary merit of p*ong itself.  There is still not a single cooked item on the menu--I'm not sure a twirl of soba noodles count--and execution remains lacking.  The flavor combinations are good (but not great) and presentations novel (but not striking), but the food itself has yet to really wow me.  From a food perspective p*ong is like Chikalicious-plus, more ambitious, more sexy, more daring but not so much that it really stands out.

Beyond the food, however, I had a really encouraging visit last night, and the restaurant itself played a large role in that.  Service was accommodating, if not expert, and I was allowed to roughly dictate what dishes my friends and I would try on our three-course dessert tasting.  In addition, they let us put in our order in waves due to the tardiness of a couple members in our rather large party and let us stay well beyond closing time.  We were also sent out an extra dessert course in lieu of petits fours, a gesture I appreciated.  So last night I sampled the lemon ice with marscapone, pinapple upside-down cake, roasted peaches with rosemary shortbread, and sesame-chocolate napoleon.

To further sweeten the deal, we happened to be seated next to a table occupied by two really cool guys, one of whom happened to be a sous chef at Per Se.  When it comes to talking food, you can't get much better than that.  Between getting together with a group of friends who I hadn't seen in quite some time, making new friends, and enjoying some pretty solid desserts until past 2 AM, it made for a really enjoyable experience.  Of course much of my enjoyment was circumstantial but without p*ong's sound fundamentals the overall experience would not have been as fun.

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Sir, not claiming to be any sort of expert or anything--but are you "seriously" comparing this “restaurant” to ChikaLicious, which has a daily line--to my knowledge, the only place, of those listed within, in which this is so, (wait times posted on web site--this from NY Times article on pastry chefs) of people trying to get in (four years after opening), one would assume there to be something there. Room4dessert, which was hit or miss, made it just a bit more than one year. Varietal crashed and burned. P*ong (which does respectable enough fare) , WD, Tailor, Kyotofu and Graffiti will do or are currently doing savory. Chef Ong, in the Times, says that "very few order dessert at P*ong...just like a typical restaurant." Is ChikaLicious the only place confident enough in its offerings to stick to an all dessert menu? This is what makes it my personal favorite. I also relish the fact that there will be no "foreign savory" smells (Lamb, Pork etc...) to contend with while enjoying my desserts. You, sir, are awfully far off the mark on this one.

Edited July 8, 2007 by chiram (log)

[Chefharry]

You Sirs, both of you, are out of your minds. I was there this past weekend and I must say it was nothing short of HORRIBLE! Mediocre product, Poor Poor Executions and the flavors are a true lesson in someone writing a menu based on words and ideas, Not Real Creativity. Service was very casual and erratic and the bowl of Pong-Made Ricotta with Peaches was THE worst dessert that I have eaten in recent memory. The Cocktails however were VERY Tasty. Pretty cool little place too. Seating arrangement was very akward as well?. Odd energy in the dead space in the middle of the room.

[tan319]

My visit to p*ong last night goes to show how much one's surroundings can influence his or her impressions of a meal.  I'm usually one to focus on the food and, to a lesser degree, service.  Rarely does the surrounding context in which I am enjoying my meal factor into my overall impressions of that meal.  Yet the extent to which I enjoyed my visit to p*ong last night was more a function of my surroundings and company than the food itself.  This may seem a knock to the restaurant, but I've had many meals at "better" places in which I've enjoyed the experience significantly less.

I'm still not sold on the culinary merit of p*ong itself.  There is still not a single cooked item on the menu--I'm not sure a twirl of soba noodles count--and execution remains lacking.  The flavor combinations are good (but not great) and presentations novel (but not striking), but the food itself has yet to really wow me.  From a food perspective p*ong is like Chikalicious-plus, more ambitious, more sexy, more daring but not so much that it really stands out.

Beyond the food, however, I had a really encouraging visit last night, and the restaurant itself played a large role in that.  Service was accommodating, if not expert, and I was allowed to roughly dictate what dishes my friends and I would try on our three-course dessert tasting.  In addition, they let us put in our order in waves due to the tardiness of a couple members in our rather large party and let us stay well beyond closing time.  We were also sent out an extra dessert course in lieu of petits fours, a gesture I appreciated.  So last night I sampled the lemon ice with marscapone, pinapple upside-down cake, roasted peaches with rosemary shortbread, and sesame-chocolate napoleon.

To further sweeten the deal, we happened to be seated next to a table occupied by two really cool guys, one of whom happened to be a sous chef at Per Se.  When it comes to talking food, you can't get much better than that.  Between getting together with a group of friends who I hadn't seen in quite some time, making new friends, and enjoying some pretty solid desserts until past 2 AM, it made for a really enjoyable experience.  Of course much of my enjoyment was circumstantial but without p*ong's sound fundamentals the overall experience would not have been as fun.

←

Chef Ong, in the Times, says that "very few order dessert at P*ong...just like a typical restaurant."

←

If you read the article you took the sentence out of context from, you would find Ong was making an ironic statement.

[chiram]

My visit to p*ong last night goes to show how much one's surroundings can influence his or her impressions of a meal.  I'm usually one to focus on the food and, to a lesser degree, service.  Rarely does the surrounding context in which I am enjoying my meal factor into my overall impressions of that meal.  Yet the extent to which I enjoyed my visit to p*ong last night was more a function of my surroundings and company than the food itself.  This may seem a knock to the restaurant, but I've had many meals at "better" places in which I've enjoyed the experience significantly less.

I'm still not sold on the culinary merit of p*ong itself.  There is still not a single cooked item on the menu--I'm not sure a twirl of soba noodles count--and execution remains lacking.  The flavor combinations are good (but not great) and presentations novel (but not striking), but the food itself has yet to really wow me.  From a food perspective p*ong is like Chikalicious-plus, more ambitious, more sexy, more daring but not so much that it really stands out.

Beyond the food, however, I had a really encouraging visit last night, and the restaurant itself played a large role in that.  Service was accommodating, if not expert, and I was allowed to roughly dictate what dishes my friends and I would try on our three-course dessert tasting.  In addition, they let us put in our order in waves due to the tardiness of a couple members in our rather large party and let us stay well beyond closing time.  We were also sent out an extra dessert course in lieu of petits fours, a gesture I appreciated.  So last night I sampled the lemon ice with marscapone, pinapple upside-down cake, roasted peaches with rosemary shortbread, and sesame-chocolate napoleon.

To further sweeten the deal, we happened to be seated next to a table occupied by two really cool guys, one of whom happened to be a sous chef at Per Se.  When it comes to talking food, you can't get much better than that.  Between getting together with a group of friends who I hadn't seen in quite some time, making new friends, and enjoying some pretty solid desserts until past 2 AM, it made for a really enjoyable experience.  Of course much of my enjoyment was circumstantial but without p*ong's sound fundamentals the overall experience would not have been as fun.

←

Chef Ong, in the Times, says that "very few order dessert at P*ong...just like a typical restaurant."

←

If you read the article you took the sentence out of context from, you would find Ong was making an ironic statement.

←

I assure you sir, if there's one thing pastry kitchen friends agree on, it is that Chef Ong's statement is inded factual, thus our collective context is indeed accurate. Only equation/percentage changer is whether or not the menu is prix fixe. The truth is, restaurant patrons "do not" order dessert; and when forced to (prix fixe), "do not" eat them. Their question to me..."how many times have you seen a table push "one" dessert around, only to have it later retrieved by the busser half eaten?" Quite a few, actually. I too, am guilty of this. One man's irony is another man's truth.

Edited July 9, 2007 by chiram (log)

[Nathan]

My visit to p*ong last night goes to show how much one's surroundings can influence his or her impressions of a meal.  I'm usually one to focus on the food and, to a lesser degree, service.  Rarely does the surrounding context in which I am enjoying my meal factor into my overall impressions of that meal.  Yet the extent to which I enjoyed my visit to p*ong last night was more a function of my surroundings and company than the food itself.  This may seem a knock to the restaurant, but I've had many meals at "better" places in which I've enjoyed the experience significantly less.

I'm still not sold on the culinary merit of p*ong itself.  There is still not a single cooked item on the menu--I'm not sure a twirl of soba noodles count--and execution remains lacking.  The flavor combinations are good (but not great) and presentations novel (but not striking), but the food itself has yet to really wow me.  From a food perspective p*ong is like Chikalicious-plus, more ambitious, more sexy, more daring but not so much that it really stands out.

Beyond the food, however, I had a really encouraging visit last night, and the restaurant itself played a large role in that.  Service was accommodating, if not expert, and I was allowed to roughly dictate what dishes my friends and I would try on our three-course dessert tasting.  In addition, they let us put in our order in waves due to the tardiness of a couple members in our rather large party and let us stay well beyond closing time.  We were also sent out an extra dessert course in lieu of petits fours, a gesture I appreciated.  So last night I sampled the lemon ice with marscapone, pinapple upside-down cake, roasted peaches with rosemary shortbread, and sesame-chocolate napoleon.

To further sweeten the deal, we happened to be seated next to a table occupied by two really cool guys, one of whom happened to be a sous chef at Per Se.  When it comes to talking food, you can't get much better than that.  Between getting together with a group of friends who I hadn't seen in quite some time, making new friends, and enjoying some pretty solid desserts until past 2 AM, it made for a really enjoyable experience.  Of course much of my enjoyment was circumstantial but without p*ong's sound fundamentals the overall experience would not have been as fun.

←

Chef Ong, in the Times, says that "very few order dessert at P*ong...just like a typical restaurant."

←

If you read the article you took the sentence out of context from, you would find Ong was making an ironic statement.

←

I assure you sir, if there's one thing pastry kitchen friends agree on, it is that Chef Ong's statement is inded factual, thus our collective context is indeed accurate. Only equation/percentage changer is whether or not the menu is prix fixe. The truth is, restaurant patrons "do not" order dessert; and when forced to (prix fixe), "do not" eat them. Their question to me..."how many times have you seen a table push "one" dessert around, only to have it later retrieved by the busser half eaten?" Quite a few, actually. I too, am guilty of this. One man's irony is another man's truth.

←

you still didn't get it.

[chiram]

My visit to p*ong last night goes to show how much one's surroundings can influence his or her impressions of a meal.  I'm usually one to focus on the food and, to a lesser degree, service.  Rarely does the surrounding context in which I am enjoying my meal factor into my overall impressions of that meal.  Yet the extent to which I enjoyed my visit to p*ong last night was more a function of my surroundings and company than the food itself.  This may seem a knock to the restaurant, but I've had many meals at "better" places in which I've enjoyed the experience significantly less.

I'm still not sold on the culinary merit of p*ong itself.  There is still not a single cooked item on the menu--I'm not sure a twirl of soba noodles count--and execution remains lacking.  The flavor combinations are good (but not great) and presentations novel (but not striking), but the food itself has yet to really wow me.  From a food perspective p*ong is like Chikalicious-plus, more ambitious, more sexy, more daring but not so much that it really stands out.

Beyond the food, however, I had a really encouraging visit last night, and the restaurant itself played a large role in that.  Service was accommodating, if not expert, and I was allowed to roughly dictate what dishes my friends and I would try on our three-course dessert tasting.  In addition, they let us put in our order in waves due to the tardiness of a couple members in our rather large party and let us stay well beyond closing time.  We were also sent out an extra dessert course in lieu of petits fours, a gesture I appreciated.  So last night I sampled the lemon ice with marscapone, pinapple upside-down cake, roasted peaches with rosemary shortbread, and sesame-chocolate napoleon.

To further sweeten the deal, we happened to be seated next to a table occupied by two really cool guys, one of whom happened to be a sous chef at Per Se.  When it comes to talking food, you can't get much better than that.  Between getting together with a group of friends who I hadn't seen in quite some time, making new friends, and enjoying some pretty solid desserts until past 2 AM, it made for a really enjoyable experience.  Of course much of my enjoyment was circumstantial but without p*ong's sound fundamentals the overall experience would not have been as fun.

←

Chef Ong, in the Times, says that "very few order dessert at P*ong...just like a typical restaurant."

←

If you read the article you took the sentence out of context from, you would find Ong was making an ironic statement.

←

I assure you sir, if there's one thing pastry kitchen friends agree on, it is that Chef Ong's statement is inded factual, thus our collective context is indeed accurate. Only equation/percentage changer is whether or not the menu is prix fixe. The truth is, restaurant patrons "do not" order dessert; and when forced to (prix fixe), "do not" eat them. Their question to me..."how many times have you seen a table push "one" dessert around, only to have it later retrieved by the busser half eaten?" Quite a few, actually. I too, am guilty of this. One man's irony is another man's truth.

←

you still didn't get it.

←

Let me know once you do.

[SobaAddict70]

Here are some pix from a few months ago. I was last there towards the end of April.

Miso ice cream, extra virgin olive oil cake, wasabi candy, strawberries

Escarole, anchovy, "Green Goddess" salad

American "wagyu" beef carpaccio, shiso pesto cracker, sour plum, Maldon sea salt

I think I'm due for a return visit now that things have been up and running for a few months. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

[Fat Guy]

I was in recently and found that there were many more "cooked" dishes on the menu than at the beginning. For example:

"warm mushroom tart, portabello, crimini, shitake, pickled chanterelle, wild arugula salad"

"fresh porcini and polenta pudding on a skillet, garlic, parmesan, mascarpone"

"berkshire pork, black pepper, sweet potato, almond, scallion, pineapple-soy caramel"

"chocolate and pinot noir braised duck, kabocha squash tapioca, raisin, oyster mushroom"

"braised wagyu beef cheek medallion, chestnut-potato puree, vanilla, persimmon"

"foie gras torchon, chocolate, brioche, ginger-red pepper jam, persimmon"

"stilton soufflé, walnut crust, black pepper, basil-arugula ice cream"

I found the experience mixed. The mushroom tart, for example, is inexcusably bad. The tart shell is dry and unappetizing, the mushrooms are bland and parsimonious. There's nothing to recommend the dish.

The Berkshire pork was, however, a knockout -- exactly the sweet-savory triumph that the restaurant is aiming for, even though it's not listed in the "sweet and savory" section of the menu (it's just in the "savory" list, despite the pineapple-soy caramel). The foie gras with chocolate, also an excellent marriage. And the Stilton souffle should be a long-lived signature.

While the desserts we tried were good, I think the real action on the menu is in the sweet-savory section (that's where the foie and the Stilton are). I'd like to try the "smoked trout caviar parfait, crème fraiche ice cream, vanilla salt, nasturtium." But, I probably won't go back any time soon. Too many negatives, too many weak dishes, service too self-important.

[chefboy24]

just did a 5 course dessert there last week and it was definitely yummy.

[Nathan]

except for at its opening...this place has been definitely off the foodie radar.

there's a reason for that, it kind of sucks. at the same time, it is much more ambitious and much more expensive than at its opening. tasting menus vary from $65 to $110. some of the savories are interesting conceptually, but most are ultimately really desserts. while the explicitly sweet side of the menu is really, really sickly sweet. this isn't like Tailor where the savories tend a little sweet and the sweets a little savory. no such balance here.

cocktails are quite poor. lots of work go into them...and they're really pretty....lots of emphasis on visual presentation. but no cocktail craft whatsoever. for example, the best cocktail is probably the Bangkok Margarita...which at least tries to mitigate the sweetness with some heat. the idea isn't awful. the other drinks are.

nevertheless, a restaurant this pretty and this expensive (you are not eating here ala carte for less than $100 a person)...should be reviewed by all the pros. it's just not the same place as when it opened.

by the way, it's usually packed.

[Sethro]

cocktails are quite poor.  lots of work go into them...and they're really pretty....lots of emphasis on visual presentation.  but no cocktail craft whatsoever.  for example, the best cocktail is probably the Bangkok Margarita...which at least tries to mitigate the sweetness with some heat.  the idea isn't awful.  the other drinks are.

←

I've had the totally opposite experience as far as that's concerned. All of the times I've been there I've found the cocktails to be well mixed, interesting and delicious.

[Mayur]

I'm agreeing with Nathan on this one. Too high an alcopop quotient here.

[Nathan]

if you like 90's style sickly-sweet crap with unchilled glasses, barely shaken...but pretty...than you'll like these.

[Sethro]

...thanks?

[LPShanet]

I'm agreeing with Nathan on this one. Too high an alcopop quotient here.

←

I'm in, too, as far as the cocktails go. Not even close to the better cocktails in town.

However, in terms of the food, I've had quite a few dishes here that really surprised me in a good way. Especially, the lighter, more summery fare can sometimes be really memorable and well-executed. There was a great dish that started with local tomatoes and burrata and really made them into something special and modern, despite the traditional base. And a scallop sashimi dish that was as good as any in the city. While it's not totally consistent and not everything was bulletproof, I do think there was some very good food being made here the times I've visited. The real surprise was that the dishes that focused on luxury ingredients or sounded like they'd appeal to me from their descriptions didn't turn out to be that special, but many of the less obvious things were quite good.

[taion]

Well, so they're closing after service tonight. I'm going to drop by in a bit, I think; might as well – price point seems to have dropped substantially from the last time I'd considered (but decided against) going.

[sickchangeup]

The sign on the door (I live around the corner) says they are closing at 10:00 for a private (i.e. farewell) party. So go quick :-)

I stopped in by Batch for a final hurrah, one for the road. Pichet and team were in there still cranking away, I'm guessing there's gonna be a lot of good stuff getting passed around at that party :-)

[taion]

The sign on the door (I live around the corner) says they are closing at 10:00 for a private (i.e. farewell) party.  So go quick :-)

I stopped in by Batch for a final hurrah, one for the road.  Pichet and team were in there still cranking away, I'm guessing there's gonna be a lot of good stuff getting passed around at that party :-)

←

Ooh, shoot, thanks for the heads-up. Time to catch that cab, then!

[taion]

The sign on the door (I live around the corner) says they are closing at 10:00 for a private (i.e. farewell) party.  So go quick :-)

I stopped in by Batch for a final hurrah, one for the road.  Pichet and team were in there still cranking away, I'm guessing there's gonna be a lot of good stuff getting passed around at that party :-)

←

There wasn't a party; they just closed ): It was basically the most ineffably depressing dining experience I've ever had, and I'm actually glad that the friend of mine from work who I was going to go with had cancelled on me, because we would have spent the entire time bitching about work, which would have made it even more depressing. At least I have breakfast for tomorrow from Batch.

[taion]

I guess I should do a write-up of my meal there, just for the sake of posterity; by the time I left, the only other people who were around were a couple of friends of the house getting drinks, a bartender working on his resume, and the cook.

Started with a Bangkok Margarita – the drink looked nice on paper, but the bartender free-poured, separated his shaker by hitting it against the edge of the counter, and strained by holding the two halves of the shaker slightly open rather than using an actual strainer. Predictably, the result was a drink full of small chunks of ice – not that it mattered; the ginger was overwhelming.

After consultation with the server, I went for the 8 course tasting rather than ordering ALC, as it was supposed to be more "comprehensive"; going for the 10 course tasting would have been pointless, as they were out of foie (and a number of other things besides).

The first course was a salad with arugula, goat cheese, and apples. A decent salad, but nothing exciting. Came with a prosecco.

Second course was some sort of a creamy soup with white truffle oil and a sweet sauce or puree on the side of one half of the bowl, still with the prosecco; the soup was pretty nice, but it didn't really cohere with the sauce in any real way. I was also a little annoyed that it was the same wine as the salad course, as the server said that their wines were very carefully selected to pair with the food.

The third course was bacon-wrapped day boat scallops with another arugula (I think) salad, paired with a Riesling. This was my favorite of the night; the textural contrast between the bacon and the scallops worked nicely, and there was some sort of a sweet sauce that worked really nicely with the scallop. The wine also paired quite nicely. I was actually told that they were out of that dish when the server went through the ALC options with me, but I guess they had just enough left for a tasting portion. Unfortunately, the scallop was lukewarm.

The fourth course was "lightly cooked" salmon (I think it was poached) with yet another salad, plus a slice of cucumber on puff pastry. The salmon was pretty enjoyable, but at this point I was really quite tired of salad, and the cucumber with pastry made no sense to me. This came with a rosé; don't recall the wine going especially well or poorly.

The fifth course, the last savory course, consisted of a lamb empanada with a Japanese-style curry, paired with a Malbec. This didn't really make a strong impression on me; it was pretty much what it was supposed to be.

The three dessert courses were a coconut sorbet, some sort of toasted condensed milk cake with bananas, and a fig or date cake or something; the former two with a muscat, the last with a port. The toasted condensed milk was clever and cute, but neither of the other two were all that exciting. I think by this point, both the quantity of food and the depressing atmosphere were getting to me – the restaurant was maybe 1/3 or 1/4 full when I showed up, but by then I was practically the only diner left.

I didn't finish the last dessert course; interestingly enough, the only other time I'd ever had one of Chef Ong's desserts was at Kurve, where I also didn't finish it (although I actually liked that one quite a bit – it was the devil's food cake with a bunch of chocolate, and I was feeling distinctly chocolate-deprived at that point). Interestingly enough, Andy Yang was actually there, I guess helping them close up. Chef Ong was around, too, but he seemed to have spent most of his time around Batch rather than in the restaurant. The one cook that was working was fun to watch, though, and cute, too (:

I guess it's a little unfair to judge a restaurant on its last day of service, since it's not like the staff have anything to gain or lose from doing especially well or poorly; the food was enjoyable enough, roughly on the order of what I expected given the NYT 1-star review and comments earlier on this thread. Given the price point, it wasn't an especially compelling deal. Had they not been closing, I would have felt no strong desire to come back; I had considered going to p*ong at some point about a year ago but ended up going somewhere else, and feel no real regret at not having gone then, either. I can't help but compare it to Tailor, and Tailor just ends up being better – more ambitious, better execution, and a far better cocktail program.

I also had an interesting time trying to explain to my would-be dining companion that it probably would have been more depressing had she actually been there; apparently there really isn't a good way to say "I'm glad you weren't there".

[LPShanet]

I guess I should do a write-up of my meal there, just for the sake of posterity; by the time I left, the only other people who were around were a couple of friends of the house getting drinks, a bartender working on his resume, and the cook.

Started with a Bangkok Margarita – the drink looked nice on paper, but the bartender free-poured, separated his shaker by hitting it against the edge of the counter, and strained by holding the two halves of the shaker slightly open rather than using an actual strainer. Predictably, the result was a drink full of small chunks of ice – not that it mattered; the ginger was overwhelming.

After consultation with the server, I went for the 8 course tasting rather than ordering ALC, as it was supposed to be more "comprehensive"; going for the 10 course tasting would have been pointless, as they were out of foie (and a number of other things besides).

The first course was a salad with arugula, goat cheese, and apples. A decent salad, but nothing exciting. Came with a prosecco.

Second course was some sort of a creamy soup with white truffle oil and a sweet sauce or puree on the side of one half of the bowl, still with the prosecco; the soup was pretty nice, but it didn't really cohere with the sauce in any real way. I was also a little annoyed that it was the same wine as the salad course, as the server said that their wines were very carefully selected to pair with the food.

The third course was bacon-wrapped day boat scallops with another arugula (I think) salad, paired with a Riesling. This was my favorite of the night; the textural contrast between the bacon and the scallops worked nicely, and there was some sort of a sweet sauce that worked really nicely with the scallop. The wine also paired quite nicely. I was actually told that they were out of that dish when the server went through the ALC options with me, but I guess they had just enough left for a tasting portion. Unfortunately, the scallop was lukewarm.

The fourth course was "lightly cooked" salmon (I think it was poached) with yet another salad, plus a slice of cucumber on puff pastry. The salmon was pretty enjoyable, but at this point I was really quite tired of salad, and the cucumber with pastry made no sense to me. This came with a rosé; don't recall the wine going especially well or poorly.

The fifth course, the last savory course, consisted of a lamb empanada with a Japanese-style curry, paired with a Malbec. This didn't really make a strong impression on me; it was pretty much what it was supposed to be.

The three dessert courses were a coconut sorbet, some sort of toasted condensed milk cake with bananas, and a fig or date cake or something; the former two with a muscat, the last with a port. The toasted condensed milk was clever and cute, but neither of the other two were all that exciting. I think by this point, both the quantity of food and the depressing atmosphere were getting to me – the restaurant was maybe 1/3 or 1/4 full when I showed up, but by then I was practically the only diner left.

I didn't finish the last dessert course; interestingly enough, the only other time I'd ever had one of Chef Ong's desserts was at Kurve, where I also didn't finish it (although I actually liked that one quite a bit – it was the devil's food cake with a bunch of chocolate, and I was feeling distinctly chocolate-deprived at that point). Interestingly enough, Andy Yang was actually there, I guess helping them close up. Chef Ong was around, too, but he seemed to have spent most of his time around Batch rather than in the restaurant. The one cook that was working was fun to watch, though, and cute, too (:

I guess it's a little unfair to judge a restaurant on its last day of service, since it's not like the staff have anything to gain or lose from doing especially well or poorly; the food was enjoyable enough, roughly on the order of what I expected given the NYT 1-star review and comments earlier on this thread. Given the price point, it wasn't an especially compelling deal. Had they not been closing, I would have felt no strong desire to come back; I had considered going to p*ong at some point about a year ago but ended up going somewhere else, and feel no real regret at not having gone then, either. I can't help but compare it to Tailor, and Tailor just ends up being better – more ambitious, better execution, and a far better cocktail program.

I also had an interesting time trying to explain to my would-be dining companion that it probably would have been more depressing had she actually been there; apparently there really isn't a good way to say "I'm glad you weren't there".

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For what it's worth, I had a similarly lackluster experience there a week or two ago. I think their effort level went down quite a bit after the decision to close had been made, and it showed in both food and service. After having had several fairly memorable and well-crafted meals there over the time they were around, we were surprised at how noticeably the food had dropped during that last visit. Like your experience, a lot of styles, ingredients and flavors were repeated over the course of the meal. We were especially put off by an absolutely awful pastry crust (that would have been more accurately called a "pasty crust") used in not one but two savory dishes...a pot pie and the above-mentioned empanada...so surprising a failure from a trained pastry chef. Even though there's no restaurant left to defend, I have to say that I think your experience there was probably not at all indicative of what the restaurant was like when it was at its best.