It's a brilliant composition that would be good but ordinary without those tender little packages of tangy goat cheese and sweet corn. L arger dumplings, plump with pork, are equally tender and well received, although they would not be my choice because, as the menu promises, they are served swimming in ponzu, a classic Japanese sauce made with rice vinegar and soy sauce that is too salty for my taste. A s the meal proceeds, we are treated to a series of small, pleasant surprises. For example, grilled calamari arrives looking for all the world like a plate of spaghetti. Exploration by fork reveals slender rings of baby calamari tossed with udon noodles and slivered vegetables, in a lovely miso-mustard dressing.
S erving different foods on different plates, some patterned, some plain, dramatizes the food.
The prettiest salad I've seen recently consists solely of pale, milky-green Bibb lettuce presented like a jewel in a deep, luminous celadon bowl. The house dressing is mild with a flick of ginger, and a sprinkle of crispy shallots for crunch. The chicken breast is thickly coated with a different blend of spices. Both rubs are wonderful but so subtle I give up trying to identify them. The chef gets to keep his secrets and I get to enjoy.