Restaurant of the Week: Persimmon

As anyone who enjoys the occasional chicken gizzard knows, the blocks on 10th Street between Third and Avenue A offer a cornucopia of pan-Asian cooking -- from off-the-radar joints that serve poultry parts you'd think would be better left on the rendering plant floor, to press-darling David Chang's Momofuku Ko, the 12-seat dining experience that's exclusive enough to deserve its own membership card. That's the somewhat intimidating context for chef Youngsun Lee's Persimmon, a small, recently opened prix-fixe Korean eatery on 10th's eastern side, and an excellent addition to the neighborhood. Lee, a Momofuku alum, opened the space to seat 24 -- 20 at the one long table and four at the bar. It's still BYOB, and serves five-course meals off a menu, $37 per person, that changes every two weeks. On a recent Wednesday night, highlights included fried stuffed squash blossoms (with scallop, tofu and Korean miso), hot, and creamy enough to make us wonder whether they'd slipped some Asiago cheese in there for texture (the answer: no), and the fluke sashimi salada (with scallion, radish sprout, ginger sugar and Korean red pepper sauce), offering a spicy, almost pickled take on the usually bland fish. That was just for starters, and a preview of delectable dishes to come. Our seconds included sautéed spicy baby octopus and sliced braised pork belly -- uh, yum -- which offered complementary, if contrasting flavors: The octopus was heavy and hot with Korean red pepper, while the pork, not exactly on the WeightWatchers plan, was bright and fragrant with star anise. By the time the mains arrived (vegetarian kimchi stew and ginseng chicken soup, which came with a whole Cornish hen stuffed with sweet rice), we were, of course, completely full, which was a bummer. But we pushed it: The cold browned rice porridge, a soupy, earthy palate cleanser, followed, as did Korean sesame cookies for dessert. Adventurous types can take their porridge with jut gal (fermented fish intestine), but we were feeling timid that night. Let's just say that it's not going to be a chore to go back.

Persimmon
277 E. 10th St.
(212) 260-9080

Photo of Persimmon's sliced braised pork belly from New York Journal