Wayan

Wayan Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Wayan is a French-Indonesian restaurant in NoLIta from Cédric Vongerichten (son of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten) and his wife, Ochi. The name means “first-born” in Bali, and the décor, which was designed by Rockwell Group, features touches like authentic carved wood pieces from Indonesia and hand-painted glass globes.

Likes: Pretty, lively atmosphere; skewers; clams; pork ribs; pandan custard.
Dislikes: Can get busy and loud.

Food & Drinks: Wayan offers a refreshing, modern take on fusion, low on clichés and high on bright, stop-you-in-your-tracks flavors. Start with juicy pork skewers with sweet soy, served with pickled watermelon radishes scented with lime leaf. Jimbaran-style clams, littlenecks redolent with garlic, coconut and cilantro, are the sort of thing you’ll crave long after your meal is over. Sop buntut, Javanese oxtail soup, is both rich and light – a complex, soul-satisfying bowl with flavors of beef, cinnamon and lemongrass. Mix in a little bowl of green chile and cilantro yourself to get the level of heat just right. Steamed black bass with calamansi and chili vinaigrette is tender and aromatic, and the baby-back pork ribs with tamarind glaze are just sweet enough. Purple-yam ice cream with banana cake and caramelized bananas makes a satisfying ending, as does tangy passionfruit pandan custard. Pair your meal with playful cocktails, which highlight ingredients such as black sesame and ginger, or a selection from the wine and saké list that features bottles from both old and new worlds.