At lunch, three gorgeous amuse-bouches, including a watermelon purée served in a vodka glass and topped with cucumber cream, preceded three elegant courses (the main feature: thin slices of roast veal with wild mushrooms spun into a tower) for a bargain 32 euros.
It was vaguely Eastern European, with cabbage rolls and caviar-topped potatoes, and, by way of experimental-chef-land, included touches like anchovy-flavored crème fraîche and a liquefied salad made of puréed cucumber and cactus, served in a paper cone.
Our first course was constructed from lobster medallions, cauliflower panna cotta, paddlefish caviar, micro-lettuce leaves, shaved beetroot, and Parmesan tuiles, all floating or semi-submerged in a cucumber-basil Martini and served in a Martini glass.
Grilled tzatziki chicken ($18) was served in a pool of garlic-lemon hummus with roasted carrots and cucumber-yogurt mint dill salad on the side.
The signature dish is naengmyeon, cold buckwheat noodles served in a broth with myriad regional variations that include hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers, or pears.
The curly noodles are also served chilled in hiyashi chuka, a refreshing bowl of chilled ramen, cucumbers, pickled ginger, roast chicken or pork served in a cold bath of soy, rice vinegar and sugar.
Meals are served in a palm-thatched patio dining room, where we ate good, but nondescript chicken-and-rice dishes with fresh cucumber and fruit.
Blender Cucumber Yogurt Soup With Cumin and Paprika: This no-cook soup is cool and refreshing, whether it's served in a bowl or in a glass.
We sipped on Patrón's summery cocktail that was served in carved cucumbers, a carbonated Campari Negroni created by Theo Lieberaman of Milk & Honey and Lantern's Keep, Lillet's Glass Slipper, and one of our favorites of the evening, the Isle of Indigo (not for the faint of tongue) a spicy coconut cocktail made with Arizona Piña Colada and Ty Ku Shochu.
A salad of yogurt, cucumbers, and spices is served in India (raita) and several Middle Eastern countries (jajik).
