visionaries

W H E T H E R E X P E R I M E N T I N G W I T H FO I E G R A S A N D BEETS O R A L G I N A T E A N D PECTINASE, THERE ' S A N E W B R E E D O F A V A N T - G A R D E A M E R I C A N PASTRY C H E F O U T TO PROVE THAT D E S S E R T C A N B E M U C H M O R E THAN JUST A S U G A R F I X . B Y P E T E W E L L S

pastry provocateurs

....Often the thing that's a little bit off is an Asian ingredient; Vongerichten is famous for importing Thai, Chinses and other Eastern Flavors into his Frenchinflected cuisine, and he encourages his passtry chefs to do the same. They can beg, borrow, and steal anything they like, and Pichet Ong takes full advantage of the freedom. At Spice Market, Vongerichten and Gray Kunz's homage to Asian street food in Manhattan's fastdeveloping Meatpacking District, an Ong concoction called Thai Jewels turns out to be green and red cubes of water chestnut floating in a broth of coconut milk served with a soup spoon. A famous Thai sweet called tap tim grop is the prototype here, but Ong adds pomegranate and passion-fruit seeds, along with coconut ice, for color, crunch and contrast. Globe trotting diners familiar with the sources for Ong's creations will realize he's not just copying Asian desserts; he's translating them into his own language to ensure that customers are rewarded with a delightful surprise at the end of the meal. "We always hear people scream when their desserts come out to the table," Ong says.....

black book INNOVATIVE PASTRY CHEFS

Curtis Duffy
TRIO

Sam Mason
WD50

Michelle Myers
SONA

Alex Stupak
CLIO

1625 Hinman Ave., Evanston, IL; 847-733-8746 Johnny Iuzzini

JEAN GEORGES

50 Clinton St., New York City; 212-477-2900 Jehangir Mehta

AIX

401 N. Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles; 310-659-7708 Pichet Ong

SPICE MARKET

370 Commonwealth Ave., Boston; 617-536-7200 Jacques Torres

JACQUES TORRES CHOCOLATE

1 Central Park West, New York City; 212-299-3900.

2398 Broadway, New York City; 212-874-7400.

403 W. 13th St., New York City; 212-675-2323.

66 Water St., Brooklyn; 718-875-9772.

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