Mako

The Scene
A gleaming marble bar skims the tan-walled room, and a black grid floats above diners' heads, providing geometric definition to the space.

The Food
Flanked by an airy mini-salad of jicama, tangy baby back ribs arranged in a crisscross layout are lean and tender under a crispy black bean glaze. A sashimi sampling of yellowtail and maguro is pliant and every bit as fresh as it should be under its shower of white sesame seeds. Tanaka knows how to make a clever play, too. Age-old cliches like duck a l'orange get a New World resurrection as duckling confit and grilled duck breast with port-tangerine sauce, tempered by the bitter snap of Chinese broccoli. Marinated New Zealand roast lamb with plum wine and black olive sauce is superlative.