THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED DOB 111

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED DOB 111 Restaurant Review:

The prolific Michael ‘Bao’ Huynh continues his takeover of St. Mark’s Place (and, really, the New York dining world) by offering quality but affordable Vietnamese fare. Just down the street from one of the outlets of his Vietnamese sandwich place, Baoguette, is this 28-seat French Vietnamese spot. The offerings, though, are less French and more haute Vietnamese. But who cares about categories when the food is this good? DOB 111, which stands for “Date of Birth” plus the dates of Huynh’s birthday, 11/1, may be the chef’s best effort in years. Seared sea scallops are accented with cauliflower purée and Chinese bacon; sweetbreads wade in a soy truffle emulsion with a slow-poached egg; a healthy slab of arctic char is nicely cooked, the skin, face up, cracks when the fork cuts through it. The crispy pork belly is fatty goodness, made better by the mashed taro root below it. Dishes can be ordered à la carte or part of the three-course $30 prix-fixe.