THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Karu & Y

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Karu & Y Restaurant Review:

Created by jetsetter Cesar Sotomayor and his Arrso Restaurant Company partner Elliot Monter, the 42,000-square-foot Karu (the restaurant), Y (the lounge) and Tottem (performance space) are self-importance incarnate. Sumptuous materials make up both the décor and the menu, which is to say that one dines on cantilevered zebrawood tables under a Dale Chihuly chandelier on such delicacies as Wagyu sirloin and Kurobuta pork, complemented by a vintage chosen from the 400-bottle "wall" of wine. Except that it's not quite as simple as that. Executive chef Alberto Cabrera, late of the controversial La Broche, Norman's and Baleen, has embraced the Ferran Adrià "3 T's" school of thought---fooling around with technique, texture and temperature---to create dishes you may welcome or you might take umbrage at, especially at these substantial prices. With items like the Spanish clam bake---imported clams, mussels and langoustines---with potato water, piquillo pepper granita and white popcorn; pan-fried red mullet with sweet onion tart, green olive tapenade, potato purée and tomato powder; and almond-banana millefeuille with date purée, yogurt foam, honey ice cream and a white chocolate shot, we're coming down on the side of delectably inventive without crossing the boundary into bizarre.