June 24 (Bloomberg) -- Has the famed Russian Tea Room moved to Manhattan's West Village? Part of it has.

Meet Gary Robins. He was the chef responsible for the Carnegie Hall-area institution when it reopened in 2006. His freewheeling approach to Russian food (sour-cream-poached lobster) resulted in mixed reviews. His tenure was short.

Now Robins is at the weeks-old Sheridan Square. It's an American venue that evokes the Tea Room in three distinct ways: The place is too big, the wait staff is absent-minded and the cooking is tasty yet overcomplicated.

Nine out of 10 dishes had at least one element that made me say: ``I'm glad I ordered that.'' And yes, many items have multiple, exhausting components.

Try the foie gras ravioli -- almost the same dish Robins served at the Tea Room. Truffle shavings fleck a shallow pool of oxtail broth. The golden liquid surrounds little wrappers of pasta. Bite into one. A sweet burst of warm duck liver explodes in your mouth. Spring peas inject healthiness into the artery- clogging bliss.

Food that good helped me forget about the loud techno-style music, the open windows that sent a chill and the inconvenient fact that on one visit, my wine didn't appear until I was halfway through my main course. Excellent rhubarb daiquiris -- pink, sour and sweet -- could have helped me forget even more.

The flaming hearth (visible from the dining room) lent a hint of smoke to my perfectly flaky trout and juicy pork chop. Of course, things are never that simple with Robins.

Culinary Calculus

The chop comes with a side of crispy, porky, honey-glazed swine belly and -- for no particular reason -- a second side of ethereal corn flan. It's an appetizer, main course and dessert on one plate.

A squash blossom gets stuffed with creamy crab. That's not enough for Robins. Cue the side of salty avocado -- it serves no purpose. A slick of chili sauce was underseasoned.

My fluke drowned in a spill of tamarind-yuzu. Marjoram sweetened a medium-rare quail. The tiny bird was great -- ignore the unnecessary, mushy risotto. My prime rib didn't taste dry- aged but a salty char and intense wine reduction picked up the slack.

Butterscotch pot de creme was too sweet. It came with a tiny blackberry soda float -- an unexpected, albeit welcome accompaniment. Buttermilk panna cotta tastes like its sour namesake ingredient -- brilliant. A strawberry gelee takes off the edge.

Sheridan Square is at 138 Seventh Ave. South at 10th Street. Information: +1-212-352-2237; http://sheridansquarenyc.com.

Lots of Food

Food inflation hasn't hit everyone. Persimmon in the East Village serves a five-course menu for $37.

Just be adventurous. The chef is Youngsun Lee, a Momofuku- alum. Expect strongly flavored fare. It's a small room: 24 seats. Frank Sinatra's greatest hits play in the background. Bring your own alcohol.

Start with raw fluke. The fish is doused in such an intense red-pepper sauce it tastes cured. Paper-thin pork belly gets more of that sinus-clearing sauce. Delicate tofu eases your pain. Pickled baby garlic is an addictive beer snack -- as are the tiny, soy-sauteed anchovies.

Kimchi stew comes to you in a rolling boil. Wait a while to let it cool. Then consume the fiery broth. If you had a cold, it's now cured. Pig's feet soup? The broth is milky and heady. Chewy rice cakes are warming and hearty. A block of kimchi is so fresh the spicy cabbage feels like it's carbonating in your mouth.

Warning: The restaurant can smell like fermenting cabbage.

Persimmon Kimchi House is at 277 E. 10th St., near Avenue A. Information: +1-212-260-9080.

(Ryan Sutton writes about New York City restaurants for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Ryan Sutton in New York at rsutton1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: June 24, 2008 00:01 EDT