Sept. 9 (Bloomberg) -- David Chang makes diners sit on hard wooden stools for three hours in a stuffy, tiny room in Manhattan's East Village. Welcome to Momofuku Ko's new lunch service, apparently inspired by an economy-class flight to Siberia but with better food.

The Asian-spiked American fare is worthy of Michelin stars; there's just not enough of it. I spent over $300 for a meal and left hungry.

An 18-course tasting menu is the only offering at midday. The prices, $160 for the food, $95 for the beverage pairing, put Ko on par with the city's more expensive restaurants.

Chang became famous for cheaper things. His Momofuku Noodle and Ssam Bars serve gourmet fare at discount prices to crowds of walks-ins who like their vegetables served with bacon.

Ko is different. Reservations are taken online and are tough to come by; the venue has just 12 seats at a counter. Dinner costs $100 for eight or nine courses. I awarded Ko three stars after a series of revelatory visits last spring.

But Ko's inconveniences were magnified over the longer, more expensive lunch, at least during its debut service on Friday.

Seat cushions and lumbar support would make those three hours more comfortable. The heat of the grill was stifling. Is that why my foie gras shavings started to melt before I ate them?

Not Enough

Everyone has a different level of satiety. That's why restaurants with tasting menus use bread refills, petits fours and the option of extra courses to help account for different appetites. Such choices weren't available here. I wanted another butter bomb: an intermezzo of hot bread stuffed with butter.

Chang's resident chef Peter Serpico seems to have distanced himself from the powerful, straightforward flavors he serves at dinner. No deep-fried short ribs, deep-fried pork rinds or deep- fried apple pie -- dishes that ensure dinner guests don't leave hungry.

Instead, I tried a perfectly steamed black bass over an egg drop soup-filled ravioli, and bacon dashi with all the smoke of swine belly but with little of the fat or salt -- brilliant. Charred leeks imparted a gently grilled taste to thin slices of raw sirloin. Sesame oil and tofu skin perfumed tomatoes with nutty notes. Expect pristine sashimi and lots of good caviar.

The lunch offerings were subtle and complex; they deserve a quiet environment. Yes, there's something subversively clever about how Ko plays rock music at 9 p.m. while fatty pork explodes in your mouth.

But there's something markedly annoying about trying to appreciate delicate lobster with tomato water and anise hyssop while glasses shatter, cooks swear, oven doors slam and waiters squeeze behind you -- all at 12:30 in the afternoon.

Silver lining: At these prices, reservations will be easier.

Momofuku Ko is at 163 First Ave., near 10th Street. Information: http://www.momofuku.com. Lunch served Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Reuben Fritters

Delicatessen, from the people behind Cafeteria, is a SoHo restaurant that serves ``international comfort food.'' The dishes are supposed to bring back good memories.

The beef stroganoff reminded me of my first trip to Moscow. I had many shady stroganoffs in suspect Russian cafeterias. None was as bad the version here. I had trouble finding the beef. Tasted like they used a quart of sour cream.

The meatloaf was drenched in barbecue sauce. It evoked the sloppy joes my college roommate and I once made when we invited girls over for dinner. Our dates weren't happy.

The fried chicken, a few pieces for $14, will conjure the better versions you've had elsewhere. And the hamburger spring rolls tasted like the greasy, overcooked patties I was forced to eat twice a week at day camp.

The open air space can get quite hot and thunderously loud. If you can handle that, there are pleasures to be sampled: Halibut tacos were flaky. Fried squid was tender and salty. Chopped liver? Pleasantly funky. Reuben fritters tasted exactly like a Reuben sandwich.

Delicatessen is at 54 Prince St. Information: +1-212-226-0211; http://www.delicatessennyc.com.

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

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

Last Updated: September 9, 2008 00:01 EDT