Pastel-coloured light and whimsical objects (wire birdcages, Colonel Sanders dolls) aside, it’s an elegant, understated room. After seven years, it remains the city’s primo gourmet destination. Servers have plenty of explaining to do with such complex dishes and two different seven-course tasting menus to introduce ($120, with matched wines $187). The house style is to begin with the main course, but first comes a six-part amuse-gueule and another optional prelude (add $50) in which oysters arrive dressed with various mignonettes, and yummy farmed Canadian sturgeon caviar is spooned onto a crusted taro dumpling or a gorgeously textured squash blini with a runny-yolked quail egg. One main might be Cornish hen, boned, crisp-skinned and evenly juicy and moist, perching on a rich crushed-peanut sauce; green curry sauce and dashes of chili-mint chutney suggest Thailand, but a tender artichoke heart stuffed with peppers and tomato brings everything back to Provence. White asparagus and lobster bisque, super-charged with flavour, may be the best you’ll ever taste. Susur Lee’s inspired inventiveness fills the even­ing right through to a dessert of “sweet dim sum”—10 tiny irresistible treats. Wine matches can be trusted, or pick a bottle from the comprehensive though expensive list. Mains $45.