Sure, France is a minor power now, but from Saigon to Casablanca, it once held sway over a broad swath of the globe, and it still lives on in much of the world’s cooking. That’s the key to understanding FR.OG, whose opening Rob and Robin announced this week. Co-owner and chef Didier Virot sees the French soul in Vietnamese, Moroccan, and Middle Eastern cookery, and so his menu, which we now release to the world, is a study in unforced fusion: foie gras with ginger crust and mango coulis, a classical roast chicken served alongside green papaya salad, a braised lamb shank served with roasted duck breast. Add to that an equally eclectic cocktail program and a location on a very fashionable corner of Soho and FR.OG seems bound to succeed — even to diners without a sense of history.
Restaurant Openings: FR.OG, Suba, Móle, and Paradou Marché. [NYM]
