Ixora

The setting is spare and elegant, but the cuisine is lush with imagination, philosophy and taste.

By: Tom and Kate O’Neill

   Ixora is a restaurant where the chef has a philosophy, and it takes form on the plate. It is exceptional in its fusion of French and Japanese cuisines: complexity with simplicity, subtlety with clarity.
   Housed in an unexceptional building on prosaic Route 22, Ixora is attractively landscaped and boasts its own herb garden. Inside, the atmosphere is simultaneously austere and comfortable. In the main dining room, the white walls are bare and the sole adornment is a gleaming katana blade and scabbard displayed on one wall.
   The table settings, too, are spare but elegant. Halogen lights focus on gleaming white cloths and heavy silverware. A 32-foot-long polished wood and stainless-steel sushi bar extends along one side of the room. The glow from the cylindrical glass oil lamp on each table adds low, warm light. Deep, upholstered chairs cosset the diner into spending a long evening at the table.
   This room is a stark stage where the spotlight awaits its stars: Executive Chef Timothy Chang and dessert chef Melissa Chang. The chefs’ father and mother join in the direction of the restaurant, which proudly displays its membership in the Hunterdon-Princeton Chapter of the Chaine des Rotisseurs.
   On the evening we visited, we were surrounded by diners in a lively mood. Cheerful conversation and laughter spilled over from the generously separated tables, creating a convivial, yet intimate, atmosphere. We noticed that servers arrived at some tables with napkin-wrapped carafes of warmed sake and later learned that some Ixora regulars choose to keep their beverages in storage at the restaurant.
   Our servers did not rise to the level of their polished surroundings, almost as though they were intimidated by the cool, spare setting. After the waiter took Tom’s order for the six-course tasting menu (or Chef Omakase du Jour — the fusion extends to the languages on the menu), he returned to report that it was not available because "the restaurant is too crowded." The tasting menu, when available, costs $85 ($125 if sushi is included).
   Selecting from the menu’s wide variety was a challenge, and again, we received little support from our aloof server. In any case, Ixora offers an extraordinary range of choice. We were glad to have good friends along who gladly offered samples from their selections, giving us a wider experience of Ixora’s culinary range.
   The appetizer menu is divided into Aquatic Compilation and Terra Selection. Frog legs with ginger and basil ($12) epitomizes Ixora’s fusion concept. Its presentation is artistic, its flavors intriguing and its preparation flawless. The frog legs were served in pieces, the meat tender, savory and delicate. The perfume of ginger accentuated with basil was released with each bite.
   Shrimp fritter with tiger lily in spicy shredded vegetable broth ($8) derives most of its flavor from the rich, spicy broth, which overwhelmed both the shrimp and the rather bland fritter.
   In addition to 40 sushi choices, Ixora offers 16 special rolls, from which we picked soft shell crab tempura ($13) and sliced yellowtail on shrimp and crab ($16). The crispy tempura crust enveloped delicate, moist crab with its characteristic whiff of the sea. Given its ingredients, the second roll should have been the ultimate "aquatic compilation," but the combination did not work. The yellowtail was docile, with a sublime buttery texture, but the shrimp and crab were flat and uninteresting.
   Among the entrées, Chilean sea bass on wild mushroom with truffle sauce ($34) was gently cooked, juicy and enlivened by the earthy essence of the mushrooms and truffle-infused sauce. Shichimi-togarashi and kabayaki marinated lamb chop with brie croquet ($26) combined classic elements of Japanese and French cuisine. The lamb was gracefully presented in a sculpture-like arch, but its chewy texture detracted from an otherwise imaginative combination. Kabayaki is a Japanese grilling sauce or marinade made from soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. Often served with grilled eel, the strong, sweet flavor of the sauce proved an unusual and bracing complement to the lamb and the mild brie.
   Beef tenderloin with herb-seasoned taro fry ($26) was more straightforward, but equally well prepared: tender and, as requested, medium rare. Dense and naturally sweet taro, instead of potatoes, made a fine accompaniment to the tenderloin.
   The desserts displayed Melissa Chang’s extraordinary skills. Her masterpiece was Valrhona chocolate volcano with matcha green tea ice cream and a cherry coulis ($11). This dark chocolate fondant was augmented by the luxuriant cherries and cool, subtly herbal sweet green tea ice cream with, we suspected, a hint of ginger. Spiced truffles ($8) were a shell of creamy chocolate, concealing sweet fillings with imaginative flavorings like cumin or a fiery spice married with a cool cream filling. Flavorful sorbets ($9) came atop a bed of pralines. Fuji apple ($11), thin slices of apple drizzled with a delicate caramel sauce, were combined with ice cream.
   In a restaurant with its own tea and coffee bar, diners may rightly expect a wide selection of exotic, international exotic teas, some of which are priced as high as $15. Judging by the number of tea services we saw delivered to neighboring tables, many diners must find it exquisite. More prosaically, we followed dessert with dessert with espresso ($5) and cappuccino ($5), which were fresh, rich and satisfying.