Pearl

There were a few misses - a sticky cashew chicken that was bland, soupy and noticeably skimpy on cashews; a $55 ginger-crusted lobster that had too much of a par-cooked chew for the price.

But for the most part, this kitchen was spot-on. And though the young service staff was a bit overprogrammed, they were pleasantly informed and efficient.

The excellent desserts may have been their easiest sell. There was a citrus-tanged yuzu cheesecake topped with rhubarb over a buttery crust of fortune cookies. A chocolate chip cookie sandwich pressed around toasted coconut ice cream was the perfect combo of warm chew and frozen cream. Chocolate-dipped bananas came with the salty Asian sweetness of a miso-caramel dip. And the cocoa pot de creme was the epitome of chocolate pudding finesse, the especially silky custard turned exotic by a spice-box foam of powdered ginger and five spice.

"What, no 'dip-sum' doughnuts?" quipped one guest, feigning disappointment that Pearl's embrace of the Asian fusion standards stopped just shy of that iconic (and much imitated) Buddakan dessert.

The insinuation was understandable, as Pearl would seem to be, at first glance, little more than a slick Rittenhouse homage to Old City's tried and true fusion scene. That its kitchen goes beyond those expectations is a credit to the chef.

at 215-854-2682 or claban@phillynews.com.