NEW YORK: TOY

TOY certainly has bravado—the first thing one notices is the huge, black fractured mirror, designed by Jeffrey Beers, that covers the ceiling, over the huge canvas that co-owner Derek Koch tells me will be changed each season to feature the work of new-wave graphic artists. Derek and his twin, Daniel Koch—the “party twins” responsible for conceiving and developing the now de rigueur boozy Saturday brunch—have upped the ante on the sophistication for this next project. There is a mezzanine where the Meatpacking glitterati may see and be seen, and a sleek terrace where said glitterati may view their playground. If the pre-launch hors d’oeuvres duck with micro-greens canapés leads by example, the food will be pretty delicious. The menu is modern Asian—Chinese with a pinch of Japanese. Chef Doron Wong (protégé of another Top Chef legend, Susur Lee) has rustled up “Lacquered Mahogany Chicken and Hidden Lobster Dumplings” for the gourmands among us, and for those in for the long haul, there will be a smaller, late- night menu.

TOY: 18 9th Avenue, New York City. 212-66-6766 or visit www.toyrestaurant.com.

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