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“D'Or Ahn: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Asian	Chelsea	Moderate	Great

When a new restaurant opens next to one of your current favorites, there is a protective mechanism that gets triggered. You worry. You don't want the favorite restaurant to get hurt. You don't want the new place to change the vibe of the neighborhood. So, I had been wondering about D'Or Ahn, a modern Korean restaurant that was in construction right next to Tia Pol. But Mani and Heather (the owners of Tia Pol) didn't seem concerned. They liked the owner and they were happy she was opening. But after a while it seemed it would never open. Months went by and the space remained a construction zone. But then, it opened—a year and a half behind schedule—but open nonetheless. And it looked stunning. But still, I wasn't sure I could go. I mean, could I come over to Tia Pol and then have dinner next door? The answer, for several months, was no. I just didn't feel right about it, not to mention that I could not pry myself away from Alex's food to go next door. But Mani and Heather had told me I should make time. They would not be insulted if I ate next door. They loved it and they really like the owner—Lanni Ahn. And so Jamie, Susie and I decided to tear ourselves away from Tia Pol for a night and check it out. I am glad we did.

D'or Ahn is a little gem. Even from the outside, the restaurant is beautiful. A long, strong wooden door is stamped with lean silver lettering—D'or Ahn—and a slim rectangular window carved from the smooth clay façade offers a voyeur's view into the softly lit slender room. Standing outside looking in, there is something magical and mystical about this place. Once inside, the feeling continues. The dining room—a narrow, slipper-sized space with just about 20 tables—is precious, sexy, civilized, glamorous and cozy all at the same time. The room is dark, but pinpoint lights on the each table give you and your guests a flattering glow. The walls are lined with brick and fabric panels, and the bar is slate clay, like the façade, and includes a cold app station where a chef works on sushi-styled fish dishes. D'Or Ahn feels like some secret hideaway and you won't want to tell anyone about it. But I am telling you all. (Just don't tell too many others because if it gets like things are at Tia Pol, no one will be able to get in any more.)

D'Or Ahn is the vision of Lannie Ahn, a young, tiny, and delicately stunning woman who conce ... [more, click below]

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Posted: December 4, 2005

Other restaurants in Chelsea :
+ Matsuri   + La Bottega   + Tia Pol   + Bombay Talkie   + Cookshop   + D'Or Ahn: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Buddakan   + Crema   + InTent: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Trestle on Tenth   + Klee   + El Quinto Pino   + Socarrat   + Txikito   + Co. (Company)   

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