Sagaponack

Sagaponack is certainly a breath of fresh air after the gloomy, mediocre and short-lived Catch-22 that previously occupied the space. Now the walls are dressed with wainscoting and the bright, capacious room is filled with a taste of the maritime, featuring seascapes and ocean finds plucked from the shores along the Hamptons.

A few St. Germain Cocktails ($10) sent us sailing with prosecco and delicate St. Germain elderflower liqueur, which if you haven't discovered by now, it's time to try. As much as I wanted to try the Kimchi Bloody Mary ($10) with Korean soju (similar to vodka) red pepper and ginger, I decided to save it for the weekend brunch instead.

While chef James Kang may be currently inspired by his residence in Sagaponack, he also laces his dishes with a hint of his Asian background. Duck confit and mushroom duxelles, for example, admirably filled the Dumplings ($8) with springy fennel and spicy kimchee.

We went for pastas next, loving the Seared White Tuna Tataki ($12) with buckwheat soba noodles, sweet yuzu and few daubs of fiery Sriracha sauce. Fresh Noodles with Uni, Tobiko & Quail Egg ($17) found the sea urchin, roe and over-easy egg swimming in garlic cream, but it still managed to be a light dish, made even more so by the smart addition of zucchini and squash-perfect to share.

The Lobster Roll ($26) was decent: the chunky lobster itself was as tasty as the brioche it sat upon, and although I didn't mind the fennel slaw, I found the red pepper in the mayo slightly off-putting and unnecessary. The accompanying shoestring fries bordered on extraordinary.

Slow Braised Korean Short Ribs ($22) were a nice twist, thanks to the sweet, unique blend of spices accompanied by a sticky seven grain rice cake, chestnuts and ginko nuts. We raved over the side of Israeli Couscous ($5), heavenly, aromatic pearls of butter with carrots and scallions. Filet au Poivre ($24), medium rare, was a delicious cut of beef, served over brandy cream with a nostril-tickling peppercorn sauce.

When's the next train out to Long Island?