The Restaurants We Can't Live Without By Tom Fitzmorris. . . Revised November 2009 Cafe East Chinese. Metairie: 4628 Rye. 504-888-0078. Map. Lunch and dinner seven days. Nice Casual. AE DC DS MC V www.cafeeastnola.com   WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL   The most ambitious and best Chinese restaurant in the area, Cafe East serves a highly innovative menu of Chinese dishes from all over that culinarily rich country. And it pulls in ideas from other Asian diets, too. All this happens in a stunning, airy dining room with a singular design. Other earmarks of a first-class restaurant are here, including a terrific wine list.   WHY IT'S GOOD   The kitchen at Cafe East turns out dishes so original and unusual that you can have several meals here without eating a single dish you've had elsewhere. Even the familiar dishes are prepared with new twists. (The Peking duck, for example, comes out in three courses instead of just two.) The menu includes good versions of all the familiar Chinese dishes, too--but it would be a shame not to take advantage of the kitchen's immense creativity.   BACKSTORY   The building once housed the Canton Restaurant, one of the longest-running of New Orleans Chinese eateries. The people who own Cafe East (they're somehow connected with the Sake Cafe, but I'm not sure how) spent a lot of money renovating the place when it opened in 2004, and did it all over again after the flood caused by Katrina.   DINING ROOM   A striking, almost futuristic cube of a building in which every element makes a statement interesting enough to dwell on, Cafe East resembles no other Chinese restaurant. The enormous main dining room has high ceilings and lots of space between everything. Lighting sconces change colors slowly but constantly, making the place feel alive. The only missing piece is in the service department. Only some of the waiters are up to the sophistication of the food and wine they serve.   ESSENTIAL DISHES   Kimchee. Crispy scallops with pine nuts. Screamer oysters (very spicy). Mussels with curry and lemongrass. Escargots with peppers and garlic. Pan-seared quail appetizer. Hot and sour soup. Singapore noodles. Whole braised or fried fish. Veal chop with musaman curry. Szechuan beef “ma la.” Red snapper with green curry. Chocolate truffle cake.   FOR BEST RESULTS   Take a chance and order dishes you've never had before, even if you've ordered the same fried won tons and Mandarin chicken all your life. This restaurant will reveal a new world. Be ready for prices higher than you're used to paying for Chinese food, which is underpriced around New Orleans.   OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT   The service staff needs better training in the fine points, and more people. Service really lags sometimes.   FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD   Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter. Dining Environment +2 Consistency +1 Service Value +1 Attitude +1 Wine and Bar +2 Hipness +2 Local Color   SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES    Romantic Good for business meetings Private dining room (fewer than 25) Private dining room (more than 25) Open Sunday Open Monday Open most holidays Open all afternoon Vegetarian dishes Unusually large servings Good for children Easy, nearby parking Reservations accepted Reservations honored promptly Click here for the index to all the reviews so far. © 2009 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com