The Brooklyn Papers / Greg Mango

It's alive: Little Bistro reinvents classic dishes, such as this appetizer of duck confit with frizzled leeks and a pepper sauce, with mixed results.

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The buzz about Little Bistro - a tiny, four-month-old eatery on Court Street - was "very good food, cool place and a menu that needs to be more descriptive."

I checked it out, and I agree.

The food is inventive and mostly excellent. The ambience on a recent Friday night reminded me of an open house party attended by the entire neighborhood; and in some instances, the menu needs a more extensive compiling of a dish’s ingredients, so the diner won’t be surprised.

Little Bistro seats just 45 indoors with a few cafe tables in front of the restaurant. Although it’s below street-level, it’s not dismal thanks to big windows in the front that open onto a small area for outdoor seating when the weather is warm.

There are a few lighthearted touches: a mirror that runs the length of the room, edged with sepia-toned photos of Court Street, and order tickets that become a decorative overhang above the counter in the rear of the space. The dining room is awash in tones of chocolate and white, with wooden tables and banquettes covered in earth-toned, striped cloth ringing the room.

The warmth and playfulness of the decor makes a fitting backdrop for chef Chris Cheung’s mix of down-home American and international fusion dishes.

Cheung, who owns the restaurant with Sam Wong and Steven Ng, opened the eatery in July. Before striking out with his partners, he worked in the kitchens of Thai Grille in Brooklyn Heights and Long Tan in Park Slope.

Cheung describes his cuisine as "new American with a twist." By "American" he refers to all the ethnic groups in this country, with an emphasis on Asian flavors. His menu lists familiar dishes like a grilled hanger steak with roasted potatoes, a juicy hamburger served with a towering pile of shoestring fries, and sweet-and-sour baby back ribs with macaroni and cheese, as well as more inventive fare.

The surprises stem from our idea of what a familiar dish should or shouldn’t include. Take the appetizer, which is simply listed on the menu simply as "Maine lobster bisque." I imagined it arriving in a deep bowl with a nice chunk of lobster meat on top and a sprinkling of herbs. Few of us would order the soup expecting it to sport a crown of diced tomatoes, cucumbers and avocados, and a large dollop of salmon roe. I like the unexpected, especially if it’s something as delightful as the bisque, but others might wish for a heads up when it comes to unforeseen ingredients.

The appetizer "crispy calamari with cardamom salt" came with a couple of surprises, too: tiny whole squid bodies and a sweet-and-sourish sauce. The big platter of long squid pieces and crunchy tentacles are delicately fried so they resemble lacy ruffles. The fish is salty, but just enough so that its mild flavor is enhanced. And that cardamom-laced sauce is lick-the-plate delicious.

Less successful was an appetizer of duck confit (duck cooked and stored in its own fat), topped with frizzled leeks and laced with a peppery sauce. Each ingredient is tasty, but all together, the dish isn’t something to get worked up over.

Unlike the duck, every ingredient in the "forbidden rice crusted salmon with Japanese spiced cream sauce and Swiss chard" acts to enhance the other. The fine grains of "forbidden rice" (black, sticky rice from Thailand) turn the skin crisp and nutty and play beautifully against the moist fish. On the plate was a puddle of lemony sauce that lightened the richness of the dish, and a mound of simply sauteed Swiss chard that added color and a pleasantly bitter note to the flavors.

Our waiter warned us that the "bordelaise braised short ribs with pappardelle pasta" was more noodle than meat, but I wasn’t prepared for what arrived. I imagined a home-style plate of slow-cooked beef in a winy, red sauce over tender noodles. Set before me was a deep bowl of pasta, a few perfectly tender chunks of meat off the bone, a creamy sauce and about 10 different vegetables.

It wasn’t what I expected, but I enjoyed the dish tremendously. I’d order it again, too.

The meal took a nosedive with the desserts. The two I tried - the lichee tart and the pumpkin cheesecake - were clunkers. The tart is an Asian take on creme brulee studded with lichee. The fruit is too subtle to make much of an impact, too rich for more than a couple of bites, and too large for one person’s dessert; it may be overwhelming for two. It’s served with vanilla ice cream and squiggles of caramel that do nothing at all for the dish. Crustless cheesecake is a no-no in my book, especially one that tasted like sour cream, not pumpkin, and sat amidst fussy dribs and drabs of chocolate and caramel sauces that made the plate look like a Halloween massacre.

On the dessert roundup is something called a "Hostess cupcake." Don’t be fooled. It’s a molten chocolate cake in disguise, the ubiquitous kind served warm with a runny center.

It’s best to approach Little Bistro with only one expectation: that you’ll enjoy something new. Accept the idea that if you order something familiar, you’ll receive Cheung’s experimental take on the dish.

Chances are you’ll end up like the man sitting near me who told his companion, "I’ve ordered the calamari 100 times. It’s not what I expected at first, but now I won’t eat it anywhere else."

Little Bistro (158 Court St. between Amity and Pacific streets in Cobble Hill) accepts American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $10-$17. The restaurant serves lunch Monday through Friday, and dinner every day. For reservations, call (718) 797-5655.

©2005 Community Newspaper Group