Lamp and Shade Craft Kitchen basks in the glow of chef Ryan Stewart’s pan-Asian dishes

It wasn’t surprising in the least that a restaurant named Lamp & Shade Craft Kitchen and Cocktails, with all its visual appeal and trendy trappings, would be lit. (Go ahead and throw me some shade for that line.) It’s got its fair share of punters in Kith T-shirts after all, but the restaurant’s draw appears to be a lot more universal. Hell, this aging fop has thrice dined on its “chef-driven” fare, infused with a now-customary level of pan-Asian-ness. That chef — Ryan Stewart, a Johnson & Wales grad who sliced and diced his way up the Cowfish “burgushi” chain before landing at Thriving Hospitality (Thrive Cocktail Lounge, Bounce House, The Packwoods, Lamp & Shade) — is as studied, precise and likable a chap as you’ll ever meet.

He’s also fully cognizant of being a white chef immersed in Far Eastern cookery — cookery Stewart says influenced his career path. “My journey began in mom-and-pop Asian restaurants, sushi bars and traditional Korean kitchens,” but despite his diverse culinary background, he found himself drawn back to Asian cuisine, a cuisine, he says, “ignited my passion.”

And while the chef gives due deference to the local talents he admires — Kristine Young (Little Giant), Tyler Inthavongsa (Edoboy), Michael Collantes (Soseki), Henry Moso (Kabooki Sushi), William Shen (Sorekara), Ryan Ratino (Ômo by Jônt) — he’s quick to point out that his dishes are a reflection and celebration of his own life experiences. “They’re infused with personal stories,” he says.

I don’t know if there’s an anecdote associated with his baby bok choy ($12), but I’d wager any one of the chefs he holds in high esteem would commend the way he tosses the stalks in a sweet soy and shio koji glaze before charring them over an open flame. “Shio koji is the secret ingredient that brings this dish together,” he says. In addition to the funky fermented grain mixture, the glaze blends mirin, tamari, sake and ginger and is applied after the fire as well. The leaves are then garnished with fried garlic. A grilled lemon and a bok choy puree thickened with potato and vegan cream cheese is served alongside those gorgeous greens. It’s vegan and gluten-free and it’s a dish I’ve never failed to order. That, and the squid ink squid ($18), Stewart’s “favorite dish.” It’s dredged in a seasoned flour with squid ink powder before being flash-fried for a minute.

And they were gone in 60 seconds — these crisp, beautiful black curls resembling incinerated onion rings. We snacked on the bites while enjoying a cocktail or two at the gleaming bar and dining room, in full view of artist Sumner Mormeneo’s pop/surrealist mural evoking (to me anyway) that old panel show, What’s My Line?  Mussels in a green coconut curry ($19) paired with a striking beet salad ($16) wasn’t a surreal combination, but the flavors did pop! The salad, frisée with shiso goat cheese, wasabi peas, pepitas, quinoa and a yuzu vinaigrette drizzle, is one of the finest renditions of this now-ubiquitous starter you’ll have in the city. Other faves on this highlight reel menu: addictive Caesar salad bites ($13) on toasted brioche flurried with shaved parm and bonito flakes; nori squares with bluefin tuna ($18) nestled into sushi rice gussied up with chipotle aioli, cucumber, radish and micro cilantro; crispy tofu bites ($13) dribbled with a spicy chimichurri aioli; and a comforting plate of shiitake risotto ($37) with wild mushrooms, miso and parm that had the powerful effect of quieting our table’s very vocal group.

And the misses were hardly misses. Whiskey-glazed L.A. short ribs ($26) served over celery root puree were a smidge greasy, even though the flavors hit. (Korean friends of mine claimed they could tell the short ribs weren’t rinsed or soaked in water, as is customary to make a cleaner-tasting galbi.) Purple sweet potato dumplings ($15) filled with pecans and pepitas, swimming in soy-miso butter, looked a whole lot better than they tasted, and they tasted pretty good. I think I’d be more partial to the duck version served during weekend brunch. Stone-fried rice ($26) with local veg topped with a sunny-side-up egg with viola flowers was flawless, really. But that price. Oof.

And the Instagram wall emblazoned with “Throw Some Shade” in neon? Well, that kinda speaks for itself. Plenty of folks have popped lamp shades on their heads and posted pics to socials (this space was home to a lamp store for 50 years, after all), but I’m more inclined to post the castella cake ($15), with its dark chocolate crémeux and salted miso-caramel ice cream reclining over chocolate sponge. In fact, I did. I even used the flash on my camera, but don’t fault me. Much like this review, I was just trying to shed a little light on the food.

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This article appears in Oct 23-29, 2024.