The menu at Chive is a mischievous mind-bender that turns people upside down before they even start reading it. At a glance, the clean and simple font appears easy to skim. But the brain becomes quickly taunted when it tries aligning to text that is right justified with reversed indentations. It’s a brilliant tactic that demands mental focus to the delectably astute dishes authored by newly installed chef, Fabrice Poigin.

After rotating the menus from side to side as if they were steering wheels (and chuckling at other patrons doing the same), we decided that a little alcohol was in order. The companion took respite with a glass of California pinot noir, choosing from a properly formatted wine list neatly categorized by countries from around the world. I opted for something much stronger – a refreshing lime-infused, Brazilian rum drink known as a Caipirinha. Soon our IQs had slipped a few points as it took us noticeably longer to figure out which way was up on the dinner list.

A bowl of protein-rich edamame beans on the table kept our stomachs in balance while we waited for the arrival of two eye-popping appetizers. One of them was a beautifully arranged platter of Buffalo Tenderloin Carpaccio that featured paper-thin slices of raw meat festooned with pea tendrils and fennel braised in saffron. A row of shaved Parmesan cheese down the center added the perfect degree of saltiness to this lean and subtle-tasting dish.

The other was a more intricate creation indicative of Poigin’s vivacious approach to food – a disc-shaped Caramelized Onion Pastilla constructed with thin potato slices and filled with strong blue cheese. Warm and wonderful, the spiced wine reduction dotting the plate added further sexiness to the bursting flavors of the cheese and onions.

But where were those namesake chives that one might expect to see used in many of the dishes here? We could only find them in a chive-infused dipping oil included with an order of baguette bread – a conceptual understatement that corresponds to the restaurant’s easeful monochromatic design.

The companion’s main course, a buxom Venison Chop served over spaetzle, proves how effectively stylish restaurants can nudge unpopular foods into vogue when their chefs combine quality resources with aesthetic flair. For something like venison, it also helps when the waiter assures you that the meat is tender and non-gamy. Both held true in this case, as the luscious chop was supported flan made of aspiration, a hybrid vegetable that teeters somewhere between asparagus and broccoli in flavor.

Just when I thought I had eaten Alaskan halibut in every form possible, the Chive presentation proved me way wrong. The thick slab of fish, expertly cooked, was topped with a shallot breading and a dash of cream tinted by the green Swiss chard it had been cooked in. The added bonus of Japanese eggplant and fingerling potatoes hiding underneath the fish imparted further depth to this excellent meal.

The menu is tweaked every six weeks or so, resulting in dinners that are acutely hip without being superficial. You’ll currently find things such as Lacquered Tai Snapper with honey and rice vinegar glaze, steamed Pot Au Feu Root in ginger broth and Prime Baseball-Cut Steak with white truffle butter.

Of the desserts, the “Kinda Rice Pudding” is the end all. It’s served in a deep Asian-style noodle bowl with a layer of rice pudding at the bottom, chocolate Rice Krispies in the center and caramelized crème brulee on top. You can say farewell to those omnipresent New York-style cheesecakes after immersing yourself in this.

Service here is impeccably attentive and made friendlier by the restaurant’s general manager, Michelle Kveen, who circulates herself in an effort to make sure patrons are comfortable and understand the food. But you must first stand on your head in the middle of the floor to calibrate your eyes with the text on the menu.