FR.OG is the second restaurant that partners Philip Kirsh and Chef Didier Virot have opened together; they currently own AIX Brasserie on the Upper West Side. Chic newcomer FR.OG has opened in a stark white SoHo duplex accented with bright splashes of color and semicircular banquettes.

Its name stands for "France Origine," the common thread felt in all of chef Didier Virot's global dishes, which dart from Morocco (duck leg in pastilla, $25) to Vietnam (nem ran of pork, $12). FR.OG's concept is cuisine that reflects the French colonies of Vietnam, Lebanon, and Morocco. (Imperialism has never tasted so good.) And like so many of its SoHo peers, FR.OG is all about luxe décor, ie: sequined walls, rounded banquettes, leather chairs, and of course, eclectic martinis like the Ginger Rose (ginger, vodka, lychee, rose essence).

Expect a late-night scene fueled by cardamom-infused house martinis and other intriguing libations at the front bar and downstairs lounge.