Philadelphia Weekly

In this town, we love us some small plates. Call 'em tapas, dim sum, meze; just make them small and they'll disappear faster than a Philly athlete up for contract renewal. But when does a good thing become too much of a good thing?

Sonam, the latest BYOB seeking to strum our heartstrings with a small-plates menu, might be the bocadillo that broke the camel's back.

Sonam is located in the sub- sidewalk space that previously housed Table and Next. Descend the staircase into a naughty Zen garden of river rocks, bamboo and ultrasuede. Banquettes flank the high-gloss tabletops, magic mirrors for the almost-famous clientele to periodically inquire if partaking in Sonam's trendy "global dim sum" has finally made them the coolest in the land.

From the sculptural water glasses with their concave equators to the hip staff in vintage Levis and fire-engine-red Chuck Taylors, there's no question Sonam has style to spare. But style needs substance to back it up, and much of chef/owner Ben Byruch's menu has too much of the former and not enough of the latter.

What's afoot is a case of when-bad-things-happen-to-good-ingredients. Scallops are subjected to various treatments--lemongrass skewer, rice paper wrap and a tomato-y "bouillabaisse" bath (more like a sloppy joe mix). Tender lamb chops get wastefully tempura-battered and fried, while perfectly pristine slices of yellowtail are crowded with nachos, pico de gallo oil, avocado puree and a forest of microgreens.

Pillowy falafel and lip-stinging wing sauce would be great divorced and relocated to separate dishes. Together and served with watery Gorgonzola tzatziki and celery batonets, they're downright weird. Batonets? They're effing celery sticks. Label them so.

Other dishes suffer from sloppy execution, like the seafood sliders. Sandwiched between golden sesame-seeded brioche buns, the crab, lobster and shrimp cakes are all nicely seared outside, but so wet and raw inside they quickly turn my plate into a mayonnaisey Rorschach.

I enjoy the flavors of the chamomile-citrus and earl grey creme brulees (dead ringers for the filling of a Lemon O cookie), though I can't say the same for the almond-studded bread pudding with its indelibly bitter lime coulis.

Service that is knowledgeable but not arrogant eases the pain. Pacing is smooth and comes with informative but painlessly brief verbal descriptions. Alcohol helps too, and BYOB Sonam, to its credit, pays more attention to drinkers' needs than a lot of restaurants with liquor licenses. On hand are white and red wine glasses, champagne flutes, marble bottle-chillers, and even a few voluptuous glass decanters should you deem Sonam worthy of a special uncorking--which you might after sampling some of their more straightforward offerings.

Thick rafts of green tomato, salty jewels of pancetta and a clutch of lemony microgreens form a playful riff on the BLT--proof that Byruch is capable of cooking that's clever but grounded. The yakitori steak brings tender cubes of sesame-crusted strip nested in cucumber "noodles" tossed with ginger and sweet chili sauce, while the curried chicken kabobs are street food done right, amazingly juicy over pearls of chilled Israeli couscous.

Served with creme fraiche and truffled wonton chips, the dynamic wild boar tartare dressed with curry, blood orange juice and chopped black truffles blows my mind, as does the fried butternut-squash-and-chicken wontons alongside a cloud of woodsy sage whipped cream. Fun s'mores made with gooey fig paste, ethereal goat-cheese marshmallows and cardboard- flavored wheat crackers play savory and sweet, while chicharrones make a salty counterpoint for dense chocolate gelato.

A notable exception to the simpler-is-better theory: the cheesesteak terrine. Served with a sideswipe of provolone "wiz," hot-pepper duxelle and candy-like tomato molasses it's messy, complicated and hard to eat. But dragged through those clever condiments, each forkful of onion-studded cheesesteak mousse is a beefy wonder that proves playfulness and maturity are not mutually exclusive. Translate that balance to the rest of the menu, and Sonam has a shot at being Philly's next small-plate paramour.

Sonam
223 South St. 215.922.3092. www.sonambyob.com
Cuisine: Global dim sum.
Hours: Wed.-Thurs. and Sun.-Mon., 5-10pm; Fri.-Sat., 5-11pm.
Prices: $6-$13.
Sound advice: Quiet on weekdays, wild on weekends.
Atmosphere: Sexy pseudo-Asian.
Service: Smart and organized.
Food: Small plates, some with big problems.