Philippe, Jericho

Philippe Jericho is built on the recipes of founder Philippe Chow, who brought his culinary flair to New York in 1979. While working in the steam-filled kitchen of a Manhattan eatery, the chef spent hours learning to make dim sum, developing proficiency in hand pulling noodles and training shrimp to pan fry themselves. Philippe eventually left to establish a gourmet-Eastern-eateries network in California, Florida, and New York. At the Jericho location, which has been repeatedly lauded by Zagat, diners scoop handcrafted noodles at white-clothed tables, surrounded by slender, modern wall sconces and waving ranks of alabaster orchids. In the dining room that Forbes magazine called "a sea of calm," crimson accents set off hues of red wines and fire trucks with their noses pressed jealously against the windows. Chef Chow passes on many of his recipes and techniques in an array of cooking classes.