Madame Tong’s Redeux dining room (LEFT); the bar (RIGHT)
DON’T MISTAKE THE LATTER PART of Madame Tong’s name for “redux.” The launch of Madame Tong’s Redeux in Southampton is so much more than a mere half-hearted revival of the previous establishment. The place is under entirely different ownership and management. Ian Duke and David Hilty have hired a new executive chef, who redeveloped the menu and instilled a fresh ideology in both the back and front of the house. “We’re taking a concept—highend Asian-fusion—that at its core was strong, enhancing it and doing it properly,” explains Duke. They’ve also spent time hiring top-of-the-line staff. “We firmly believe the staff represents us,” he says. “If you don’t have the right people working, you don’t have the right place.”
One of those people is chef Frank Coe, who spent countless hours in restaurants in Asia honing his craft and has cooked a variety of different cuisines. The small, evolving menu focuses on quality over quantity; currently, the eight entrées, eight appetizers, four sushi rolls and one nightly special include soft, melt-in-your-mouth shrimp shumai, locally caught striped bass, fantastic halibut and a sinfully delicious seared rib eye.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Tuna and beet tartare; Spicy tuna roll; Hamptons Redeux roll; a Pink Orchid
Mixologist Elayne Duke, Ian’s wife, concocted a creative drink menu. Try the Pink Orchid: jalapeño-infused Don Julio, agave nectar, fresh watermelon purée and fresh lime juice. If that doesn’t grab you, sample one of four mojitos, or dip into a frozen cosmopolitan.
Everything at Madame Tong’s Redeux amounts to the highest quality— and a whole lot of fun. “I think the best philosophy is to not take ourselves too seriously,” says Duke. “We want everyone else to have fun, too.” 256 Elm St., Southampton, 631-287-1400; mtredeux.com
