A Trip From Stark to Chic to Exotic : From Bistro 201’s outside to its inside to its food, David Wilhelm goes upscale with a vengeance in Irvine

When we last saw David Wilhelm, he was creating Southwestern oeuvres in his arty Laguna restaurant, Kachina. He’s the chef who created the original Newport Beach version of what has turned into the El Torito G-R-I-L-L. Now he has gone quintessentially Orange County and opened a dazzler of a restaurant smack in the middle of an office complex.

And what a complex: It’s a maze, a grid of office buildings east of John Wayne Airport. You could even find Bistro 201, Wilhelm’s hot new restaurant, and not know where you are. The restaurant sign is so small--according to Irvine city regulations--that you have to squint to see it.

You walk up to a nondescript door that looks like the entrance to an ultra-chic office building. It’s so quiet here you can almost hear the discreet hum of the air conditioner.

When you pull on the heavy glass door, you have no clue as to the drama that is about to unfold. From the moment you stride past the zinc-topped bar--all raw metal, blond wood and sharp, angular corners--your evening is being orchestrated in a surprisingly clear pattern: from stark to chic to splendid.

Just past the bar is the main dining room, a place of high ceilings and sculpted, inlaid walls. Soft Diva lights perch on wires above lush booths upholstered in raw silk; at the same time, 12-foot-high wooden slats suggest a Japanese temple. If you want, you can continue in a beeline to the more intimate patio, where a little forest of bamboo shields tables that are shadowed by giant canvas umbrellas. The place is positively overwhelming.

So are the people who dine here. This is simply great people-watching territory, because Irvine makes such an unapologetic show of its affluence. Everyone is here to see and be seen, in formal evening wear and stunning designer fashions. At Bistro 201, the sideways glance becomes an art form.

The food is even more avant-garde than the surroundings. Often Wilhelm’s dishes are like a David Lynch movie: creative to the point of self-indulgence. They are so exotic you are surprised they’re not served in tiny, precious portions a la nouvelle cuisine . The menu refers to appetizers as “small plates” and main dishes as “large plates” but the conceit is misleading--all the portions here are huge, unqualifiedly huge.

In another unusual turn of affairs, the first course is actually the least satisfying. Grilled shrimp on creamy polenta with roasted peppers has a Southwestern flair that Wilhelm knows all about: The shrimp are slightly blackened and served on a bed of creamy, bright yellow polenta, while the peppers are pureed to a verdant green and a red salsa is drizzled on top. But you don’t eat color. The shrimp is bland and the polenta is apt to be mushy.

Other appetizers have unexpected problems too. Cold smoked filet of beef, served in attractive rounds with an onion marmalade, has an unpleasant cutting flavor; perhaps the hardwoods used in the smoking process need to be reevaluated. Lobster cakes with basil sauce and corn relish sound absolutely irresistible, but the aromatic flavor of the basil mutes the taste of the lobster, and the corn relish has a sharp flavor, as if slightly fermented.

You’re better off trying the more straightforward appetizers. Forest mushrooms and hickory smoked ham in brioche is delicious (despite the apparent absence of any ham). The mushrooms come in an intense cream sauce that you will long for more of. Caesar salad with herbed croutons is the strong-and-not-so-silent type, with a wonderful bite and a fresh crispness to its greens, mostly romaine lettuce. The steamed clams with leeks, garlic and mashed potatoes are fine too; the lumpy mashed potatoes are the very best thing this restaurant serves. And I should mention the complimentary tapenade, a rich suspension like an aioli with olives mixed in. It’s impossible to stop eating.

The main courses are pretty consistent, ranging from the mundane (bistro burger--the only thing even remotely bistro-like about this place) to the bizarre (grilled swordfish with pesto and apricot relish). Muscovy duck with Michigan sun-dried sour cherry sauce is a solid choice. The duck is tender and gamy, charred black around the edges for extra complexity, and the sauce works like a charm.

Something the restaurant calls rustic noodles are a pleasant surprise: eggless noodles shaped like pappardelle (flat, wide and wavy), crisped up in a pan and served with smoked chicken, mushrooms and herbs. Best of all is one of the most nearly traditional things Wilhelm serves, roast pork served on apples with a green peppercorn sauce.

Do try the summer vegetable plate, a symphonically orchestrated platter of up to 12 wonderful baby vegetables from the Chino Ranch. You can expect squash blossoms, fennel, an excellent potato gratin among them. However, do not try things with fruit butters, relishes or sauces that sound too weird to be true.

Dessert is the best course of all. There are, among other things, a masterful souffle made from Belgian chocolate that explodes with chocolatey richness in your mouth and a sumptuous apple and blackberry cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream. The star is raspberry brioche bread pudding, a feathery-light concoction whose taste belies its sinfully rich composition. Better still is the cappuccino, one of the best cups of coffee I have ever tasted.

As you walk out, pick up one of the restaurant’s spiffy Rolodex business cards. The fax number is printed neatly on the bottom. That’ll make it easy for you to reserve a table directly from the office.

Have the restaurant fax you some directions while you’re at it.

Bistro 201

18201 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, (714) 553-9201.

Lunch 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5:30-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Full bar. Valet parking only. All major cards. Dinner for two, food only, $50-$75.

Recommended dishes: Caesar salad with herbed croutons, $5.50; summer vegetable plate, $12; roast pork on apples with green peppercorn sauce, $14.50; raspberry brioche bread pudding, $4.95; cappuccino, $3.50.