Figure Eight, the new restaurant from the Silver Apricot team, initially appeared intimidating to my tastebuds.

The restaurant celebrates the culture and culinary richness of the Lower-Atlantic coast through a Chinese-American lens.

Between substantial pricing, distinctive cuisine and the challenge of securing a reservation, I was reticent.

Well, I over thought this.

Figure Eight proved to be a uniquely delicious dining experience.

The intimate restaurant is located in the old Pearl Oyster Bar space on charming Cornelia Street, with Calvin Hwang, previously of Michelin-starred Saga, Crown Shy and Vestry, as executive chef.

We sat at the bar with the affable, highly competent bartender and cocktail program head honcho, Steve Wilson who is an absolute delight and offers a creative portfolio of cocktails. I love that the bar is stocked with exceptional spirits representing many local distilleries.

He guided us through the eclectic menu starting with the impressive Seafood Tower ($55 a person).

The stunningly sumptuous display of lavish and perfectly prepared seafood delighted the palate.

The sweet Nova Scotia Lobster Tail is outstanding steamed for six minutes and brushed with preserved lemon brown butter. The top tier’s pair of stone crab claws are fabulous and the jumbo shrimp are beyond reproach. The jalapeño-pickled mussels, scallop crudo topped with bright roe, Shanghainese smoked fish salad with fried saltines and beautifully arranged razor clams, thinly sliced and dressed with celtuce, daikon, vegetarian semi-dried-tomato and shiitake XO, are all outrageous.

We added the 30g Kaluga Caviar tin which was smoky and decadent. I enjoyed, but would not order again ($48).

The accompanying fried Saltines were outrageous.

We also selected a delightfully tasty Long Beans dish with sesame, chili crisp and mint ($24).

The Hush Puppy Egg Waffle made with Anson Mills cornmeal, white cheddar and served with hot honey butter was fantastic ($16).

A new menu item, the Radish Salad, was delectably light and refreshing with chrysanthemum, lotus root chips and green guanyin tea ($23).

The wine and cocktail offerings are creative and tantalizing. I ordered a wonderful Orange Wine, Domaine de l’Ecu Melon de Bourgogne ($18). The Harridan Vodka Martini was served beautifully and was an outstanding cocktail made with Harridan local vodka ($28).

Desserts from chef Janice Sung (Saga, One White Street) uniquely round out the menu.

The Yuenyeung Dessert was fabulous consisting of tea mousse, coffee ganache, condensed milk cake and salty malt crumble ($17).

The restaurant has three dining areas.

At the entrance is a 12-seat bar with a jazzy dragon splashed across the wall.

The main dining room is done mostly in blue and white in homage to Pearl Oyster Bar. There is also a semiprivate dining room.

Restaurateur Emmeline Zhao’s experience growing up in North Carolina provides a  distinctive Southern perspective.

Figure Eight is a nod to Figure Eight Island, an historic, five-mile, 1,300-acre barrier island off the coast of North Carolina, known as one of the most pristine coastal Atlantic destinations.

The number eight is also considered the ultimate symbol of good fortune in Chinese culture.

Figure Eight’s newly-launched Tea service is available Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30am to 3:30pm. It’s a prix fixe menu for $88 per person with unlimited sandwich varieties, six pastries and bottomless tea beverage.

It will be your good fortune to dine at Figure Eight. I recommend sitting at the bar with the amicable, knowledgeable Steve.

Figure Eight 18 Cornelia Street Greenwich Village, New York City. Open Sunday-Thursday 5:30-11:00pm, Friday-Saturday 5:30-12:00am. Reservations on Resy.