Reality television in the mid-00’s seems to be all about inverting traditional sequences of events. Not too long ago, a famous chef worked slowly to build a reputation among patrons, peers, and the press, and then and only then made the leap to the small screen. Even Iron Chef contestants both here and in Japan all followed this formula to a person. Then along came Bravo TV’s brilliant Project Runway, which in one quick whipstitch reversed the polarities on vocationally-driven notoriety. Suddenly, it was possible to have one’s moment in the sun first and then follow it up with a career.

Enter Harold Dieterle, the hands-down winner of the first season of Project Runway’s sister program, Top Chef. A year and $100K worth of seed money later, he returns to his roots to open his first restaurant just a mile or two from his pre-TV sous cheffing gig at The Harrison, poaching former operations manager Alicia Nosenzo along the way. Given his background, you might expect the opening of Dieterle’s Perilla to have been a klieg light and paparazzi affair, yet instead, the restaurant just put out its shingle a few weeks ago and opened for business. The understated message comes across loud and clear: Perilla is not about hype, despite the provenance of its chef.

Late last week, HungryMan, our friend Matelot, and I stopped by Perilla and got a chance to see just how Dieterle was putting his talent into action. Before we even entered the restaurant, however, HungryMan and I had a long conversation about the menu posted outside. The influences are legion–seasonal ingredients, Middle European preparations, modern American combinations, and a few Asian-inspired twists as well–slightly schizo, but not surprising in a restaurant named for an herb that itself has several different names (shiso, perilla, Chinese basil). And the wide ranging menu works well, making it possible to have a light meal or a rather hearty one without resorting to off-menu requests. We were also heartened by the surgically brief wine list, which not only featured more than a few bottles in the $30-45 price range but also offered a number of seasonally ideal rosés.

As we drank one of these very bottles–the Italian lagrein-based Muri-Gries ($34)–we started in on our first course. Everyone’s clear favorite was Matelot’s beef carpaccio with arugula, shaved parmesan, and a vinaigrette made from capers and preserved Meyer lemons (pictured above, $10)–essentially an updated version of the original Harry’s Bar preparation, served sushi-style in rolls buttressed by a few leaning shards of aged cheese. My roasted octopus salad ($10) was nearly as good, and benefited from the interplay of textures between the tender octopus and the crisp shaved fennel. I did wish I could have tasted the heirloom tomatoes in the vinaigrette a bit more, but this did not keep the dish from still being very successful.

HungryMan’s crispy pork belly ($10) was also wonderful, rich and aromatic with its arc of banyuls-vanilla gastrique, but we all found the minute portion a surprise, given the ample size of our other two starters. Arriving at some kind of portion-size equilibrium needs to be a priority for Perilla, as this same issue reappeared with our main courses and again at dessert. With such a wide-ranging menu, the calculus involved in evening out portions is obviously complex, but striking that balance is well worth Dieterle’s time.

This is doubly true when, as our trio of well-executed mains proved, there seem to be very few other problems in evidence. HungryMan’s grilled rack and breast of lamb ($29) was a perfect example–cooked exactly as requested and paired with a savory parlsey root purée and meltingly soft caramelized cippolinis, this dish could easily become a signature item for Perilla. Equally fine was Matelot’s sautéed skate wing ($20, pictured on Flickr), cooked simply, yet accompanied by a wild trio of watermelon pickles, hibiscus broth and Thai basil. This dish was all about the interplay between the crispy fish and its racy, floral companion items, and it wound up being a real charmer.

I selected one of the evening’s specials, the softshell crabs ($30, also available as an appetizer), which came dredged in a light batter and fried crisp, with a cherry tomato and green salad alongside. It was the simplest of the dishes we ate that night, but also one of the best–restraint with exotic flavors and pairings being the reason why the crabs soared; it is quite clear that Dieterle knows when to add flourishes like pea tendrils and Okinawa yam gnocchi, as well as when to keep things simple.

Speaking of exotic ingredients, you may be wondering where the restaurant’s eponymous herb appears on the menu. We found it in only one dish, the sticky coconut cake with frozen perilla yogurt ($8). We loved the astringent, herbal flavors of the little frozen perilla quenelle and remarked on how well it went with the moist, sweet cake. But the portion was again far too small and completely out of line with the much more generous lemon fennel doughnuts (also $8) we watched another table consume lustily. No matter–we are just happy to see talented former Chanto pastry chef Seth Caro finally installed in a restaurant where customers might actually order dessert. For the sticklers, perilla also appears in one of the restaurant’s bespoke cocktails, a version of the French 75 made with gin, lemon juice, shiso, and finished with prosecco. It is so refreshing that we think Caro might want to consider turning it into a boozy summer sorbet.

If not this year, then perhaps next. Given Perilla’s precocious sophistication–it feels nothing like a first restaurant–we fully expect it to be around then. And if the early indications are to be trusted, Harold Dieterle won’t need another 15 minutes of fame to keep this business afloat. In fact, the media attention may just come the other way around this time. Go figure.

Perilla, 9 Jones Street (between West 4th and Bleecker Streets), 212-929-6868.