Soleil Ho is out doing James Beard award-winning things, so Cesar Hernandez, associate food critic, is taking over today.

The first restaurant that gave me a clear clue that Oakland was a singular, magical place was Viridian. From the outside, there’s a foreboding but enticing, iridescent glow that makes you want to investigate further. I was blown away by the way the entire menu — food, drink and desserts — was infused with delicious fun. Recently a friend described the experience of the new menu as a Ratatouille moment, where it made her peer through the universe and her childhood, so I felt like it was time for a refresher.

If Viridian started as an ode to Oakland’s Chinatown, its new menu expands the scope to encompass a wider, but also a very particular, Asian American experience. The restaurant is perpetually transforming itself as a catalyst for innovation, and it’s better than ever, due in part to the new executive chef.

Last month, the restaurant brought on chef Kevin Tang, whose resume includes Vietnamese pop-up Claws of Mantis and S.F. favorites Nari and Mister Jiu’s. New items include remixed favorites like milk bread with chicken skin butter and lamb wontons, while the chips and dip, duck taro croquettes and sticky ribs take the kitchen down a new trail. Tang is a natural fit, bringing a fresh and delightful vitality to the Oakland bar and restaurant.

The chips and dip ($7) ditch the Hidden Valley Ranch in favor of instant ramen seasoning. Where a typical sour cream and onion dip only harmonizes over three notes — onions, cream and tang — chef Tang expands on that idea without losing the essence. For the dip, creme fraiche is seasoned with the ramen flavor packet, green ramp powder and a scarlet drizzle of chile oil. For $4, you can add trout roe for a smoky sea flavor. It tastes like the best version of what you’d find at family gatherings with the TV fixed to whatever game is on, mindlessly crunching on potato chips. The inspiration for the dish was plucked from Tang’s upbringing, eating uncooked noodles seasoned with the packet. Only here he uses potato chips seasoned with paprika, powdered nori and scallions.

To descend further into the family cookout feel are the five-spice ribs ($25). The pork is marinated in shio-koji, then lacquered with black bean paste and maple syrup. In spite of the glaze being shared by both Chinese and Korean cuisines (see jajangmyeon), Tang was aiming for an American-style glaze. The result tastes like summer, in the way that grilled ribs become the highlight of a sweaty hot day. Garnished with chives, sesame seeds and fried garlic, the ribs come with a small bowl of potato salad, the sort you might see at a Korean barbecue outing, where a carb banchan is crucial.

But if you desire something refreshing and more low key, the cucumber salad ($13) and hamachi kombu crudo ($20) are excellent choices. The cucumbers are bouncy yet crunchy, enveloped in a smooth avocado and sesame puree. The crudo shows off tomatoes in two ways: first is a pour of cool tomato water, like what you’d find in the bar’s tomato beef cocktail, followed by roasted cherry tomatoes. But there’s also a slight taste of smoke thanks to the kombu cure of the fish. 

You can’t come to Viridian without getting a dessert, especially the new additions like the strawberry shortcake ($20). It’s actually a fluffy, eggy soufflé that comes in a very hot ramekin filled with aerated Edam cheese, plus a quenelle of strawberry sorbet over yogurt. The temperature difference is key here, putting all other strawberry shortcakes to shame — which is to be expected when eating pastry chef Vince Bugtong’s desserts.

To pair with your meal, the signature cocktails are always reliable, but on recent visits I reached for an off-menu drink that’s so laborious to make that I debated whether or not I should even discuss it. But with the blessing of the bar staff, I’m here to reveal it: the Ramos gin fizz, which hails from New Orleans and is said to need 12 minutes to be shaken properly. (Viridian bartenders don’t actually shake it that long, but you get the picture.) The cocktail is made up of lemon juice, simple syrup and (crucial) orange flower water, then shaken like a Guy Buffet painting and topped with soda water. The bubbles push the white foam up like a push pop. It’s bubbly, acidic yet creamy, and truly awesome. Order it with Awayuki gin ($18), a Japanese spirit that adds rare white and notoriously expensive Kotoka strawberries, for an extra fragrant, juicy cocktail.

In spite of going in a new direction, Viridian continues to be one of the most exciting places to be in Oakland. Chef Tang brings change that pulls from the larger Asian American experience, which fits the ethos of the restaurant while injecting new blood and creativity. A big part of the reason Tang accepted the role is because he feels Viridian matches the message of his pop-up, which is currently on a break. The menu is a little chaotic but refined. It pulls from his Asian American experience but it isn’t defined by it. And what’s most important is he’s having fun with it.