The official unofficial King of the Seaport, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, has gussied up the area even more with the renovated Tin Building at Pier 17, a beyond-fancy food hall giving new life to the historic building which housed the iconic Fulton Fish Market from 1939 to 2005.

The sprawling 53,000-square-foot hub, which quietly opened for preview hours earlier this August, features a collection of global grocery markets, casual counters, cocktail bars, and multiple full-service restaurants. And while there's plenty to see (and eat), one culinary enclave stands out as the destination's glittering crown jewel.

Behold, the House of the Red Pearl, the French chef's opulent take on Chinese fine dining. The clandestine eatery can be found behind a curtain at the rear of Mercantile East, a gourmet Asian food boutique. Look for the lit-up fan and slip in to find a well-appointed oasis channeling vintage China by way of a 1960s James Bond film. There's sumptuous gold-on-red Chinoiserie wallpaper, velvet-upholstered banquettes, a canopy of hanging lanterns. It's all very glamorous, and designed, like all of the Tin Building's interiors, by Roman and Williams.

From the open kitchen, you can order up a procession of contemporary Chinese-inspired plates, including vegetable peanut tofu skin spring rolls, glazed maine lobster efu noodles, and a standout stir-fried cumin lamb with chili.

It's already one of the buzziest spots inside the foodie-approved complex, and it's not hard to guess why. Click through to see for yourself!

[Photos by Nicole Franzen courtesy Tin Building]

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