Seasonal fruits and whipped toppings show up across Hiraya’s newest tasting menu. | Hiraya Chef Pichet Ong’s three-course finale calls for creamy custards, crunchy pastries, and fresh fruit Chef Pichet Ong flips the script on classic pastry techniques at Filipino-themed Hiraya, an eight-month-old casual cafe with tasting menu spot up top. Starting October 9, he experiments even more with a three-course dessert option that comes with a fourth takeout treat. The alum of Baltimore’s NiHao and Brothers and Sisters is trained in the art of traditional dessert techniques from around the globe and incorporates the flavors he grew up with in Singapore and Hong Kong into his creations (1248 H Street NE). “So it’s a little bit all over the map. Can you say fusion these days?” Ong joked as he described the new menu he’s working on. Hiraya Hiraya’s pastry chef Pichet Ong closes out the menu with caramel and chocolate flavors. Ong, who’s contributed sweets and pastries across the two-level space since its start, says the Hiraya pantry represents a mix of the team’s cultural backgrounds. There are definitely “very Filipino” ingredients making their way into dishes, but he’s also bringing in matcha, Sichuan peppercorn, miso, soy sauce, and chocolate from his upbringing across East Asia. Some of his favorite pastries he made growing up were also the simplest, including cookies, pound cakes, and muffins. Expect those classics to be on the ever-changing menu (including the cakes he was famous for at Brothers and Sisters), along with the process that he became obsessed with as a professional chef: aeration. Adding air bubbles to mousses and puddings or having yeast transform bread will help build out the indulgent menu. Seasonal ingredients will also be a large part of his rotating menu, with the constant of many fruits and cold, refreshing first courses. Look for grapes with goat cheese, riesling, and lavender and malted chocolate with jicama and popcorn. Hiraya The menu will feature spins on classic desserts, like Basque-style cheesecake. Hiraya Experimental mousses and puddings will also be featured on the menu. The three dessert courses ($48) will be offered Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the upstairs space and will come with a cocktail or wine pairing by mixologist Jo-Jo Valenzuela of Tiki on 18th. Paolo Dungca, the owner and executive chef at Hiraya, also offers three- ($65) and eight-course ($125) dinners in the same dining room. “I feel like nobody really does dessert tastings anymore,” Dungca laments. “I’m a big fan of sweets. And I think Pichet has, you know, the unique skill set of mixing savory and sweet together.” Dungca says the new prix fixe option will accompany a larger change coming soon as part of a goal to differentiate Hiraya’s all-day cafe from the upscale dining room. He wants to lock down the lower level’s brand, as plans come together to open “a little Hiraya sometime soon.”