In his cookbook called Mantra, which was released last month, Graffiti chef-owner Jehangir Mehta includes a recipe for a cocktail he calls “Barley Legal,” a cheeky mix of ultra-healthy barley water and Johnny Walker. "This drink is dedicated to all the young celebrities out there," the chef writes, introducing the recipe. And it’s probably a sincere note of acknowledgment, coming at the tail end of book filled with new and understated ideas about food. The......

Like a Jedi knight with an offset spatula, pastry chef Jehangir Mehta switched over to the savory side last September when he opened his first restaurant Graffiti in the East Village. Armed with a few induction burners and assorted kitchen gadgets, Graffiti’s 4-person staff prepares and serves Mehta’s eclectic food out of a pint-sized kitchen. Before Graffiti, Mehta worked with Jean Georges Vongerichten, Rocco DiSpirito, and lots of other chefs. He was most recently pastry......