TIMES REVIEW LEAVES BAD TASTE

FOODIES were abuzz yesterday over the public spanking the Times administered to temporary restaurant critic Amanda Hesser. The "Editor's Note" on Page 2 was prompted by Hesser's rave last week for Spice Market, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's new Meatpacking District eatery with a menu supposedly inspired by the street vendors of Asia. Hesser - the only reviewer to award Spice Market three stars - "should have disclosed" previous associations with Vongerichten, who wrote a fawning jacket blurb for her book, "Cooking for Mr. Latte." Vongerichten gushed: "Amanda Hesser's charming personality shines as the reader experiences the life and loves of a New York City gourmet. 'Cooking for Mr. Latte' is perfectly seasoned with sensuality and superb recipes." The Times didn't mention that Hesser, in reviewing Asiate earlier this year, slipped in a plug for Vongerichten's flagship eatery, Jean-Georges. After bashing Asiate, Hesser praised the view from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at the Time Warner Center. "The pressures of city life ease a little," she wrote. "And for that alone, I might order a glass of sake, stay for the gougeres, then feign illness and steal across Columbus Circle to Jean Georges for a meal that never disappoints."