Purple Yam, a new restaurant in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, transforms a former 99-cent store into a comfortable contemporary gathering place. With the high windows of its opened-up facade inviting curiosity and participation, the restaurant plays a part in the ongoing transformation of this busy commercial street. Inside, a bar and varied seating areas are arranged around a gleaming opening, through which is seen the state-of-the-art kitchen, highlighting the work of the chefs as they create their unique Filipino pan-Asian dishes. A rear garden space, partially covered by a trellis and enclosed by an undulating bamboo fence, provides an intimate setting for seasonal outdoor dining.