One of the city’s tiniest restaurants, Chinese Laundry opened last night after a few days of a big stir-fried controversy.

John Elkhay, who has brought fun, trendy restaurants to the Providence dining scene, arrived at his VIP party on Friday night after a stressful and unexpected debate that emerged in the blogosphere earlier in the day. An ad for his newest restaurant, Chinese Laundry, in Providence Monthly featured the naked torso of a woman and the words “See what you are missing.” It caught the eye of a student at Brown University who referred it to a blog written by a self-proclaimed “angry Asian-American woman.”

Elkhay would be the first to admit that his goal was to create a sensual dining experience with art that celebrates the feminine form, and there’s plenty of celebrating within Chinese Laundry’s walls with black and white semi-nude photographs. But angry posters to the blog saw the ad another way and criticized him for objectifying women and exploiting Chinese culture.

His own postings in his defense were largely ignored and one person in the debate even threatened to burn down the restaurant. Elkhay has since filed a report on the threat with the Providence Police Department.

Yet it was all fun for Elkhay and his guests once they walked the red carpet set up at 121 North Main St. as he unveiled his restaurant to patrons, friends, the media and a few New England Patriots players — Matt Light, Stephen Neal and Dan Koppen.

Elkhay even hired pretend paparazzi photographers for the event who shouted to guests “Who’s your date?” and “Whose shoes are you wearing?” When one guest answered “Thom McAn,” you suspected that was not an answer you’d likely hear on any other red carpet.

Inside, the atmosphere was on overload with sights, sounds and cocktails. House cocktails ($12) of green and pink were being served in martini glasses with stems that stretched a foot. Elkhay joked that after he saw the glasses in New York he had to build a restaurant around them. The drinks were Lychee Martinis with Hangar One, Alize Bleu, Soho Lychee Liqueur and lychee juice (pale green) and the super sweet Buddha’s Eye with Pearl Plum Vodka, Lavender Syrup and cranberry juice (pale pink). Flights of sake are also on the drink menu along with a huge wine list.

Chinese Laundry is at the narrow site of the former Sam Sing Laundry, which closed six years ago. The restaurant was four years in the making with renovations on three floors. As you enter on the main level there is a bar with a few tables and, in the back, the dining room that seats just 14. There is a glass floor in the room that allows patrons to peer into the private dining room that is a floor below. It can be fogged over, through spaces in the glass, for when private parties are dining there and don’t want to be the object of attention.

For the VIP party only, Elkhay outfitted that private dining room with a model, scantily clad in red silk, to serve as a live platform for the wide selection of sushi that was set down on leaves. Imagine if the angry blogger saw that scene? Once the model left, another female, wrapped in a sheet, appeared, only this one was a photograph, larger than life-size, embossed on the table.

On the top floor is the “O” Ultra Lounge with another bar as well as low to floor red chairs and a bed-like couch. Two restrooms in the restaurant have television sets that show kung-fu movies from the ’70s (with subtitles).

Back on the entrance level is one very small yet open kitchen. There is no oven in it, all cooking is done stir fry or on the grill, said executive chef Nick Rabar. It opens into the cozy dining room.

Still to come, al fresco dining out back behind the building.

For the party Rabar prepared tuna carpaccio pizzas ($12.99), Peking duck potstickers with foie gras ($9.99), miso soup ($4.99), Kobe beef (tenderloins, $49.99) and all that sushi.

Elkhay has pushed the envelope to create a drinking and eating experience at Chinese Laundry. It’s even Feng Shui-driven, he said. But it’s all in fun and because if you don’t make a splash, no one hears you in the crowded Providence dining world.

Details: Chinese Laundry serves Tuesday to Saturday, with dinner Tuesday and Wednesday 5-10 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday 5-11 p.m. “O” Ultra Lounge will serve cocktails until 1 a.m. Tuesday to Thursday and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Only the private dining room can be reserved. The phone is (401) 272-8676 and the Web site is at www.chineselaundryri.com