Mai 08-14-2010

Location: 497 Atlantic Ave.
Time: 3pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: I might have mentioned the lack of Asian cuisine in my neighborhood, BoCoCa. There is my beloved Hibino of course, but I cannot possibly afford to eat there everyday. To think that I won't have much access to authentic Asian food during my maternity leave makes me cringe. Do I have to actually cook at some point? But just because I'm Asian, that doesn't mean I can actually cook authentic Asian food. It would just be food made by authentic Asian.

I recently found Mai, a restaurant that serves Indonesian and Malaysian dishes in the neighborhood. They serve Pan South Asian dishes from Satay to Pho at affordable prices. They are of course not Chinatown or Queens prices but reasonable for the area.

I ordered Mee Rojak ($8.95 Malaysian style egg noodles in peanut lime sauce), which looked quite unappetizing especially after some diaper changes but tasty nonetheless. The tangy flavor from lime was refreshing and complimented the peanut sauce. I wish there was more heat or bold flavor to it, but it was still satisfying. While the noodles were slightly overcooked, the vegetables were fresh, and overall I enjoyed the dish. RB's Mee Goreng ($9.75) was properly greasy. The flavor was a bit more subtle than he expected from the dish.

We did not expect too much from this little Pan Asian restaurant in Boerum Hill, but it surely satisfied our South Asian food cravings. I wish there were more options in the neighborhood, but as for now, Mai will be our delivery staple.

Soy and Sake 11-05-2009

Location: 47 7th Ave. S
Time: 6pm
People: MK and myself

Feelings: A sushi and pan Asian restaurant for vegans run by the Red Bamboo and Vegetarian Paradise 2 folks? I'm sold!

I am not a fan of fake meat. I try to avoid mock shrimp, chicken, and beef. Although their menu offers this synthetic protein, we were able to order various vegan dishes without them. I like that they label everything clearly on the menu such as it contains whey or dairy. As you would guess from the restaurant name, they also have a large sake and sake-tini selections.

The place is quite spacious, and there is a huge fish tank in the middle of the restaurant. It is nice for a change to admire pretty fish swimming in a restaurant that doesn't serve them. Although I felt like all the fish was staring at my dinner, which gave me a bit of a queasy feeling. Perhaps these fish are food bloggers.

MK and I shared three appetizers: scallion pancakes ($4), steamed gyoza ($6, with shredded cabbage and jicamas with soy-ginger dressing) and lettuce wrap ($6, string beans, jicamas, carrots, grilled tofu, rice noodle with lettuce served with vegan hoisin sauce). The green curry sauce for the scallion pancakes was amazingly flavorful and an unexpected surprise. The curry flavor goes unexpectedly well with them. It reminded of a subtler version of English chips with curry sauce. The gyoza was intricately wrapped, and the skin was a bit of a thick side but smooth and delicious. I highly recommend the lettuce wrap for appetizer if you are not on a hot date. It is hard to eat and messy but has full of refreshing flavors and crispy textures.

For entrées, MK ordered Pad Thai ($9), and I had veggie linguine ($8). The portions are very generous, and MK had enough to wrap it home for tomorrow's lunch and dinner! The appetizers were more exciting than the noodle dishes, but these were solid meals. Of course, if you are interested in vegan sushi, sandwiches, salad, Peking spare ribs, or spaghetti and fake meatballs, they've got them. I love the variety of dishes they offer, but I somehow always end up ordering noodles wherever I go.

Soy and Sake is a solid option for a vegetarian/vegan cuisine. The service is quite attentive, and the atmosphere is relaxing. Unlike deep fried paradise of Red Bamboo and Vegetarian Paradise 2, they have healthier options. Since most Asian cuisine almost always uses fish, it is nice to see my favorite dishes can skip the fish sause, yet still carry a yummy flavor.

Good Luck GB & Happy Birthday PeeWee at Vynl 10-16-2009

Location: 754 9th Ave.
Time: 12:30pm
People: Showtime Ops!

Feelings: Our lovely GB is moving back to Australia next week, and today was her last day at work. We combined her going away celebration with PeeWee's birthday celebratory event at Vynl.

I've been to Vynl many times over the years, and I enjoy their kitschy and fun atmosphere. Menus on vintage album covers, mosaic, glitters, bright colors, themed bathrooms named after music divas, mirrors, collectibles of divas and gay icons everywhere-- I just feel so giddy and happy when I'm here. I am not a fan of amusement parks or resorts, but if I were to build one, it would have everything that is in this restaurant. The food here, however, is somewhat mediocre. But then, since when do amusement parks have good food anyway?

Vynl's food is overpriced, but the portions are large. GB enjoyed one of her last American meals, mac and cheese. Their version was called three cheese mac and cheese, which came with gruyere, goat cheese and white cheddar. SaSha thought her shepherd's pie was good and comforting. KL enjoyed her meatloaf and mentioned that their mashed potatoes are always good.There were vegan friendly dishes for PeeWee, who ordered coconut milk based soup and "TLT" (tofu instead of bacon). BeBe thought her butternut squash wontons were just okay.

The food might be mediocre, but it was the perfect place for the occasion. It is a pleasant lunch amusement park ride with American food with vegan options. I went back to the office in much better mood than I left it.

Noodle Bar 05-15-2009

Location: 172 Orchard Street
Time: 7pm
People: RB and myself

Feelings: We were excited to try the Vietnamese noodle bar, Slurp, but it was under new management, and they were serving sushi instead but retained the same name. (I'm not sure how you slurp sushi) We instead walked half a block to Noodle Bar. RB and I slurped some noodles at Noodle Bar last summer after a visit to the Slipper Room with my friends from Denmark, and we remember it being quite decent.

I absolutely adore their exposed semi-outdoor space. It is still indoors, but you can feel the air and warm rays. You do have to worry about your napkins blowing away but it still gives you the feel of outdoor dining.

It slipped my mind that this place was BYOB, but thankfully they carried one of RB's favorites, Kirin. I got wonderfully flavored fiji iced tea (wild papaya, pineapple, green tea), which complimented and welcomed the beginning of the summer.

The appetizer, Roti with veggie dipping sauce was perfectly flakey outside and fluffy inside, and I begged for more. The sauce (red kidney beans and tomato sauce) was so tasty that we desperately scooped out with chopsticks when the roti was all gone.

I ordered Mee Goreng and RB got the Mee Siam. They reminded me a lot of Republic from Union Square. They are inexpensive and voluminous, but the flavor is average and unspectacular. If you go to more authentic, hall in the wall noodle places, the prices will be lower with better zing, but you will probably not have this pleasant summer ambience Noodle Bar will give you. It is also nice that there are vast varieties of Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese inspired dishes on the menu in case you can't decide what you want for dinner. If your out of towner friends are unfamiliar with Asian noodle dishes, this would be the perfect place to start as well. Afterwards, you can always take them out to the Slipper Room across the street for a little late night entertainment.