It was muggy and hot last Friday, so I went to Soba-ya (229 E 9th St) in East Village for some cold soba noodles. I was actually more in the mood for naeng-myun, but was overruled by the girlfriend and had to settle for Japanese. The soba noodles were of good quality and tasted good with the finely ground Japanese yam, which gave off a egg yolk-like quality, but I still longed for a spicy bowl of naeng-myun with sliced pears from You-Chun (36th St. b/w Broadway and 5th Ave.). But ultimately, an unlikely dessert redeemed the trip.

We ordered three flavors of ice cream: black sesame, yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit), and honey wasabi. Black sesame was delicious with a nice balance of sweet and savory. The yuzu fruit, a basic vanilla ice cream with bits of bitter citrus fruit, was forgettable. The clear star of the night was the honey wasabi. The combination might sound a bit off-putting since wasabi is what you mix with your soy sauce before dipping the piece of sushi. But wasabi, if you’ve eaten wasabi peas or other wasabi-flavored snacks, has that nice spicy kick which is reminiscent of the way jalapeno works with chips or dijon mustard mixes with honey. On immediate contact, the honey wasabi ice cream is sweet and the honey flavor dominates. It is only when the ice cream has fully melted in the back of your mouth that you feel that prick of wasabi coming in with a pleasant wave of spicy heat. It’s a very interesting experience, not so much because the flavor is new, but because the presence of this flavor in the texture of ice cream is novel.

I’m not sure haute cuisine excites me anymore. Not that I’ve outgrown it or anything, but there’s a certain predictable quality about eating at an expensive place that makes it seem so tiresome - the well-made bread that comes warmed with luxuriously silky butter, the extensive wine list for which you need to enlist the help of a peppy sommelier, the subtle-yet-elegant decor, the on-target service, the menu of French-influenced dishes featuring various birds, fish, and mammals that is usually preceded by a foie gras terrine as appetizer (careful! it’s got as much fat as a Big Mac), topped off with a lengthy dessert menu specially designed by the pastry chef that sounds too good to pass up even on a very full stomach. And of course, the hefty bill with a tip amount that could’ve bought you a decent meal (or three) all by itself. The last place I felt this way? Gotham Bar & Grill (12 E 12th St b/w 5th Ave. and Univ. Pl.) - a nice place to dine fancy and not feel too bad about dropping $100+ per person, but at the same time a forgettable place that offered nothing new to my (rather short) list of haute dining experiences.

In the last month, I did have the opportunity to try some very good places. I finally tried SriPraPhai in Woodside (64-13 39th Ave., Queens), the famed Thai restaurant that supposedly has no equal in New York, even in Manhattan. Although I found their crispy pork to be too fatty, I really loved their spicy curry noodle soup. The prices are fairly cheap, and the menu is very extensive. I was a bit disappointed with their catfish salad (the catfish is a salty, dried version, not meaty as the menu states), but after a few bites, found it to be very flavorful and a good complement to the entrees. Ed’s Lobster Bar in SoHo (222 Lafayette Street), opened by a former sous chef of Pearl Oyster Bar in West Village, is almost an exact carbon copy. The main attraction is the lobster roll, which tastes very similar and also has generous chunks of lobster meat stuffed neatly into a roll. The fries are a bit thicker and the quarters feel a bit more cramped. Their grilled fish may be worth a try - I took a few bites of the sea bass, and it was juicy and flavorful. It’s not every day that I crave a $26 sandwich, but when I do, it’s nice to know there’s another reliable place to go for my fix.

Kyotofu (705 Ninth Ave.) was a disappointment. For all the hype it garnered in the press and among weight-conscious twenty-something girls, I was thoroughly dissatisfied by the dishes served up at this ultra-chic tofu-centric establishment. Presentation and trendiness aside, the stuff you get for the money you pay just does not add up. Tofu, in the end, is just tofu, no matter how silky it may seem in its perfectly domed shape. The tofu cheesecake was especially short of expectations, with its blandness and airy taste. Perhaps I was too hopeful about tofu’s potential. Tofu is best served in soondubu jigae, not a fancy high-concept dessert.

Other notables and not-so-notables in the past few weeks:

Menchanko-Tei (West 55th Street b/w 5th and 6th Aves.) can always be relied on for solid ramen noodles. I just wish they didn’t charge extra for the kimchi.

Landmarc in Time Warner Center is supposedly excellent for brunch. I went for lunch and wasn’t impressed. Their shrimp risotto was good, though.

Although I may be the farthest thing from a vegetarian, I’ve always enjoyed trying vegetarian joints (Zen Palate, Gobo). Angelica Kitchen (300 East 12th Street) was a great place to drop in for a quick lunch. This is what I had:

Hot Open Face Tempeh Sandwich - slices of sourdough baguette topped with lightly marinated and baked tempeh, napped with savory mushroom gravy. Served on a bed of raw spinach, garnished with ruby kraut.

A very satisfying meal that had me feeling good about my body and my wallet ($10 with mashed potatoes).

It’s incredible how quickly a month goes by - and how many places you end up trying without really thinking about it.

The first time I had the Prisoner from Orin Swift Cellars was back in late 2005, when, after a long day’s work, I headed over to Morrell Wine Bar & Cafe at Rockfeller Plaza with some co-workers. My associate at the time ordered a bottle of the 2004 Prisoner - a Cali zinfandel/cab sauvignon/syrah blend with a memorable name and a gorgeous Goya drawing as its label (and namesake). Let’s just say, this was one of the wines that made me want to get into wines.

So today, I was very excited when I saw a Brix26 email newsletter about the 2005 Prisoner, just released and sporting a very impressive 93 points from Wine Spectator. At $33 a bottle and from Napa Valley, I decided to place an order. Luckily, my roommate Andy was willing to split half if I bought a case, so that’s exactly what we did. Twelve bottles of velvety red heaven.

Here’s a short description from Wine Spectator: A delicious wine offering zesty wild berry, spice and fresh tobacco, with focused and well-structured blackberry flavors. Plush, rich and concentrated, with wonderful focus.

When the weather turns warm like it has this week, I always get a craving for very potent Thai food. And I don’t mean the usual pad thai or green curry you get around the corner at any Thai joint - I’m talking about the incredible and authentic dishes at Pam Real Thai (49th St. b/w 9th and 10th Aves.). The shrimp pad thai there is nothing like you’ve ever tasted before - stringy noodles and a very tangy taste that makes you wonder if there’s ketchup in the recipe (in a good way). I always love the green papaya salad as an appetizer because its combination of heavy lime juice and bits of peanuts packed into every bite of crisp papaya is as refreshing as salad gets. I’ve also ordered the crispy basil pork several times and never been disappointed - there’s a spiciness that lingers just long enough to make the experience intense yet pleasant. And on some occasions, I’ve ordered the fish of the day (usually a red snapper) with the special “Pam’s sauce,” which is similar to the sauce used in the crispy basil pork dish but thicker and spicier.

A sample dish, the signage, and the reliable Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc.

It’s the combination of tangy, spicy, and savory in these dishes that makes you really understand why alcoholic beverages exist. Two years ago, Pam Real Thai allowed its customers to bring their own drinks. That it still attracts many customers even after the BYO ceased is a testament to the quality of its food. But two years ago, the experience was quite out-of-this-world. I would usually go in groups of three or four and before getting to the restaurant, we would make a stop across the street at a liquor store to pick up cold wines. My usual choice was a sauvignon blanc (from New Zealand), which, in my opinion, is a perfect complement to a greasy, spicy dish. We usually got one or two bottles depending on our festivity levels. Afterwards, we stopped by the Rite Aid on the other corner to pick up a six pack of beer, usually something light and Asian, like a Sapporo or an Asahi. Beer, wine, Thai, and warm weather - tough to beat.

Inside, we would usually see large groups with their boxed wines or jugs of vodka, and by the end of dinner, the noise level would be considerably higher and you could see people shitfaced everywhere. It was always a fun time, and the night’s spending, since alcohol didn’t suffer the restaurant mark-up, was considerably cheap. By the time my friends and I would stand up to leave, the world seemed like a fuzzier and happier place.

Nowadays, you have to pay for the Singha beer or their house wines, which does take away from the excitement of pairing the dishes with your own favorite beverages. But the food is still excellent, and if I still lived in the area, I would probably do take-out and pick up the usual wines.

Anyone know of great Thai joints with the BYO feature?

It’s been an eventful month since I last posted. Rather than go into detail, I’ll highlight the fun and exciting New York dining moments.

From left to right: Peasant interior, Gordon Ramsay, and Orchard interior.

Dinner for six at Peasant (194 Elizabeth St.), where Wook, Novi, Mel, and I joined our two guests from Korea. Rabbit gnocchi was delicious as was the spicy cuttlefish. Their wines are very reasonably priced (low thirties for some great reds), and their desserts were magnificent. You’ll get most value if you go with a bigger group.

After this New Yorker article, Gordon Ramsay has become my hero. On seeing a waiter at his restaurant with a big tie knot: “You know what they say in Britain—the bigger the knot, the smaller the cock. Young man, I’m sure your cock is very big. Will you do something about your knot, please?” He’s great. I’ve tried making his Sublime Scrambled Eggs twice now, and yes, they were quite sublime.

Went to The Orchard (162 Orchard St.) on the Lower East Side for Wook’s birthday dinner. The lighting made everything seem orange, but the overall atmosphere was pleasant. The Orchard shares owners with Peasant, so I expected the food to have the same sort of zip, but I was a bit disappointed at the overall fare. I enjoyed my seafood paealla very much and their filet mignon wraps tasted almost exactly like a toned down kalbi ssam.

From left to right: The Pegu Club Cocktail (strong), UFC logo, a new season of Entourage.

After Orchard, we all went to Pegu Club (West Broadway and Houston Sts.) for some drinks. Whiskey Smith was exceptional as usual, but the surprise of the evening was the Earl Grey MarTEAni, which Andy ordered twice. It’s got a smoky and complex taste that just hits the spot over and over again. The Sidecar was also a good, strong drink.

We gave Unidentified Flying Chicken in Jackson Heights another shot. Although Andy almost had his car towed while we went to place our order, we came home with a great big order of wings and drumsticks that satisfied our immense Sunday afternoon hunger. Mel, Andy, and I all prefered the UFC Spicy over the Soy & Garlic seasoning on the chicken. I love the pickled Korean turnip that comes with each order - it’s basically the kimchi stand-in for when you eat chicken.

Later on that same night, I fired up some sam gyup ssal (pork belly) for us to eat (with the addition of Brandon, who came later) while watching the season premiere of Entourage on HBO. Doesn’t get any better.

From left to right: Funny fish at Nana, kimchi jigae (not mine), and an eel with quail egg dish at The Monday Room.

Nana in Park Slope for Joyce’s birthday - the food was cheap, the atmosphere was nice, and the huge fish tank had those funny, large fishes with big kissers.

I looked up a recipe for kimchi jigae (soup) on the popular Koreancooking Xanga site and followed it loosely, using a bit of intuition and my own kimchi jigae taste expertise to gauge the flavor. While the meat didn’t seem to have flavored the soup enough, I think this first endeavor was fairly successful. I added extra jalapeno (in addition to the massive amounts of kimchi) to give the jigae a nuclear spiciness.

Il Bambino (34th St. and 31st Ave. in Astoria) has amazing paninis. I had gone there about a month ago with Mel for dinner, which we enjoyed very much (and it’s BYO, so we had wine for cheap). This time, I ordered in and got a Bresaola with parmesan, arugual, and lemon aioli and a Proscuitto with sweet onion marmalade and grana. Both were amazing (I preferred the tart and savory taste of the Bresaola panini), and I was very pleased to have such quality paninis delivered right to my door.

Went to The Monday Room (at Public, 210 Elizabeth St.) with Wook after a busy day. We ordered a flight of red and a flight of white wines, allowing us to taste six different varieties. I was very surprised by a Greek white we had, which strongly resembled a riesling with its sweetness. My favorite was the Ribera del Duero by the famous vinter Perez Pascuas, which our sommelier, a Spanish native, was very proud to recommend. Wook noticed that one of the partners of Avroko, the design firm that owns Public, sat two tables away from us. I asked our server and she confirmed it. I asked the sommelier some stupid amateur questions like - do tempranillo wines and nebbiolo wines have anything in common? (”nope, nothing at all” - in his amusing accent). He told me that he preferred primitivos to zinfandels (I agree) and also said that he always found himself going back to Burgundy wines as his most reliable.