Unrelated Content

A blog I just discovered called “Scholars and Rogues” has a very well-written and honest piece on the real reasons the Edwards campaign never caught on among Democrats. Compelling stuff.

Please enjoy the guy with the speech impediment from Monty Python explaining how the ancient Western Europeans were way more awesome than the Romans:

sometimes i feel bad for vegetarians and vegans, as they often get the shaft at eateries. this is usually true if you want to fully experience korean food, as just about everything has meat or seafood in it. sure, you could stick to the bibimbap, “no meat, no egg,” but it’s just a bowl of charred rice and some vegetables and hot sauce. while it’s delicious, it’s not just full representative of all the offerings that korean restaurants have to offer.

enter hangawi, the vegan midtown eatery located right in the middle of what is known as “koreatown.” i’ve been meaning to try this place for ages, but was warned away with a “it’s kind of bland.” but curiosity prevailed, and i finally broke down and made reservations. having a vegetarian dining companion helps with this sort of thing; you find yourself avoiding french bistros.

dimly lit and cozy, and requiring you to take your shoes off, hangawi reminds me of a japanese temple, or perhaps a quieter, more zen like version of the now-defunct zen palate in union square. the waitstaff mince back and forth in stockinged feet and are attentive, kneeling down to your level with elbows perched on wooden stools. the tables are actually platforms set into the floor so that you’re not eating really on the carpet, cross legged.

we perused the menu and ordered accordingly:

korean pear delight juice – not sweet at all, and “tastes exactly like a pear” 7$

first pick green tea leaves – there was a three minute demonstration on how to brew this properly, which i suppose demands the 10$ price tag (p.s. if you like your tea more intense, steep it for longer than the recommended 30 seconds)

steamed dumplings – four delicious morsels stuffed with vegetables and ground tofu

silken tofu stew – the vegan version of soondubu chigae, my favorite. sure, i missed the depth that the shellfish usually brings, but it was quite bracing.

i had the tofu bibimbap with extra hot sauce. it was OK, nothing particularly fascinating, and the hot stone bowl didn’t do much to sear and crisp the rice enough to my liking

JP had the genghis khan soup made from root vegetables and mushrooms and served with vermicelli. light and sweetly savory from the onions.

to finish, we ordered the tofu cheesecake, which was surprisingly good and not at all too “tofu-ey”, and the chocolate pudding, which was not heavy on the chocolate, but more like pudding with chocolate.

fully sated (actually, i was stuffed and waddled out on my heels, to be honest), we wandered back into the din that is 32nd street, completely negating all the comfort we’d just experienced for the past two hours. the bill, before tip? 100$  (we’d ordered a bottle of sparkling water as well)

if you’re vegan or vegetarian and don’t hate mushrooms as the menu is very heavy on the fungus, then i recommend you give this place a try. it’s a pleasant change of pace from the brightly lit, korean pop music blaring restaurants where your clothes are inevitably marinated in the smoke of meats barbecuing on the grill.

because there aren’t enough italian restaurants in williamsburg:
i should talk about dinner at fiore, this new italian restaurant that opened up on grand street between roebling and havermeyer. it’s cozy, nicely lit and inexpensive (cash only though, and it’s BYO for now, if you care about that kind of stuff). my friend carrie anne was the server, and she laughed when i ordered for me and JP, saying that i eats the same way she does. i can only surmise she meant “greedy little piglet.”

we had:

last night JP and i ventured through the rain and produce stinky streets of the meatpacking district to make our reservation at del posto, the two star michelin eatery owned by mario batali, a personal hero of mine. the decor was unobtrusive, nice, but generic, kind of like the lobby of a fancy hotel, or the inside of a steakhouse in middle america where “my grandparents would take me,” JP observed.

the service was fine, not obtrusive, but not fawning. we started with two salads, a grilled mushroom (hen of the woods) offering and the roasted vegetables with truffled hazelnuts. the latter was surprisingly refreshing and tart; the former very earthy and meaty. an amuse bouche arrived: skewers of olive/sausage/broccoli dabbed with mustard, a butternut squash soup served in a thimble sized glass, and what i called “cheese doughnuts” served with a fresh tomato sauce. lovely all around.

i ordered a pasta for my primi – handmade orechiette with lamb neck sausage and fried parsnips. it was perfect – rich, moist, tender, peppery and meaty. “you really should try this,” i kept saying to JP as i shoveled forkfuls of the pasta into my face. he shrugged, vegetarian nonchalant. he turned his attention to the generous bread basket, stuffed with olive bread, multi-grain rolls and gorgeous crusty loaves.

for our mains, we had buffalo ricotta ravioli in a basil-tomato sauce (him) and roast duck breast (me). my entree came with a fantastic foie gras-like tureen on the side, served with slim slivers of crostini. i closed my eyes and smiled happily and JP squeezed my knee under the table.

we opted to share a dessert and ordered the chocolate souffle, which was delectable, paired with an espresso gelato topped with crunchy coffee beans. yet another treat arrived: hand made pastries and chocolate candies. most memorable was the fennel-infused biscotti and a chocolate-peanut butter bite that was creamy and rich. “how did they get all this sugar into this?” JP mused, chewing on a freshly made caramel.

on our way out, a hostess handed us a tiny package of truffles (they are now languishing in my handbag to savor for later). we sought out a nearby cigar bar where it was the only plausible way to finish out the perfect evening: a nat sherman cigar for me, and an ashton for him.

since neither JP nor i drink, the bill at del posto was reasonable: with tip, everything came to 180$. sure, it’s no san loco (which we had for lunch today, haha), but it’s well worth the money once in awhile to have a fantastic meal that leaves you smiling, sated and satisfied beyond belief.

“the perfect night,” we decided, walking home in the drizzle.