a deep satisfaction & a brunch at Moim

Saturday afternoon was absolutely amazing, a temperature edging on frightening perfection.






After tacos and homemade watermelon lemonade at Rachel's in the Slope, I caught the F-Train to the Lower Eastside to meet Brittain. The streets were buzz and shuffle with vendors and tourist groups. I bought a summer weight scarf and offered Brittain her first Murakami book.

We decided to meet Vadim for a Lychee Mojito at Thailand Cafe- then negotiated our way to Decible for a bottle of Sparkling Sake with edamame. Decible was an odd choice for the evening of this caliber- Instead of taking in the warm air, we found ourselves in a basement- they check each ID as you enter, unusual for a New York bar- the way they have a rope that you have to duck under after your checked almost makes you feel VIP. The walls are grafitied with Sharpies, some Japanese, some Russian, mostly English. All the servers have hyper pop-culture hair.

As we finished our sparkling, we moved on to the Crazy Milk sake and the yellow tail. Ridiculous. I could make a little home in the happiness that is the divine flavor of Decible's freshness and complexity.

We decided to take the train to Time's Square for Moules Thailandaise, Bieres Beligiques et Pearl Plum vodka. The marathon day of drinking began to weigh on me, so I picked up an espresso and headed home to get some air while Brittian and Vadim went to a Fund Raiser event- After the three of us took about an hour, we met up in the Slope to recoup, regroup and high-tailed it to Lobo for amazing fresh lime juice margaritas. We met up with Vadim's childhood friend, Andrew, who was in town from Boston. After last call at Lobo we decided to stumble into the Dram shop- where Brittian and I tasted several local beers, her finally settling on an IPA from Long Island, and me switching to Vodka & Soda. The bartender from Milwaukee took a liking to our level of intoxication- and Brittian's flirtation. After closing time, we fell into the Fifth Ave Diner for Lumber Jack Specials, and other non-sense.

The next morning...
I woke up to feed the pug, and took her for a long, brisk walk to Downtown Brooklyn, where we picked out Sweet Potato and Herring California Natural dog food and a few bones. I spent perhaps twenty minutes discussing the quality of the ingredients in each of the products I was interested in with the store owner. Anywhere else, I would have been thought of as crazy, but in NYC- it's to be expected.

As I was leaving the store, Vadim telephoned me to express his and Andrew's desperation for Brunch. We met up and discovered Moim, a Korean restaurant offering a Prix Fixe- Brunch, Coffee and unlimited Mimosas/Bloody Mary's for $16. A bit skeptical at first- I wanted to opt for the safety of the Sette Prix Fixe...when I happened upon the decor, I enlisted.

Light and fresh, grays, blacks & greens. A zen-like garden rested in the back of long narrow room. We sat next to the large glass window framed by black bricks. I chose the Pomegranate Ginger Mimosas, a Robust cup of coffee ( no milk or sugar needed) and the Moim Omelette: Fried Kimchi, Marinated Steak, Caramelized Onions * Mozzarella cheese complimented by potatoes and mixed greens. The textures and marinades were completely beautiful. I took slow and purposeful bites to elongate the experience as much as possible.

Vadim chose the Bulgoki Sandwich (my second choice) which consisted of marinated rib eye, caramelized onions ( we have a common theme) with cucumber & Vermont Cheddar. His sandwich was amazing. I accepted several offers for bites. The bread was earthy and rustic, the flavors deep and lovely. He sipped on Ruby Red grapefruit mimosas. Andrew chose the green tea pancakes- with fresh fruit & peanuts with cinnamon brown syrup. An excellent choice for a guy who's riding his bike home...or partially (to the China Town bus!)

Moim is threatening to become an addiction. Fabulous service. Excellent value, especially for Park Slope.