It’s a little bit outside the original purview of this blog; will you forgive me? Did you really want to read about the second batch of estratto di pomodoro (much more successful than the first)? Perhaps not: you’ve already made your own by now.
While I don’t intend to review restaurants regularly in this space, my wife and I enjoyed the New York City’s Noodle Bar enough that I thought it was worth writing about. Am I a rube from the sticks, sucked in by the heritage of Greenwich Village? Perhaps. But it was a great meal.
This hole in the wall, barely large enough to accommodate 4 small tables and a bar, is located on Carmine Street in the west Village. They seem to primarily do a takeout business. They bill themselves as a “Pan Asian bistro,” and the menu and beer offerings bear this out. Lubricated by a refreshing dark Lao brand beer, we ordered kimchi pancakes and dumplings as appetizers. Filled with pork and chives, the pan fried dumplings were very good of their kind, the skins moist but not greasy. Kimchi pancakes had a delectable crunch and were not particularly spicy.
For a main dish, my wife ordered cold sesame peanut noodles with eggplant. This classic dish was presented nicely and tasted good: a nice contrast between sesame and peanuts.
Singapore broth was terrific: the combination of coconut milk and red curry made for a creamy heat, spicy enough that it got your attention but not so much that you needed to drink a quart of water. Mung sprouts made for a crunchy balance to tender chicken strips and chunks of tofu. Although boiled eggs are one of my least favorite foods, they worked well in this meal. No additional seasonings were necessary: the large bottles of sriracha sauce and soy sauce were unneeded condiments taking up valuable space on small tables.
If I happen to be in Greenwich Village at dinner time again, I’d gladly take a trip back here.
Sourdough Daddy 