SoHo – Page 5 – Writing With My Mouth Full

Cafe Falai

265 Lafayette Street, off Prince
917/338.6207
$50 for two, BYOB for now, with tip
♥ ♥

I remember loving Falai when I visited two years ago. A panetteria has opened down the block since then, and now a cafe on the west side. Cafe Falai is BYOB and closes at 8pm while they wait for their liquor license. The waiter entertained me while I waited for my two dining companions. They were so late he lent me his cell phone so that I can play Boggle. He told me he had only been working there for three days, but as soon as my group showed up, it seemed it was his first stint as a waiter, ever.

The menu is not much different from the original Falai. Our beautiful bowl of caramelized onions came with a dot of yolk. Before we finished raving about how it looked, the waiter grabbed a spoon, stirred the yolk and scooped up the onions to distribute in our small bowls. He left and returned with a small pot of consommÃ© and poured the broth in our bowls and then left again to take everything away. Our delicate onion soup looked abused. It looked like we were eating chunky tea, but the waiter obviously thought he was giving us extra love. Fortunately, he left us mostly to ourselves the rest of the night. (We tried to laugh with him when he burped while giving us our check.) The breaded and fried mozarella was incredibly light and the balsamic dressing over the frisÃ© was exceptional. I was just a tad disappointed that it came with only five small golden beets. The pappardelle with mushrooms was good, served with buttered sauce and sage. The branzino was perfectly cooked. Its crisp skin gave way to the tender white meat. I loved that it soaked in soupy pesto with mini Brussel sprouts and grape tomatoes. The veal meatballs were less adventurous, however, and the octopus, I thought, was undersalted and too soft. Because chef Iacopo Falai was a pastry chef at Le Cirque 2000 back in the days, we didn’t want to skip the cafe’s dessert offerings. We ordered a citrus tart which I loved because of its gingery taste, but my companions preferred the light and flaky apple pastry. I would like to go back for their baked goods and cup of illy coffee the next time I visit. I just hope that the waiter is not there before dinner service.

Related post/s:
Iacopo Falai’s first restaurant

Ushiwakamaru

136 West Houston Street off Sullivan
212/228.4181
$150 for three people with six drinks, without tip
â™¥ â™¥

I’m always walking on Houston Street, but I have to admit that I never pay attention to the restaurants on the street. There are a few off Sullivan Street, right before you turn towards Bleecker, but I’ve never been inclined to check them out. We wanted sushi one night after a few after-work drinks in SoHo but Blue Ribbon was, as usual, packed and there was quite a wait at Nagomi. Yama or Tomoe are not good options to me so I was delighted to eat good sushi at Ushi Wakamaru. The uni was fresh and the ankimo creamy. The otoro was still the most expensive on the menu but it was still less than what Gari would charge. They accommodated my requests for salmon skin and shiso leaf makimo before we closed our tab. They didn’t take unfamiliar requests like shiso with pickled carrots and daikon–something Sushiden wouldn’t refuse–but they pretty much met my expectations.

Bahn Mi, Vietnamese Sandwiches

A Vietnamese sandwich, or bÃ¡nh mÃ¬, has minced pork, potted meat, salami, carrots, cucumbers and cilantro. They are served in a slightly toasted French baguette with a special sauce that brings all the fillings together. Skip on the mayonnaise and order an iced Vietnamese coffee while you wait. There are also the neo-bÃ¡nh mÃ¬s like vermicelli glass noodles, beef fillets, chicken and even tofu. Most of the stores carry other Vietnamese snacks and your best bet would be the summer rolls or the rice cakes. SÃ¡u Voi Corp also sells Vietnamese CDs and DVDs for some soundtrack while you eat. (I’ve updated this post since 2004 with the latest bÃ¡nh mÃ¬ stores.)

I’ve listed my favorites below and they all get â™¥ â™¥

Viet-Nam BÃ¡nh MÃ¬ So 1
369 Broome Street off Mott
212/219-8341
Updated, 2008: Renamed Saigon

SÃ¡u Voi Corp
101-105 Corner of Lafayette and Walker Street
212/226.8184

Paris Bakery
113 Mott Street between Canal and Hester
212/226.7221

Ã ChÃ¢u Deli
82A Mulberry between Canal and Bayard
212/766.3332

Lahore

132 Crosby Street between Houston and Prince Streets
212/965.1777
$7 for rice with two choices, with chai, without tip
♥ ♥

This hole-in-the-wall is only one of the stops a New York City cab driver makes during his daily route. For $7, the guy behind the Lahore counter will give you rice with your two choices of curry. When I have a craving, I order the lamb or the goat with the alo saag, a spinach and potato mush spiced with fragrant cardamom, cinnamon and fennel. Or else I go for the chicken with the okra stew or the chickpea dal and pay extra for a small container of yogurt.

They also sell sandwiches which are easier to eat especially if you’re on the go, as well as samosas and traditional Pakistani pastries. There are a couple of stools if you prefer to stay in and eat but don’t say I didn’t warn you when your clothes end up smelling like the aromatic kitchen. Whatever I order, I don’t skip on the hot chai to push down all the heavy goodness I call lunch.

Calexico

Corner of Wooster and Prince
no phone number
about $12 for two, without drinks, without tip
â™¥

Updated, 2006: They do have a phone number! 917/674.1869 and of course, “Cal” is from California

I assume Calexico is currently enjoying their Vendy Award status as a finalist because I had to try twice before I finally got the chance to buy lunch from their spot on Wooster and Prince. When we finally found the cart, we ordered their tacos for $3 each: the much-loved carne asada, the pork and the pollo asado. For an extra $2, you can get two tacos of your choice with rice and beans.

They’re set up in front of the Camper store. Expect a wait during lunch time but they move quickly and take your order right when you walk up and stand in line. They called our names with our tacos in less than ten minutes.

I think I’m just being a snob because I’ve eaten so many tacos this year alone, but Calexico definitely does not sell the best one in the city. The carne asada is pretty good and the pork is okay, but I’ve definitely had better. The guacamole was runny so it made us wonder if it is homemade or from a jar. I’m not quite sure if it’s a Tex-Mex thing to only have one tortilla instead of two but it was very messy to eat my tacos. We ended up sitting on the stoop a block away and our tacos fell apart at every bite. It’s $2 cheaper than La Esquina but if I have to pick between the two, my vote goes to the one with a phone number.