Deeeeelish

Wow. This restaurant is amazing! We went to Spice Market for Anne-Camille's 21st (finally!) birthday last week and it was, to say the least, a wonderful experience. When I say "experience" I really mean it, too - it's a whole adventure - time travel, if you will (and if you don't mind my corny blazé banal trite clichés). It's one of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's successes (then again, which one isn't?) that was inspired by the street food he ate while traveling around Asia (he notes Singapore as the linchpin to his inspiration in most of the interviews regarding Spice Market). The place is magnificent. First, the lighting is just right - not so bright that your food might be cooked twice and no where near so dark that you bump into the chef on your way to the bathroom. The lighting is dim and has that romantic candle lit color which makes everything feel warmer. The music has a tribal with an oriental twist to it (sounds like old Buddha Bar tunes). The whole place is adorned with dark carved wood reminiscent of Vietnamese temples, which look beautiful next to the deep burgundy fabrics that are draped around the restaurant. We sat in what they call a "party room" (photos 1 & 5) which was cozy and intimate (the only problem was that the tables were a little too small and it was hard for the waiter to reach the end of the table - we were lucky enough to land on the waiter with the long arms. We decided to opt for the tasting menu, which was one of the best decisions I've made in a while. I mean, check that baby out - it's seriously delicious and their "10 flavors" is one hell of an understatement. At some points I was unable to decipher what exactly it was I was tasting, which always was a good thing because it was all delicious - the only thing that I didn't enjoy as much were the jewels for dessert but I'm not sure if that was because I was so full or because I actually didn't like it (they reminded me of jelly beans). The place also smelled like sweet ginger and mixed with various other spices I can't individualize - Spice Market truly lives up to its simple yet creative name. Overall, it was an experience that I'd love to enjoy a second time and more - the food was delicious and new and the surroundings felt comfortable yet authentic. Love.

Song of the day: Old Buddha Bar Tunes (Chura Liya by Nomadix)