Mum's the Word

Miss Tea and Miss Ija hit the town Wednesdsay night to try out a new, hush-hush, Japanese restaurant called Bohemian. Miss Tea had been rejected before by the GM because she didn't have a reservation, but at least she got a bizcard. The whole concept of this resto is to keep it low-key, hence the Spanish Inquisition when inquiring or reserving seats at the speakeasy.

This small, one-room restaurant is simply decorated with beautiful skylight, a paint-brushed design of the world on white and an alcove Zen garden. Miss Tea guesses there are about 20-24 seats (armchairs and sofas here) plus seating at the counter. The soothing ambiance would make any diner focus on their dishes and the conversation at hand.

If you happen to come across Bohemian and are granted an reservation (seriously, reserve 1-2 weeks in advance to get a seat), Miss Tea highly recommends the Tasting menu...go ahead and spend the money - it's worth it! Miss Tea sampled six dishes, all of which were amazing. They don't have a liquor license so BYOB. Miss Tea brought a yummy bottle of Yellow Tail Chardonnay from Australia (compliments of Lala - thank you Lala!). Hmmm, Miss Tea has started to choose Chardonnay over Pinot Grigio lately. Must be the change in weather...

If you happen to use the restroom, be warned. It is the typical Japanese toilet with remote control on the side. Thankfully Miss Tea has already been to Tokyo and experimented with each of those buttons to know that she should "look, don't touch."

After din-din, Miss Tea and Miss Ija went off to Wine Bar where we had a couple glasses of Chablis and Viognier. Though we didn't order anything, Miss Tea can vouch that the food at Wine Bar is incredibly good for noshing and all those wines lined up against the brick wall just put a smile on Miss Tea's face. There's outdoor seating and the seating is "community table" style inside. Miss Tea prefers coming here at night when it's dark and cozy and full of people.

Ahhh...there's nothing like spending a night out filled with food and wine, accompanied by a good friend who will bitch with you about everything else. :o)

To find out more about Bohemian, visit www.urbandaddy.com (New York) and search for "Bohemian."

To visit Winebar, visit www.winebarnyc.com.