Chinatown by way of Lafayette

I just got home from having dinner at Chinatown Brasserie and I have to say, it wasn't bad...

After leaving work: I walked north, then east, and then south before landing at my final destination. (They were one of few places that were still serving dinner, after ten, on a Sunday night) As I entered, I was enveloped by a much more grand than I had imagined dining room. A few steps forward, and I was warmly greeted by a smiling maître d' who was appropriately adorned in all black-and-red--in concert with the theme of the dining room. (It's nice to know there are still some maître d's that know their position requires dressing up--even if it is just downtown)

After asking if their kitchen was still open and having a look over the menu, I asked if it would be alright if I dined at the bar to which the red-lipped maven graciously acquiesced. The bar was long and had an elegant, retro feel to it (c. 1950) and the accompanying music affirmed that notion.

Looking over the menu a second time, I decided that I didn't want anything too heavy, yet I was afraid that ordering just a couple of appetizers would leave me still feeling hungry. After a minute-or-two's perplexedness, I decided to order the two items on the menu which had, at that moment, appealed to me most.

The first item I placed an order for was the cold green noodles with chicken in peanut sauce. Overall, they were fine... (I liked the spinach noodles best and the dish could stand to do with a little less chicken)

The second dish I ordered was the steamed pork buns, from their dim sum menu. Nestled in a small bamboo steamer were four miniature pork buns. They were your standard run-of-the-mill pork buns--nothing special; and they too, were fine...

For dessert, the bartender (highly) recommended custard bao, tiny custard buns; but I'd been feeling a little throaty the past few days (David said I should be eating popsicles, but I haven't) so I instead ordered the coconut tapioca pudding with coconut tuile and a trio of sorbets.

This was the icing on the cake! It even had a little diced melon in it and the tuile was terrific. I'd expected some of the sorbets would be tart, with their rich and bright colors, but they, instead, were surreptitiously soothing...

Even if Chinatown Brasserie was just pas mal, most likely... I'll be back.