le colonial

I live my life simply: "eat well, travel often." Simply enough, at least :) since those two past times are related. I don't travel to visit a place I've never been before, check it off the list, and possibly get my passport stamped. I travel to discover new things... and as such,  trying a new restaurant offers me that same thrill.

Over the summer, I purchased a gift card (through DailyCandy) to a Hamptons-based restaurant. A few months ago, I was told the restaurant had closed. But they did offer me a chance to exchange it for another icitycerts gift card. So, with my affection for everything French and my fascination with Vietnamese culture, I chose Manhattan's Le Colonial and invited my cousin on a romantic dinner date.

A fusion of culinary backgrounds often leads to a delicious meal, but when those two cultures have as much history as the French and the Vietnamese, the entire meal becomes an entire enchanting experience; "Set in the backdrop of the bustling Upper East Side on 57th Street, Le Colonial transports you to another place in time, recapturing the beauty, romance and spirit of French Colonial Southeast Asia."

In the midst of a formal, airy dining room featuring a tin ceiling, vintage photographs, wicker accents, ceiling fans, lush, potted palms, and soft 1920's French music, Bianca and enjoyed a three-course meal of truly amazing Vietnamese. We started with Goi Cuon (soft salad rolls with poached prawns, lettuce, vermicelli, herbs and hoisin chili sauce) and each had the Ca Chien Gung (ginger roasted salmon with sauteed leeks, bell peppers, asparagus and basil sauce) as our entrée. The service was also very attentive and friendly.

When it came time for dessert, we were torn between le Tarte Tatin and le Mousse au Chocolat. Thankfully, being as we'd also enjoyed an exquisite Pinot Noir, we were tipsy open-minded enough to order both desserts. It was a very good choice as both were absolutely divine. And afterwards, with the icitycerts gift card, we were able to return to our average "twentysomething in the city" lives unscathed.

As far as my upcoming plans go: my next big trip is going to be a homecoming, I plan to visit K at least once, and I hope to use the JetBlue points I've acquired to organize a very affordable week or two staying in Colombia with my grandmother's family. In the mean time, I'll continue to explore as I make the most of one of my favorite seven days of the year: NYC Restaurant Week.