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| - My boyfriend took me out to dinner at Soba Lounge for my birthday last week! We had reservations for 7 pm on a Thursday evening, and had an absolute hell of a time parking! How does anybody live in this neighborhood? It's maddening. The lot next to Soba was full, and there's only one way in/out, so it was pretty much impossible to get out of after we realized it was full - don't even bother, just drive around until you find street parking somewhere.
Our disgruntled-ness quickly wore off when we stepped inside. Dimly lit, sleekly decorated, and filled with a sense of Zen and calm, my boyfriend noted that it reminded him of the restaurants in Chicago. High praise! We followed our server upstairs, past a peaceful wall-waterfall, and to our elegant table. There was a medium-size crowd at Soba that night, consisting oddly of mostly older people and businessmen - not many twenty somethings in sight! That was a bit surprising, but fortunately the noise level was low, giving Soba a feeling of intimacy - great for a date!
Our server was friendly, perky, and quick to recommend her favorite dishes. She was the kind of server who, if you wanted her to, would stop at your table to chat for a few minutes, but if you'd rather she was unobtrusive and quick, she could do that too. I started with a cocktail, the Gin Blossom, and my boyfriend got something with Drambuie that isn't on the menu anymore. I LOVED mine - it was purple! It was very floral and sweet, perfect for me. Just strong enough too - I sipped it throughout the whole meal.
We started with the grilled baby octopus, which actually was great! The texture was meatier than we expected - I think we anticipated the rubbery, chewiness of calamari. But it was great! The legs (tentacles?) were lined with grill marks and the meat had a salty, savory taste. And the aioli that lined the plate? Creamy and delicious. Next, we enjoyed the lobster maki with pistachios and mango - it was delicious and fresh, presented very simply. A bit pricey for what you get, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.
For my entree, I had the sea scallops with BBQ pork, and it was pretty wonderful. The scallops were cooked perfectly, and I mean PERFECTLY. The pork underneath was flavorful and tender - a bit salty, but at least it wasn't bland! The rice cake noodles were deliciously glutinous and chewy. It was a good size portion as well - I couldn't quite finish it after the two appetizers we shared, so I had to take a bit home. Boyfriend got the pad thai, and I found it a little disappointing in that it was indistinguishable from takeout pad thai. Good takeout, but still - it didn't seem heightened in any way. Which is fine, I guess, but for $19? Whoa. No. He was satisfied with it, but I was disappointed since it was a special occasion and his meal definitely wasn't of birthday caliber. At least it was my birthday and not his!
I think generally the food here is very good, and the atmosphere is upscale and intimate. I'd stick with the dishes that are complex and unique. Don't go here and get the pad thai. But you won't be disappointed by the exotic offerings!
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