Mecha Noodle Bar

Slurping encouraged at SoNo ramen noodle bar

I scrolled through the roster of restaurant reviews on my blog and have realized that there are a number of my favorite spots missing, like Mecha Noodle Bar in SoNo.

For those who aren't familiar with ramen noodle bars, this is not your Cup o' Noodles that you had in college. This is a bowl of love from Mom and Pop's Southeast Asian kitchen—but literally, since Mecha means "Mom and Pop" in Vietnamese. And it's not right to chalk up Mecha Noodle Bar as simply an Asian fusion restaurant, because it's more of a "American-Vietnamese-Japanese-Thai-Chinese-Korean-New England-Momofuku-Totto-and-Ippudo-inspired" noodle bar.

If you're a fan of pho, Vietnamese noodles, then you're in luck—Mecha serves both ramen and pho combinations.

Mecha Noodle Bar has three locations—Fairfield is their original location, followed by SoNo and New Haven, which recently opened in Fall 2016.

Although the space in New Haven feels larger and more open, I prefer the SoNo location for its laidback, downtown vibe. I've had some great conversations with the bartenders and other people while eating solo at the bar. At the other locations, it feels like you need to have a date with you—this is especially true in Fairfield, which has a tiny bar in comparison to SoNo and New Haven.

Ramen isn't just for cold-weather—I love coming to Mecha year-round. My favorite meal at Mecha comprises of the roasted mushroom dumplings, spicy miso ramen and the 99 Problems cocktail. Honestly, the entire menu is pretty spectacular, as are the Happy Hour specials between 4pm-6pm on weekdays.

It's tough deciding whether or not I prefer Mecha's spicy miso or Boru's spicy miso...

Tablao Wine Bar & Restaurant

SoNo's new Spanish wine bar adds more culinary variety to Washington Street 

It's hard to ignore Tablao's inviting entry while driving down the center of town—the open double-doors, open windows and ambient lighting from the bar stands out from the rest. The Spanish wine bar and restaurant occupies the space where Coromandel used to be, perfectly situated in SoNo near other popular restaurants including Cask Republic and Match.

I kept dinner simple with a glass of rosé and the pappardelle entrée. The bartender, who quickly picked up on my novice knowledge of wine, helped me pick out the right rosé. 

Lobster, scallops and shrimp were tossed in a light, sun-dried tomato sauce with the pappardelle. I pleased to have a generous amount of lobster—an expensive ingredient that can be easily skimped on by restaurants who don't know any better. I was also happy to learn that the pappardelle pasta is made in-house by the chef himself.

Tablao is still new to SoNo—it's only been open for about two months—but I hope it will become a fixture in the area. 

Note: I initially headed to SoNo to check out Chocopologie's dinner and drink menu, but it turns out they had quietly closed last week...

2016 New Year's Resolutions

Here it is. The obligatory list of promises I hope to keep up for the New Year.

Let's hope that this list sticks.

Repairing my posture

I feel a slight hunch. Literally. Being a social media addict is all fun and games until the curvature of your spine morphs into something not so far removed from Quasimodo.

Figuring out a regular exercise routine

As much as I love hot vinyasa, I know I need to be doing something a bit more active. I don't do well gyms, but I definitely want to explore kickboxing for more intense days.

Focus

As Shia LaBoeuf says...

Read more for leisure

Over the past two years, I can only claim to have read books that were either career-oriented or class-related—both of which were fine, but it gets monotonous. I renewed my local library card before the holidays and the bookworm inside of me couldn't be happier.

Making good use of what I already have 

For example, I have several books that I haven't read yet, but I still seek out bookstores for something new. I have a ton of stationery, but I keep collecting more sets of cards. Before making a purchase, I want to be more mindful of what's sitting in the desk drawer or tucked away in the closet.

Get rid of clutter

I'm so over holding onto things I don't need. After moving back and forth so much, I just want to get rid of the excess of objects to focus on an endless number of new experiences.

Dress up for Pocahontas for Halloween

I am willing to hold off redoing the super blonde hair I once had to make this happen.

Learning when to hold onto it or to let it go

. . .

Go back to Europe

I was really bummed I couldn't make it happen last year, but I have a feeling that I'll make my way back this fall.  It could be Paris, London, Amsterdam, Vienna... Ideally, it would be those cities and a few more.

Explore nearby towns

While I save up for this European adventure, I definitely want to do more things in my own backyard in both Connecticut and Rhode Island. I'm more than familiar with Westport and South Norwalk or Saunderstown and Wickford, but I haven't bothered to spend more time in other towns like New Canaan or Tiverton.

But at least I spent so much of my time in Rhode Island playing in Newport...

SoNo Baking Company

When I go to Connecticut to catch up with my girlfriends, one of the things we love to do is go to South Norwalk, appropriately nicknamed SoNo for being an hour away from Manhattan.

We ended up doing brunch at the SoNo Baking Company, a local treasure situated away from the town's main drag.

The SoNo Baking Company, a bakery and gourmet café, was founded by one of Martha Stewart's colleagues. Everything is made fresh and tastes fresh--I would recommend the SoNo Benedict for brunch with local tea.

Westport/SoNo: Shopping and Chocopologie

This afternoon, my mom and I did some shopping in Westport at LF, Urban Outfitters, and Banana Republic. I got a few cute dresses and an adorable fedora hat similar to one Jessica Alba has been photographed wearing. My mom bought two slight hi-lo cut dresses, a sweater, and a loop scarf.

For dinner, a friend and I ate dinner at Chocopologie in South Norwalk.

If you love tea, European-inspired cafe food, and anything chocolate, Chocopologie is the place to be. There is an extensive beverage menu, including several herbal teas and the spiced hot chocolate. The dessert menu includes truffle beignets, molten chocolate cake, and chocolate chip cookies baked fresh. If, for whatever reason, the dessert menu does not take you, the array of chocolates on the back counter will. 

My friend ordered the quiche du jour and I ordered a croque monsieur--"open faced Virginia ham and gruyere cheese sitting on top of egg-battered, toasted pain de mie." We split the molten chocolate cake for dessert. 

Dress, BCBG Max Azria; Cardigan, Gap

Urban Outfitters

Croque Monsieur served with an Arugula Salad and Buccaneer tea