The location of Indochine, right across the street from The Public, was a perfect place to dine before heading to Joe’s Pub’s Loser’s Lounge for a tribute to Hall and Oats. We sat outside as the night’s weather was perfect.

One dining partner and I sipped their Passion Pomegranate Margarita ($18, tequila, triple sec, passionfruit, pomegranate and lime), another the cucumber and chili martini ($18, made with vodka infused with pineapple and ginger and lime juice) and another the white Negroni ($18, made with gin, Lillet blanc and Suze).

While waiting for our apps, two of us were getting “eaten alive” by bitting flying bugs; our server gave us extra white linen napkins to wrap around our legs to see if that helped. As our server placed our apps on the table, she set a bottle of bug spray purchased at CVS! Talk about service extraordinaire.

We sprayed our legs, then happily returned to our seats to enjoy the fried spring rolls ($18 for 4) filled with chicken, vegetables and glass vermicelli with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce; the Asian lump crab cakes ($25 for 4) with a smoked chili sauce, and the branzino crudo ($24) with soy and a popular Japanese citrus paste, green yuso kosho0, and wasabi fish roe. All recommended.

We shared their ($38) spicy sautéed shrimp with long beans, cherry tomatoes and basil; the grilled eggplant ($18) with cherry tomatoes, coriander, scallion and sesame seeds; some sautèed pea shoots ($15) with ginger and garlic; Jasmine rice ($5) and one of the night’s special of squid ink sticky seafood crispy rice ($28) and an amazing amalgam of black ink sticky rice topped with a pickled seafood salad including the squid and shrimp, all dressed with a seaweed sauce.

Off we went to the Loser’s Lounge across the street that evening, honoring the music of Hall & Oats.

Indochine
East Village
30 Lafayette St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 505-5111
indochinenyc.com