Best medicine

This weekend 'date night' was finally reinstated. Having no more house guests, we were able to steal away together for an evening alone. I decided to find a restaurant we had not eaten at before, and came up with Medicine, thanks to my studiomate's recommendation. To say that we liked this place would be an understatement. It was some of the best Japanese food I've ever had, and if money grew on trees, I would consider having lunch there every day.

The decor was so beautiful, and the waitstaff were unusually friendly and helpful. I love it when a server recommends things to eat. Please check out the link and read about the premise under which this place was created. No reservations are taken, and they automatically add 17% gratuity to the bill - they will not accept more. For someone like me, this is heaven. I hate figuring out the tip, and appreciate it all being provided for me. The food was unreal and we were in such a good mood when we left the place.

I ate the Tempura Set (10.95). Assorted tempura of lotus root, sweet potato, corn, asparagus & apple-peach spring roll. Fresh artisan tofu with garnish. Miso soup with Japanese cucumber, sour plum and junsai. Fresh light pickles of red and yellow pepper, Japanese cucumber, and turnip. Healthy 9-grain rice bowl (includes amaranth, spelt, teff, black forbidden rice, and golden flax seeds) (.75)

We shared the fried tofu vegetable balls. Spheres of seasoned mashed tofu and vegetables, quick fried and served in a savory sauce with a garnish of ginger and Japanese radish. (5.95)

Max ate the Soba Set (8.95). Buckwheat noodles in housemade shojin broth, topped with wakame seaweed, fiddlehead fern, sour plum, and mixed sesame-flax seeds. Fresh artisan tofu with garnish. Fresh light pickles of red and yellow pepper, Japanese cucumber, and turnip. Healthy 9-grain rice bowl (includes amaranth, spelt, teff, black forbidden rice, and golden flax seeds) (.75)

Next stop was the movies. Of course! We saw The Constant Gardener. This movie was brilliant. Directed by Fernando Meirelles (who did City of God -- also brilliant), this film makes you think about just how fucked Africa really is. This film has been plaguing me, and I can't stop thinking about it. Not the usual Hollywood fare... it was gritty, real, brutal, smart and sad. As AO Scott writes in his NYTimes review, "This is a supremely well-executed piece of popular entertainment that is likely to linger in your mind and may even trouble your conscience."

Dinner and the movie get a 10/10. Both are worth checking out if you have a free evening to to do so.