New York

10.14.08

Pranna

79 Madison Ave, at 28th; 212.696.5700

While romantic, motorcycling often bears grim fruit; TE Lawrence traded his camel for a hog only to die in a crash, while Jack Nicholson hit the road with Peter Fonda only to kick The Bucket List. For the fruits of a more successful trip, try Pranna.

Boasting an open kitchen and three bars, Pranna slings pan-Asian plates and drinks inspired by the Sapa-vet chef's six-month superbike tour of Southeast Asia -- like a 19th-century European grand tour of countries 19th-century Europe failed to successfully colonize. Beyond Indonesian skewer standards (Turmeric and Young Ginger Lamb, Yuzu and Wasabi Squid stuffed w/ Pork Apple Mousse), archipela-grub ranges from Vietnamese Hoi An peanut rice flats, to Thai Sam Luam fried chicken w/ cashews, to Indian Chatham cod glazed with ginger-mint from pani poori -- literally "water in fried dough", the bantamweight predecessor to America's "fried dough in fried dough". Beyond Asian beers (Ginga Kogen, Chang) and Cali/French wine, the Southeastasianalism continues with the cocktails: Thai pepper vodkas, hibiscus and pomegranate bourbons, and something called The Butterfly Whisper -- a drink that could set in motion another catastrophic Ashton Kutcher movie.

Pranna also sports a basement lounge complete with a massive communal dining table, which should be used cautiously, lest you reap the grim fruit of a 20-person dinner tab.

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