You say it's your ...

Birthday parties in The City take many forms. There are Upper West Side dinner parties, evenings in Soho that move from chic Thai to cocktails and conversations, Ladies who Fondue, and nights at the bar.

And then there are gatherings at gourmet vegetarian restaurants in Koreatown (really more a strip than a town, but that's not important). I'd had a /day/, so East Coast Guy suggested martinis at The Algonquin to start. I don't mind paying exorbitant prices for them when they're that good, and that necessary. And yes, we saw The Cat.

And then we moved on to join Friends of EC Guy for a delightful evening at HanGawi. We began with two bowls of nongju, one flavoured with ginseng, which the birthday boy swore was highly potent, but didn't affect me at all. (Of course, the martinis were there first). Next, we ordered pumpkin porridge, and a dish of the most beautiful bean curd with kimchi and vegetables. It was divine, and the atmosphere was warm and peaceful.

The wandering around afterwards seeking dessert was not - it was one of the first warm nights of spring, and the streets were packed. We wandered down to Madison Square Park en masse, after a quick trip to a Japanese bakery, and then bid our friends adieu, and continued our walk down to the East Village. It was a gorgeous night.