In one of those ugly New York landlord
stories, Diane and Joseph DiMeo (pictured) were forced to sell
their cooking school, the Neighborhood Kitchen, on Court Street.
Determined to make the best of a lousy situation, the couple
created Soju, a cozy neighborhood restaurant on Atlantic Avenue.
In the casual, red-walled space, which opened in June, you can
pull up one of the 40 seats to a wooden table and sip a specialty
cocktail; there are 30 of them made with "soju," Korean
rice liquor similar to vodka, but less potent.
"It’s very drinkable," says Joseph. I’m sure it is,
especially when the booze is flavored in-house with ingredients
like berries, lemongrass and herbs. One to try is the "Sojuito,"
an Asian take on the Mojito that substitutes basil-infused "soju"
for the rum, and keeps the drink’s traditional fresh mint sprigs.
Diane, who created the menu and serves as the restaurant’s executive
chef, is serving "pan-Asian comfort food with provisions
from Korea, China, Vietnam and Taiwan," explains Joseph.
"It’s a new version of Asian fusion that includes just Asian
ingredients and techniques," he says. One dish that has
become a customer favorite is the fried turnip cakes served with
four sauces: peanut/chili, sweet chili, a hot pan-roasted chili
sauce and another with soy, garlic and a hint of ginger.
"The sauces have become so popular that we’ve started to
sell them to our customers," Joseph adds.
One hearty entree, perfect for the cold weather, is the "Emperor’s
Dish," featuring pork coated with tamarind sauce and served
with house-made Fuji apple sauce.
Come summer, there’s a 30-seat garden that makes an ideal spot
for sipping one of the restaurant’s 10 Asian beers.
Soju (145 Atlantic Ave. between Henry and Clinton streets in
Brooklyn Heights) accepts cash only. Entrees: $8.50-$13.95. The
restaurant serves dinner Mondays, and Wednesday through Sunday.
Closed Tuesdays. Reservations accepted for parties of six or
more. For information, call (718) 624-7658.