Unfamiliar Pairings at Moim Restaurant

Even after all our time here in Brooklyn, we are still pleasantly surprised when we discover the unexpected. Stumbling upon neighborhood gems like Moim--hidden in the nooks and crannies of the neighborhood, a recognizable storefront often bypassed--remind us why we choose to live here.

On a side street in a basement space off the main drag in Park Slope, it's not so much of a surprise that we had never tried Moim Restaurant. Once we had, given the quality of the meal, we were surprised that we hadn't heard more about the restaurant. A modern take on Korean food, in a modern space, it's a unique addition to the neighborhood. Assuming you're not intimidated by Korean dishes, the fairly simple offers a nice selection of Korean BBQ dishes. For us, the best part might have been the fact that they offered New York wines.

As you know by now, readers, we love to find New York wines at restaurants. Although we've paired New York wines with all sorts of takeout food at home, we can't recall a time we've found New York wines on a restaurant menu that feature Asian dishes. There was no way we could pass this up. We picked a bottle of Rose of Merlot, hoping for a flexible wine. The earthy and spicy notes mirrored the funky, spicy dirt flavors of the fermented cabbage in the Kimchi Tofu, and its crispness offered a much needed counterpoint to the rich seafood in the Korean Bouillabaisse. A regular Merlot would never have worked.

While we love to talk about the natural pairings of local cuisines with local wine, it's good to be reminded that good food and good wine from anywhere, working together harmoniously, can make for a great meal.