How Do Pegu?

The answer: Wonderfully.

Pegu Club is a place of beauty - a place where physical beauty combines with magnificent mixology. The room is sophisticated with touches of velvet, organic burled wood and Asian-inspired antiquities. It is decidedly adult and truly an oasis in the middle of the mall that is Soho.

And, last night, just to gild my lilly (and what gal doesn't enjoy getting her lilly gilded?), I was happy to discover that one of my favorite bartenders from the illustrious Flatiron Lounge, was now behind Pegu's pristine bar: Phil (pictured above).

Phil is a bartender who is as smooth as the drinks he pours. And, he was most definitely on his game last night - from my first cocktail of a lemon-tinged Earl Grey Mar-TEA-ni to a glorious variation on a Pimm's Rangoon, a heady concoction that combined Pimm's, cucumber, strawberry, fresh mint and ginger beer.

His masterful mixology was complimented by his manners, as he handled a crowd that ranged from a baseball capped casual to a red-headed dandy wearing a craveat. And, Phil's sense of the gustatory was also on point. From the myriad of Far East-influenced small plates on Pegu's menu, he suggested that my friend Jenn and I order the Sloppy Duck. Resembling minature Sloppy Joes, the appetizer was a messy, meaty, slightly spicy delight mounded between two squat potato rolls.

Mmmm. Just enough sustenance to allow for one more drink! What cocktail to order next? Best to let Phil decide...