The dust has settled and Nooch has settled into the nabe. It's not where you go on a special date; it's where you go on your way home from shopping at Barney's Warehouse. Seven dollar martinis in a nabe where twelve dollars buys you a thimbleful of vodka. At Nooch, it's Thai or Japanese, depending on which side of the menu you choose. The vegetable dumplings are fresh and hot. Soba noodles are no rival for Honmura-An, but much less expensive. Japanese salad is crisp and clean. The service is...well-intentioned. Best of all, the bathroom is a true sycophant -- flattering you constantly as you doodle with your noodle: YOU LOOK FABULOUS runs the ticker tape along the mirror, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE? You leave with a smile. It's not brilliant, but it works.