So after Alric's birtday festivities, I ended up at Yucky story Rye Shoe with Rob Chin. There was a horrible legalistic dispute: despite a low $7 per cap min the party of 4 didn't somehow even after all the carding and such want to pay for everyone, so there was some protracted discussion about how said percapmin doesn't apply at the bar, and so with a transplant of the two nonconsumptive parties, the minimum could be minimized, rather than, but this was unacceptable to management, despite the arguments about positions, the proferring of doing anything requested of them, moving outside for even less of a minimum, rather than at a table designed for six, and so on and on, until at last the order was canceled and the group of waiguoren left all together...

I must say, though, that the food there has somehow gotten better in terms of quality, variety, and savoriness. Balsamic duck, spicy tuna, and unagi-tofu were all top-notch.