Rochjin:You'll be fuller, if not smarter.

Food
Best Brain Food
Rochjin Asian Noodle
92 Third Avenue
212-614-7294

Chicken soup may be good for the soul, but Thai fish-ball soup takes care of everything else. That's the verdict we reached after slurping up the Rochjin "Classic" at this new East Village noodle house, where matzo-ball look-alikes that turn out to be minced yellowtail snapper (pure, filler-free brain food) are offered every which way -- quick-boiled, deep-fried, in a spicy salad, or, most soothingly, as the main attraction in an assortment of noodle soups. Egg noodle, rice noodle, wide ribbon, or angel hair -- the choice is yours (all $9.20). And rather than the sensory assault you might expect from a Thai soup, this one has a more understated, restorative appeal (unless you order the fiery tom yum, redolent of lime and chili pepper, packed with seafood, and utterly delicious). The entire experience leaves us feeling energized, calm -- dare we say smarter? -- for hours.