Food & Pixels Posts

Sripraphai Thai- authentic Thai in Woodside

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click to see slide show
Sripraphai Thai is my go to Thai food place in all of New York. This is not your regular neighborhood Pad Thai / fried rice take-out place, although their Pad Thai and Pineapple fried rice are outstanding. This place offers a taste of authentic Thai.
The BOOK of menu is a good read. Almost 10 pages long. Like most Asian restaurants, it is numberize and filled with pictures. And their method of numbering system does not go in order (A-B-C-D), it is A- appetizers; N- noodles; S- soup; O- over rice, and so on, they even have a section just for soft shell crab (SC); awkwardly a-la-carte is C and drinks is SD. It is all over the place, and will definitely take some time to navigate this book, even more difficult to decide what to orde. There are just too many choices and everything look good.
There are a few must have dishes every time I am there.
Thai Iced Tea– it is a little sweet for my taste, but it is so smooth that I can’t not have. But on a recent visit with a friend whom have spent some time in thailand, I was introduced to black Thai ice tea. No milk or sugar, but with lime. Utterly refreshing, the tangy balanced the density of the black tea, make a declious healthy summer drink.

Chicken coconut milk soup.
Everyone loves Tom Yum soup, but I prefer chicken coconut milk soup. It also has ginger and lemongrass in it. Creamy with a hint of sourness. If chicken-noodle soup cures cold and flu; this coconut chicken soup smooth my soul.

ST03
Crispy Ground Catfish Topped with green mango salad & cashew nuts

The catfish was finely ground then deef fried. While it has all the crunch, fish was lost. It was grounded so finely that it does not ressembled to be fish anymore. Other than crunchiness, it was airly. But when pair with the green mango salad that come with it, it almost become a crumbs topping, very interesting dish.

ST04
Papaya Salad with dry shrimp and crushed peanuts
a traditional stable in Thai food. And what’s not to love. It is sweet, sour and spicy.

ST05
B.B.Q. Pork Tender with garlic, chili and lime juice
This is a MUST have at Sripraphai Thai. So simple and yet so good. I have never had a piece of pork that have such tenderness. So succlent, and mouth-watering. This BBQ pork tender use the meat from pork’s neck, simply grilled it and serve with the house made special garlic chili lime sauce. This special sauce is sour at first, in the sourness hid a scent of sweetness, then packs a strong kick at the end. It is spicy, but it is the kind of pain that is enjoyable and keep me coming back for more.

ST06
Panang Curry chicken w. coconut milk

ST08
Sautéed Chinese Broccoli with crispy pork

While everything was delicious, we felt a sense of unsatisfactory, because we were told the mango with sticky rice was all sold out. No Thai meal is completed without this traditional dessert, at least for me. Sticky rice usually cooked with coconut milk, with fresh sliced mango. It is sweet but absolutly delicious. We were sadden that our meal couldn’t be fully fulfilled.
This family own authentic Thai restaurant is located in a residential area in Woodside, just steps away from the 7 train 69 street station. The place closes on Wednesday, and does not take reservation, so get there early as crowds outside the door usually gather around 630p on a Friday night. (March, 2015)

Cesca- great pre-theater near Beacon Hill

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Went to a concert at the Beacon Hill Theater several weeks ago, and we were having trouble deciding where to eat nearby. Thanks to the wonderful App “OpenTable”, we found ourselves at Cesca for per-theater dinner. It is the closest restaurant available in the vicinity of Beacon Hill Theater and surprisingly, our dinner was quite good.
Trendy, it is not, it is elegant. Bar in the front is crowded, with sports channels in the tube. Down the hallway is a raw bar, then semi-open kitchen and a comfortable dinning room. Natural toned walls with dark wood furniture and dimmed lighting, it’s rather old school, rustic, and neighborly.
Seeing the raw bar on our way in, how could we not have oysters. Served with mignonette form, oysters were fresh and sweet. Grilled octopus was not rubbery at all. Cooked just right, with a little charred. I doubt that it had been massaged for half an hour like the one at 15 East, but this is tender enough. Although I could go without the ceci beans and opt for more greens. House-made Pappardelle was al dente. And I could not believe the amount of meat in the ragu. Perfectly seasoned, simply a hearty, fulfilling dish. Then came the special- Lamb shank.
Lamb Shank
Lamb Shank

Lamb is the wow of the night. Portion is generous, big haunch of meat, braised in wine, tender and tasty, surrounded by garden vegetables and grilled potatoes. Meat fell right off the bone with the help of a fork, which is a beautiful thing.
For dessert, we had the chocolate fondant cake. But honestly I think we should have bypassed that. It has a lot of components but just too much going on, and overly sweet.
(March, 2015)

Cosme- Best New Restaurant 2015 in NYC

cosme
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Cosme has been buzzing since it opened in October. It already claimed Best New restaurant on a almost all the reviews there is. And better yet, it had made the finalist list in that category on James Beard Award. So as we imagine, table is hard to grab. Luckily, on the first week of spring, we finally got in.

The bar out front is packed. Asides from bar stools and table, there were several knee-high table with sofa in the front room. I’m guessing it was meant to be lounge area, but since not everyone get a reservation, there were parties there having their dinner at the lounge. It’s petty awkward. The knee-tall table could pass for appetizers and drinks, but for entree, it won’t be comfortable.
Dinning room is dark but vibrant. There were built-ins throughout the place shelving varieties of wines . There were a couple larger table in the dinning room. Perfect for bigger groups. Sleek wood table with a small plant at each, adding a little bit green to the otherwise colorless room (the walls are actually green, but with the dimmed lighting, I barely noticed it).

El Ninja and Scoville Sour
El Ninja and Scoville Sour

    The drinks menu would take an hour at least to study thru. Cocktails on the 1st pages, other than the wine list, there is a full page on Mezcales, then another full page of tequilas. We heard the Mezcal were amazing, but the cocktails were hard to pass up. We had the El Ninja and Scoville Sour. It was beyond superb. Both had perfect combination. Just a bit sour then come a hint of sweetness. Both scream SUMMER!!! The El Ninja has a piece of dehydrated pineapple in it, after soaking in the cocktail, it makes a delicious snack. I wish I can have it everyday!

cosme

    The menu is divided into 3 sections. The first is obviously appetizers, most of it are curdos, and all seems very appealing. The 2nd section is a little confusing. It has us scratching our heads. Is it salad? 2nd appetizers? Or first course? But since we already knew we were gonna get the Duck Carnitas for entree, that help us make the decision to skip the entire 2nd section.
tortillas with chile, pumpkin seed butter dip
tortillas with chile, pumpkin seed butter dip
    Complimentary starter for the table is tortillas with chile, pumpkin seed butter dip. It packs a little kick but not enough to burn, just enough to wake up my palate.
Avocado, bone marrow salsa, cucumber 18
Uni tostada with Avocado, bone marrow salsa, cucumber 18
    There are a lot of avocado in the appetizers menu. Both of our appetizers have avocado in it too. The Uni totsada comes on a little plate. Fresh, sweet uni on top a layer of avocado, with bone marrow salsa underneath all atop a thin crunchy tortillas with a little bit of jalapeno on it. While I totally forgot that bone marrow in the mix, it’s a delicious little bite. So many different texture and flavors. All ingredients are super fresh, almost don’t need any seasoning and they compliment each other perfectly avocado’s creaminess, tomatoes’ freshness, play very well with uni’s rich and sweetness.

with salsa mexicana, avocado 20
Smoked raw sepia with salsa mexicana, avocado 20

Sepia is a kind of cuttlefish. Served in a oversize bowl, this smoked sepia with salsa was a bit oily for me. I would appreciate a little more acidity and spice in the dish to brighten it a little more. But nevertheless still a wonderful little bite. Avocado in this case was just for decorating.

    Duck carnitas, onions, radishes, salsa verde (to share) 59
    Carnitas means little meats, but this duck carnitas is anything but little!!!
    Brightest star of the night. Since we shared the duck, which means we couldn’t taste as many dishes or varieties as we would want. But this is a choice we do not regret. Simply because this is the BEST duck EVER!!! Daniel Humm, your duck now has competition. The duck was absolutely heavenly. Tender, juicy, and rich. it was like pull pork in duck form but much more tastier. No need for a knife. Meat was easily separated by fork. The skin of the duck is sweet. Served in a cast iron pan, there is a layer of duck fat at the bottom, but it didn’t feel heavy at all, certainly adds aroma. We had worried that it would be too salty for us, but it wasn’t at all. The juice from the duck is its best natural seasoning. The portion was generous. It can definitely serve more than two. The duck came with a stack of fresh tortillas, along with chipotle sauce and a spicy sauce. Tortillas served in a folded napkin. They are warm and fluffy!!! I love the smell of the flour and the warmth it felt. There were a lot of meat, there were some radishes and cilantro that come with the duck, which add crunchiness. But with the amount of meat, I wish there were more veggies to counter balance the meat. Or I’d gladly order a side of cucumber or radish on the side if that were an option. Between the 2 of us, we couldn’t finish the duck, but it made an exquisite sandwich the next day.
    Husk meringue with corn mousse.
    t was not as sweet as we were afraid of. It was savory-sweet and it was perfect. It’s creaminess, and the shell-like outer layer gave it great contrast. Use a spoon to crack it as if it’s an egg. It does have the same texture. There were even a hint of salt on the shell. There were enough instagram pictures of the dish to let us know what to expect. But when I crack the shell, it didn’t flood out like lava as I thought it would, it just restrained in the shell, but it was velvety. The salty-sweet contrast reminded us of the our beloved “milk & honey” at NoMad. So glad we saved room for dessert.

Cosme is well worth the hype. Mexican superstar Chef Enrique Olvera hit everything on point! From cocktails to desserts, Cosme exceed out expectation. It was a delicious night. We only wish we could have space for more. We will definitely be back, and next time, we are bringing help, so we can sample many more dishes and Mezcales.

Post-restaurant week thoughts

The 3 weeks NYRW event is coming to an end. While I am hating myself for packing on pounds, it is time to evaluate if I have a successful restaurant week. Here is how I evaluate:
1. Was it worth the price?
2. Would I go back if not for special price?
3. Would I go back even for special price?
I went to 5 places during restaurant week. Other than Park Ave Winter I posted earlier, the others were Costata in Soho, Brasserie Cognac in theater district, Brasserie 8 ½ near Central Park and the Water Club by the river. Out of those 4, I would only may be go back to Costata.

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Costata
went there for an early lunch, and have the whole dinning room all to myself. Décor and style reassemble that of Ai fori. Beef carpaccio was good, the crema di funghi was not necessary, and it is all hiding down at the bottom, but it was good. Sirloin flap has been sitting for a while and had lost it’s juice. The fries were not crispy anymore, and both have a bit too much salt, but at least, the flavor was there.

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Brasserie Cognac
First, I have to apologies to my dinning partner since I was almost an hour late to our lunch. And I also want to applaud the staff of Brasserie Cognac for their patience and understanding. However, great service does not make up for sub-par food. We had Escargots for appetizer, and it was blend and rubbery, and tasteless. It was as if they were boiled first, then plated on the dish and throw back in the oven. All those garlic and bread crumbs did nothing for the escargots. Although that did made for good bread dip. We had duck and codfish for main courses. Duck was salty, and just salty. The skin of Codfish was crispy, but needed seasoning, and the sauce did little to help. Desserts was either a floating island of cookie plate, so we had both. The Floating Island was very petty, and airy although I know it was only sugar and egg white. And I couldn’t tell if the sweet sweet broth it is swimming in was melted ice-cream or some sugar syrup. And the cookie plate… I think the word I am looking for was … … pathetic.

see slidshow
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The Water Club
Water Club is a romantic place with a fantastic view. It is an old school yacht- club. Oak wood bar with a piano and a fire place. While it is nice to see that it was not totally destroyed by Irene, all those flags hanging from the roof ruin the mood a bit. If I recalled correctly, there wasn’t any flag a few years back. We started with Maple Glazed Shrimp. It was good Big shrimps and rather sweet. But I have no idea what is the polenta in the middle. It was not corn bread but it was harder than potato. I had the braised lamb for entrees, while the rest of the table have scallops. I know, I know, what was I thinking having lamb at a seafood restaurant. I just didn’t want the stir fried brown rice that came with the scallops. And oh my, I knew I made the wrong choice the moment the lamb sat down. It looked dry. It is braised lamb, how could it be dry? But it was! The problem was they had plated it, sauce included, and put it back in the warm drawer before serving it. How do I know? Well, I don’t know for sure. But from the indication of the sauce already dried up on the plate, and the plate is hot, I’d say it is a petty good guess. I might be right, but i’m sad about being right. It is braised lamb! It is already cooked, just have to plate it before sending it out, and for whatever reason, they plated it before hand and put it in the warm drawer?? WOW. Seriously?! The scallops look dry, but my fellow dinners didn’t complained. But they did said that the stir fried brown rice was hard. May be the water club should just stick with lobster. Last time I had lobster there, it was good, but that was long time ago.

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Brasserie 8 ½
where should I begin with Brasserie 8 ½… Well, staffs are attentive, and perhaps a little too attentive. Tried to take away our plate before we finished, twice. And I guess the staffs are the one thing that is holding this place together. Everything we had were… pitiful. The duck confit on the kale salad was blend, and almost can be call duck jerky. And the croutons were soggy. Grilled Spanish octopus? I couldn’t tell if they were grilled. They could have been boiled, frozen, or from a can. Just rubbery. Call me ignorant. But I thought Sauce Verte is supposed to be green?! And yet I have this orange, tomatoy sauce. And that tasted like from a can. I was utterly disappointed. I had duck breast for main course. And I asked for medium rare. And medium rare it was not. Dried, tasteless, it is. And the chestnut flan… was it some joke or plank? It looks like a upside-down mini cupcake, but tasted like 3 days old hard mushy thing. I do not dare to have a second bite. The braised beef short ribs that my friends had were swimming in this weird polenta and tasteless red sauce. And desserts did not get any better. The Meyer lemon tart with crème fraiche was an embarrassment. Crème fraiche did not hold up. One of them just totally collapsed and became a pile of mud. What kind of presentation is it? And how could it be presented to the dining room? And the macaron did not impress either. The only thing I couldn’t tell was how long it has been in the fridge.

I don’t meant to be mean. And I didn’t want to rip them apart, but restaurant week or not, some of the quality of food that was served really does not worth the already discounted price. The way I see it, the whole purpose of restaurant weeks, is for to get people in the restaurants, to take a sample of what they can do, and hopefully these people would come back for more. Unfortunately, if 1 out of 5 restaurant is really buying into this concept and the others were just serving up sloppy pre-cooked food, then this restaurant week is a failure, at least for me. (March, 2015)