robertgoulet's Profile
Satay Junction - West Village
I've never eaten there but have heard Bali Nusah Indah in Hell's Kitchen isn't bad. I think Sanur in Chinatown (a basement shop on Doyers St. that bills itself as Malaysian and Indonesian) might be worth checking out. I have only ordered the Malaysian food (and wasn't overwhelmingly impressed), but I remember thinking the menu seemed to have a heavier Indonesian tilt.
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Sanur
18 Doyers St, New York, NY 10013
Zaab-Elee, new Thai in the east village, now the best Thai in NYC, perhaps.
It's not just variety (although Zabb Elee definitely wins on that front, I don't know anywhere else in manhattan serving cucumber and long bean som tum). Basic elements of preparation are considerably more authentic at Zabb Elee.
The first time I went to Zabb Elee I was relatively underwhelmed with the flavors of the laap that I ordered (this was the first night they were open). Subsequent visits were much improved. If you go back, make sure to let the servers know you are familiar with Issan food -- they are (perhaps understandably) pretty concerned that they will frighten off unwary visitors who aren't expecting a different experience. They will do it up if you let them know you are into it.
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Zabb Elee
75 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Zaab-Elee, new Thai in the east village, now the best Thai in NYC, perhaps.
Agree entirely Simon.
Best Thai in Manhattan
Zabb Elee is really wonderful, so long as you and your guests understand that the menu is limited to Issan food -- no pad thai, no drunken noodles, no coconut curries. But delicious papaya salads, larb, sweet and spicy Thai sausage, spicy beef salad, sticky rice, etc.
I also still enjoy Pam Real Thai in Midtown, although their success can be hit or miss. Anchovy fried rice with chilis is delicious, as are some of their curries ( they have a southern style fish stomach curry (Gaeng Tai Pla maybe) that is just insane).
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Pam Real Thai
404 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019
Zabb Elee
75 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Zaab-Elee, new Thai in the east village, now the best Thai in NYC, perhaps.
I live around the corner and have now been several times to Zabb Elee. I don't often feel inspired to post on Chowhound but I came home tonight after dinner fully intending to begin a thread exactly like this one.
Zabb Elee is quietly serving the best Thai food in Manhattan, and easily some of the best in the New York City area. I have spent a lot of time in Northern Thailand and Laos, I have been blown away by the quality of the food at this place. They serve food on a spiciness scale of 1-5, 5 being the hottest. I ordered the Som Tum Korat (papaya, peanut, Thai eggplant, pickled fish, tomato, dried shrimp, chili) at a level 5. After receiving the requisite warnings that 5 spicy is not for farang, I got the most amazing papaya salad I've had outside of Thailand -- a very generous portion of green papaya with just the right amount of sweet and sour -- and absolutely, mind-numbingly, tongue searing heat. A "5" is pretty comparable to Sirpraphai's "bomb" spicy. Delicious.
So far, I've also had the larb pla dook, a fish larb with lots of fresh herbs. Perfect with sticky rice. i tried this the day the restaurant opened and thought the flavors were spot on but not spicy enough -- though I haven't ordered it since, I'm quite confident they can adjust the heat.
As everyone else has mentioned, the menu is solely Issan and offers a lot of options you don't frequently see on Manhattan menus. I can't remember ever seeing a Manhattan Thai place offer 4 kinds of kai jaew (a glorious fish sauce flavored omelet, possibly the best breakfast in the world). I am particularly anxious to try some of the Yang and Toam dishes on the menu.
Also - they do have a Bangkok rice & noodle section on the menu too. I haven't tried it but it looks legit.
Highly, highly recommend! Bring friends because I want this place to succeed!
I have also ordered the
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Zabb Elee
75 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
First Date, East Village, Degustation?
Gahh! OP. Listen to me. Do not go to Degustation or Hearth or any other fancy, expensive restaurant on a first date. A tasting menu at an open kitchen is just trying way too hard and will freak her out. In the back of her head she might be worrying the whole time that you're going to suggest splitting the bill. You don't want that.
Sorella is a great suggestion though -- place has great food, a laid back cozy atmosphere, it's not super expensive and has good food for sharing, and a great wine list. I'm also a big fan of Jimmy's No. 43 for first dates. Frankie's Spuntino is great an off night though it might be a bit crowded/loud on the weekend.
And I second that Spina is lovely. Great service, all the pastas are excellent (and the portions aren't so large that you feel gross), and reasonably priced.
Just don't go over the top. Hope it's a good date. Take her to Degustation on the 3rd one.
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Jimmy's No. 43
43 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Sorella
95 Allen St, New York, NY 10002
Spina
175 Avenue B, New York, NY 10009
Xi'an Famous Foods Looking To Open Near Columbia U.
"Nobody goes there anymore its too crowded. "
Fail.
Help: Rice Stuffed Chicken Wings
I think Amazing 66 in Chinatown has a rice stuffed chicken that has to be ordered in advance. Not sure if there's anywhere that does just the wings now that Rainbow Cafe is closed.
Surprisingly good Hell's Kitchen punjabi delivery
Working late last night, I decided on a whim to order Indian delivery and saw a new name I hadn't tried before, Punjabi Tadka, on 10th Avenue near 49th St. I was not searching for authenticity, just some comfort food, so ordered the chicken tikka masala and a samosa chat, along with some garlic naan. There's a lot of terrible Indian delivery in my neighborhood, and I wasn't expecting much, but this was a very pleasant surprise. The naan was still steaming and that perfect combo of crispy/tender, and the tikka masala was rich, creamy -- and spicy! It had a depth of flavor that I was not expecting. The samosa chat was tasty, though it got pretty soggy by the time it was delivered.
Anybody else tried this place? I'm curious about some of the other offerings on the menu.
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Punjabi Tadka
688 10th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Moving to Hell's Kitchen
You don't want to go to Bamboo 52 for food. It's like a fusion-ish B&T bar. It's true, there's not a lot of good cheap sushi in the neighborhood. Sushi Damo on 58th between 8th and 9th isn't a bad choice if you like rolls -- it's not super cheap but it's not outrageous. Another decent option is Natsumi on 50th St. between 8th and 9th. It's a little weird because it claims to be half French/half Japanese, but they do a decent sushi combo plate that isn't too expensive....the sushi regular plate is like $19, the deluxe is $24. It won't blow your mind, but it might be good for the sushi craving. They're open until midnight I think.
50th and Broadway
I don't think I've ever seen a Chowhound thread asking for any kind of recommendation where someone fails to mention Le Bernardin. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice place (as you can probably figure out by its prominent ranking in the Zagat guide and _everywhere_ else, but you definitely don't need to spend $70 per person to have a nice lunch.
Toloache is a great neighborhood pick. It's comfy and the food is good, plus it's a festive atmosphere.
Insieme is nearby in the Michaelangelo hotel. I haven't been there since Marco Canora departed, but the executive chef is the same and I've enjoyed several lunches there. They do a $35 three course harvest menu that usually has pretty good picks. The atmosphere is a bit dull though, so might be a bit staid for a birthday celebration.
Chez Napoleon is on 50th St between 8th and 9th. It's a little quirky -- very small, French restaurant serving country style classic French food. It's not fashionable or trendy, and the service can be a bit brusque, but the food is well prepared and, if you like a bit of eccentricity, it's a lot of fun.
I always like Roberto Passon on the corner of 9th and 50th. The name has now changed to Guliano's but supposedly the food is the same... I haven't been back to verify. The food there isn't particularly revelatory, but a good selection of pastas and salads, and reasonably priced wines.
Curious about Gang Tai Pla at Pam Real Thai
I may be wrong, but I think the fermented fish kidneys are part of the paste that makes up the curry.
Maybe I didn't have a great batch, or they really went overboard on the heat. I couldn't taste much of anything.
Xi'an Famous Foods Opens Up Chinatown Branch A Week From Saturday
I've picked up soups and noodles and brought them on the subway back to Midtown -- it may be difficult to hold out so long before eating it, but they do hold up well in travel!
Curious about Gang Tai Pla at Pam Real Thai
I've had this dish, and have a very high tolerance for heat, but found it to be unsatisfying. It is extraordinarily spicy, but I think at the expense of other flavors.
Cozy place in Manhattan for special date :-)
Angel's Share and Death & Co. are great -- but both have very strict door policies and not a lot of space. May not be great for the OP showing up on a weekend.
Cantoon Garden long review (w/ pics) - one of the best of Manhattan chinatown
This is pretty much what we ended up doing -- the $198 set menu, plus a bunch of extra dishes. We ended up with 12 people, so could sit at one table and got a TON of food, really bordering on the absurd. Some were better than others, but most of the food was fantastic. It was insane how much food came at the same time -- a little intense, to be honest, but a lot of fun.
The soup that started the meal was pretty forgettable. I think it was some kind of pork bone broth and came with a plate of fish, greens and tofu. I don't think any of us got through more than a few slurps of the soup because so much other food came to the table right away.
The "Golden Bricks" were indeed fried tofu, stuffed with a bit of fish paste and served with scallops and conch. The crispy fried skins of the tofu were the perfect texture, and the insides were piping hot and very silky. The conch was perfect -- we didn't find any of them to be tough as some previous posters have described. Came with dark soy sauce to spoon on top of it, which added a nice richness to the dish.
Ginger Scallion Lobsters were typically delicious, as has been described repeatedly on this thread. I've had both these and the XO sauce preparations now -- both were quite good, I'm not sure I have a preference between either. Does anyone know what the other preparations on the menu are?
Walnut Prawns -- the classic HK dish. I think this was probably the biggest hit of the night. I have to admit, I didn't think I would like the mayonnaise sauce, but this was really addictive and got eaten up very quickly. The candied walnuts were a nice addition.
Peking Pork Chop -- Breaded and dripping in a thick, sweet, tangy red sauce. We were gnawing at the bones and picking it up with our hands by the end.
Sizzling Black Pepper Steak -- Hibachi style, with onions and peppers. Also a big hit.
Big Crab with Ho Fun Noodles -- an ENORMOUS crab over flat rice noodles covered in garlic. The crab legs were very fresh and the noodles were were full of garlic crabby goodness.
Braised E-Fu Noodles w/ Mushrooms -- a good dish, very simple flavors. Wanted to have long noodles to end the meal and it was good for vegetarians, but not a standout otherwise.
Half Crispy Chicken w/ Garlic -- AMAZING, and maybe the biggest hit of the night. Crunchy skin, tender chicken falling off the bone, covered in garlic sauce. Everything about it was delicious and I'd come back just to eat this again.
Salt Baked Squid -- as has been repeatedly described on this thread, this dish is delicious. Perfectly crisp, just salty enough. A real winner.
Yangzhou Fried Rice -- Pork, shrimp, egg, veggies. It's not a banquet without it, though it wasn't otherwise remarkable. Quite good for what it was.
I think there were some other dishes too, but I'm blanking on it. The table was literally so full that for a while we had to wolf things down while the waiter stood there holding a platter and waiting for us to make more room on the table. It was amazing.
All this food and an endless parade of Tsingtao beer came to about $370 before tip.
Thanks so much for all the great insight about this reastaurant, was really a joy to eat there. The waiters were so nice and accommodating, and actually quite helpful with picking food. It's true that the hostess doesn't really speak any english, but the waiters do, and are happy to help pick things out on the menu. I'll definitely be back, and can't wait to try Imperial Palace out in Flushing too.
Favourite Chicken or Pork Ramen?
I don't think he meant Hakata Grill (which is TERRIBLE). You could probably request to get ramen without the fish cake pretty much anywhere.
Cantoon Garden long review (w/ pics) - one of the best of Manhattan chinatown
I'm not crazy about the mayonnaise sauce myself. Any idea what the Golden Bricks thing is?
Cantoon Garden long review (w/ pics) - one of the best of Manhattan chinatown
I stopped by last night and got a copy of their set menus. In case it's helpful for posterity, here's a photo with translations from a friend:
8-10 people. Set menu -- Seafood Group Two Styles - $198
Tofu Pork Bone Broth
Stir Fry Seasonal Greens w/ Meat
Golden Bricks & Bay Scallops (???)
Walnut Shrimp
Ginger Scallion Lobsters
Stir Fry Seasonal Greens w/ Frog
Black Pepper Steak on Sizzling Plate
Mushrooms and Greens (?)
Garlic Crispy Skin Chicken (Half)
YangZhao Fried Rice
Cantoon Garden long review (w/ pics) - one of the best of Manhattan chinatown
Great. Thanks for your suggestions. I'm a big fan of your contributions to the board.
Cantoon Garden long review (w/ pics) - one of the best of Manhattan chinatown
I was hesitant to include the xie rou dou miao just because the picture of the dish linked on yelp at the top of this thread looked just a little bit offputting to a couple of my less adventurous friends. I will definitely add the winter melon soup and the crab w/ ho fun. I didn't see the fried stuffed peppers on the menu I have (but it's the older one that linked online). Your description sounds great, I'll add it in.
Cantoon Garden long review (w/ pics) - one of the best of Manhattan chinatown
Thanks -- there are some vegetarians/seafood-phobes coming, which was why i picked a couple vegetable dishes, but if there are better ones I am open to suggestion.
What's the corn sauce like? I've never heard of this.
Cantoon Garden long review (w/ pics) - one of the best of Manhattan chinatown
Help me plan a banquet menu here!
I'm having my birthday party here on Saturday with about 16 people. I was hoping to get one of the Chinese language set menus, but when I asked about them they told me they didn't have them anymore... I'm going to try again but just in case am coming up with my own ideas for a menu.
Here's what I'm thinking so far:
Sauteed lobster xo sauce
Salt baked squid d
Clams w/ black bean sauce
Peking style pork chop
Crispy fried chicken w/ garlic
Fried stuffed bean curd
Bok choi w/ minced garlic
sauteed dou miou
fried rice
e fu noodles w/ black mushrooms
suggestions, thoughts, comments? i've eaten here once before but haven't had a lot of the menu.
The Hottest Food in Manhattan
As a fellow heat lover, the spiciest dish I've encountered in a while was Pam Real Thai's Kaeung Tai Pla, a curry made with fermented fish kidney, chili and turmeric. I've traveled extensively in Southeast Asia, and this was up there with the hottest dishes I've ever encountered. As reference, I've done the Phaal Curry Challenge at Brick Lane Curry House (easily, I might add), and found this dish to be considerably hotter. I can't say it was especially flavorful, however -- the heat dominates the dish. But it's worth a shot if you're looking for the hottest food in Manhattan.
French for a Francophile
Glad to hear you had a nice meal there. Gascogne is one of my favorite spaces in the summertime -- the garden is such a nice place to have a meal. The food was never transcendent, but always nice. Had good luck ordering off the specials menu in the summer -- lots of fresh, bright ingredients, simply but well prepared.
Unfortunately, the last time I was there was not nearly as pleasant. Sat inside last winter -- cassoulet was unbelievably salty and meats were way overcooked. And the service, which was always quite friendly, was surprisingly rude.
I will certainly go back again in the summer, though, just because the garden is so damn nice.
Seeking Malaysian Sensation
Taste Good's Hainanese Chicken is pretty good. Doesn't compare to hawker carts in KL, but it's worth a shot. Considerably better than the versions at Skyway, Sanur or New Malaysia.
Burger Joint
Personally, I'm not much of a fan of Island Burger. They're the kind of burger place that is great if you're more interested in the toppings that go on the burger than the burger itself. The meat itself is nothing to write home about, and I find the buns they use can rarely hold up under the weight of toppings and the oversize patties. I'm not one to order burgers with salsa, avocado, marinara sauce, or any of the other unusual fixings Island Burger offers, so it's just not my kind of place (and I really can't get past the no fries thing. Chips just don't cut it).
That said, if variety's your thing you might like Island.
Cantoon Garden now South China Garden?
I decided to stop in last night after seeing your review and had a fantastic meal. I went by myself, which is admittedly not the best way to do a family style meal, but brought home the leftovers and have quite a tasty lunch for myself today. Ordered the Lobster XO sauce (they gave me 1 lobster for $14), salt baked squid, and the preserved meat casserole with rice. All were fantastic. I still haven't eaten at Imperial Palace, but this was delicious. The casserole with rice was a steal for something like $6 -- a huge bowl of rice with chinese sausage, vegetables and what I think was cured pork. Looking forward to going back soon and exploring more of the menu.
