totoro's Profile
Local source for sour cherries now?
Bazaar Russian Market on Beacon St in Brookline had fresh ones last week. You might want to check to see if they still have them.
Thai - Khao Sarn - note on authenticity
In the case of Thai food, if you spent a few months there, you'd have a pretty good idea when you got back (assuming you didn't eat all your meals in international class hotels).
Thai - Khao Sarn - note on authenticity
I used to love Dok Bua when they first opened, and they had all kinds of Isaan specials on the board pretty much constantly. Unforturnately, they had to Americanize a fair amount to survive.
I go to both Rod Dee and Montien, and don't really see them as competing: one is basically the Thai equiv of a good diner, and the other a decent sit-down restaurant.
Need help finding catering from Chinatown for ~40 people
Either real Chinese of some description, Vietnamese, Thai, or whatever (the budget is only $10 person). Anybody have any suggestions? I think Penang does catering, but is probably too expensive (same is probably true for Montien). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Saray - New Turkish Restaurant in Allston
Just went there today. Had the mixed cold apps, the red lentil soup, and the special kebabs (I had wanted the grilled seafood plate, but they were out). The person I was with ordered the white bean salad and the sis kebabs.
The service was wonderful, and the food was truly fresh, in a way that's impossible to fake.
The mouhamara was amazing, and all of the meat was juicy, with none of the dryness you get at some other places (like Shawarma King or Boston Kebab House; nb. that I eat lunch once or twice a week at Boston Kebab House, so I'm not a detractor).
I'll be going back, and would recommend this place without any hesitation.
One thing to note: the portions are _huge_. The chef sent us out a complimentary dessert, and it was hard to get through it (_and_ we had had our entrees bagged up). I guess this isn't something to complain about, but it does make me worry about their viability. I really hope they make it.
Prose – Arlington, Ma (long)
New Deal fish market on Cambridge St in East Cambridge often has it.
good thai?
Squid salad is yam pla muk. The only Thai I remember from the few months I spent there long ago is pretty much all about food names :).
I think moo pad phrik thai on would have to be the sliced one. Fried is transliterated something like "krop" or "krawp".
What is going in the Penny Savings bank?
IMO, Penang and Aneka Rasa are pretty evenly matched. The food is about as authentic as you could hope for under the circumstances at both, and the service is pretty good (maybe a bit friendlier at Aneka Rasa). I've never had Malaysian or Singaporean food here that was identical to what I ate there. But the same holds true for Japanese food, as well. Maybe it's ingredients?
Just out of curiosity, when did it stop being called "roti canai" and start being called "roti prata"? I spent a bit of time there almost 20 years ago, and remember it always being called roti canai (all over Malaysia as well). Was that just a function of where I went, or did the name basically change?
coolidge corner theater eats?
I went last Saturday. It was very crowded. The food was very good. The service was friendly but a little slow and disorganized. But they coped, and as long as you aren't in a rush, it's a lot of fun.
coolidge corner theater eats?
Fugakyu is pricey, but IMO not up to the standards of Ginza or Oishii. In fact, I'd go to Mr Sushi down by the Barnes and Noble first.
For good cheap food, I love Taqueria Mexico up by Shawarma King.
Yasu is actually pretty good. For whatever reason, Korean restaurants never seem to be cheap.
There's a new izakaya restaurant right near the theater called Shiki that I heard about on this wonderful board (On the corner of Babcock and Harvard, where Firenze used to be). It's not cheap, but it's really pretty good, and is the only place I know of that serves this style of Japanese food in the Boston area.
good thai?
Everyone has different tastes, and nobody is right or wrong on these issues. My issues with Khai Sarn have mostly to do with the dishes being a bit too sweet, without enough of the roots and fermented fish products. I wish the family at Dok Bua well, and I'm glad they've become so successful, but the food just isn't to my taste anymore.
Rod Dee sometimes has Khao Soi in the winter. Their version is pretty good. They also make a really nice fried pla thu with sour bamboo shoots special in the winter.
good thai?
Nothing too earth shattering:
I like their yam, esp the yam pla muk, yam pla duk, nam tok, yam neuea, and the larb muu and larb pla duk
They make decent som tam and pak bung fai daeng, as well.
I like the Sai-krok-e-san and naam from the appetizers, and their tid man are good
Really it's all good. The pat phrik king is good, as is the pad pet intestines. Their Thai omelette is good, but so is Dok Bua's. My favorite curry there is the green curry.
good thai?
Unfortunately, I haven't. It's pretty much just Montien for me these days (with an occasional order from Rod Dee in Brookline). Dok Bua used to be great, but that was years ago. I've heard rumblings about that new Cambodian place having decent Thai food. I'll have to give that a try.
good thai?
I have to disagree about Khao Sarn. It's really farang-ified. Things like totally non-greasy khao soi with skinned chicken breasts. Bleh.
Dok Bua used to be really good when she had lots of specials from her home region (if I remember correctly, she's from Nong Khai, but in any case, from Isaan). I used to go there a couple times a week. But she gradually realized that, in order to make money she needed to Americanize, and she wasn't selling enough of the Isaan specials to make it worthwhile. I still go there once in a while, but it's not that great. I remember asking her where _she_ went when she went to dinner, and she said Montien.
When you go to Montien, it's imperative that you ask for the Thai menu.
