Tag Archives: noodles

November 19, 2012 · 12:55 am

Thai Market: noodles and atmosphere in Harlem

Go to seamlessweb.com for upper west side delivery and you’ll find about 100 Thai restaurants populating the search results. What is one to do with all the options and absolutely nothing in her uptown repertoire? Well, after perusing chowhound, yelp and multiple menus, I zoomed in on Thai Market, the only one in the bunch with a splash of style, good cocktails, and a supposedly hipster vibe. But instead of ordering, I decided to check the place out to get my daily dose of fresh air and conversation during a week of hurricane isolation.

Crowds at the entryway were the first sign of the good food at this place, and I overheard multiple people claiming that it was the best thai in the area while sitting at the bar. Too bad for Wonde Siam just across the street. After ordering a pineapple-tequila cocktail, I went overboard and ordered Tom Yum Goong, Salmon Wraps, Chicken Pad See Ew, and Vegetable Curry to share from the vintage-style menu. The soup, which was salty, sweet, and sour, came with big pieces of mushroom and plump shrimp and could have easily been an affordable light meal on its own. That didn’t stop me from digging into the salmon wrap, a stack of lettuce cups aside a pile of crumbled salmon, which unfortunately tasted more like cold, dried, crunchy cat food than Thai fish. I blame the order and not the restaurant,  because this could very well be authentic and purely not my favorite. The thick, buttery noodles of the Pad See Ew and the earthy curry with crispy fried tofu made up for any disappointment – both dishes were piping hot and delicious. Totally impressed by the main courses and the atmosphere of this place, I didn’t hesitate a minute when selecting the ginger and green tea ice cream – ordering dessert is my way of closing out only meals I enjoy.

hot and sour soup

Pad See Ew – stir fry noodles with soy sauce

I struggle to find clean, aesthetically-pleasing, reliably good Thai restaurants in my neighborhood, so I might just have to stick it out until my next trip to Harlem to get some solid noodles and curry. I’d say it’s worth the wait – Thai Market is definitely a must if you’re anywhere north of 70th street.

Grade: A-
Location: 960 Amsterdam Ave btwn 107th & 108th St

1 Comment

Filed under Affordable Date, Asian, Harlem, Thai

Tagged as , , ,

June 19, 2010 · 8:03 pm

Ma Peche

Ohhh David Chang. You just keep on getting better and better! I actually had no intention of visiting Ma Peche until my colleague proposed it as an idea for a client dinner. The fact that we didn’t have a reservation made me nervous, but we were pleasantly surprised by the exceptionally accommodating host upon arrival. We put in our name, requested a table for 8pm, and they eagerly put us in their book, happy to make it happen. Sure enough, we came back at 8pm after getting manicures, and were seated after 5 minutes. From the beginning Ma Peche impressed.

The vibe at Ma Peche is very laid back, but in a modern way. Light wooden tables, stiff, uncomfortable chairs, high, white-walled ceilings, and bright lighting give it a very sophisticated, classiroomy feel. The waiters are all very young, chummy, and evidently passionate about the food they’re serving. You can tell that everyone there, waitstaff and customers alike, all feel privileged to be a part of the Ma Peche experience.

Considering we were taking out clients, the sky was the limit with our menu choices – my favorite type of dining experience! We literally picked everything that caught our eyes on the menu, and it ended up being a complete success. And for this reason (and because I’m lazy), I’m going to describe everything we ordered in list form:

1. Squid salad with scallions, peanuts – light with bright, citrus-y flavors
2. Beef tartare, soy, scallions, mint – not my typical appetizer choice, but the accompanying shrimp chips were tasty
3. Asparagus salad with crab and egg yolk – perfectly al dente aspargus with a creamy yet delicate crab dressing
4. Pork ribs with lemongrass caramel – one of my favorites, crispy fried pork that falls off the bone
5. Huge scallops, seared with brown butter, lime, pea shoots – gigantic scallops, perfectly cooked and buttery
6. Rice noodles, spicy pork, sawleaf herb – the oddly shaped noodles, crispy on the inside, were not at all what I expected but a nice surprise. The fleks of pork added great flavor and texture to the dish
7. Short ribs with carrots and spaetzle – another hit – melt in your mouth cubes of short rib with a light yet flavorful broth
8. Fried calamari with scallions and fish sauce – a vinagary delicacy, I could eat a whole bowl!

Unfortunately, I didn’t take photos of the food, but I did get a chance to take photos of two equally stellar sightings: Neal Patrick Harris and Mark Summers, who were dining together amongst a large group of young men and one woman. After a cocktail and a glass of wine, I couldn’t resist asking for a photo upon their exit. Success! They were both incredibly nice, and pleased to take a photo with their fans (especially Marc Summers, Double Dare blast from the past). If you are dying to see food photos, though, don’t fret – about every blog out there is filled with Ma Peche slide shows – check out Grub Street for a sneak peek.
The experience didn’t end with dinner, of course, though for the unmotivated it normally would. Ma Peche doesn’t serve dessert in the main dining room. This, to me, is a huge setback. I don’t want to get out of my chair to get dessert, because that’s when I realize I’m too full to actually eat it. Ma Peche gives you two options – take dessert to-go from the Milk Bar that welcomes you upon entering with bright neon lights, or sit in the quiet upstairs lounge and order. We opted for the latter and pre-ordered four of the famous freshly baked Milk Bar Chocolate Chip Cookies, which take 10 minutes to bake. These were absolutely incredible, and washed down with a cold glass of milk, brought me more back to my childhood than Marc Summers and the classroom like setting did combined. Pure bliss. Warm, doughy, chocolatey, chewy cookies. We also ordered the Candy Bar pie, which is the perfect combo of salty and sweet, chocolate and caramel, hard and smooth textures.

Overall, Ma Peche was awesome and scored especially high on food and service. The host even left us with his card so we could give him a heads up on our future visits. He may regret that, because I will definitely be making this place a stop when visitors come to town!

Grade: A-
Address: Mezzanine of Chambers Hotel, 15 W 56th St between 5th and 6th
Website: http://www.momofuku.com/ma-peche/

1 Comment

Filed under Business Meal, Fun Group Dinner, Midtown West, Thai

Tagged as , , , , , ,

March 24, 2009 · 11:48 pm

Buddakan NYC


Since writing in my blog has become a daunting task as I have increased my visits to notable restaurants, I have decided to revamp my review style. From now on, I will simply list the drinks and dishes I tasted, comment, and judge taste on scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best); and write a line or two about the ambiance and service. Then, some closing remarks. So, let’s see if I know how to be succinct!

Buddakan Dishes I tasted:

1. Edamame Dumplings: Green bite size dumplings with a thick and dense skin. Inside, a buttery, savory, smooth, creamy, and incredibly tasty soy bean filling that just melts in your mouth. Served with a delicious dipping sauce. (5)
2. Chili Rock Shrimp: Generous portion of crispy fried rock shrimp lightly glazed with a tangy sweet & sour sauce. Perfectly salty and delicious with rice. (4)
3. Tuna Tartare Spring Roll: My favorite. Thin rolls of chilled fresh tuna wrapped in a crispy (yet non greasy) wafer thin lumpia wrapper. How do they do this? (5)
4. General Tso’s Dumpling: round dumplings with potsticker like skin encompassing a ground chicken mixture and a sweet and sour soy sauce that bursts in your mouth as a surprise Deliciously chewy – but need to eat these in one bite to avoid any spillage! (5)
5. Wild Mushroom Chow Fun: Gummy wide egg noodles made elegant with generous portions of wild mushrooms – great soy saucy accompaniment to the rest of the dishes, and not terribly greasy like most noodles. (4)
6. Lobster Fried Rice: Flaky fried white rice with large chunks of lobster. Surprisingly generous with the lobster, but rice wasn’t as sticky as I would have liked, and lacked a lobster flavor. (3)
7. Charred Filet of Beef: Perfectly tender sashimi-sized chunks of beef with mild buttery mustard dipping sauce. Quite clean and delicate for a beef dish. (5)
8. Glazed Alaskan Black Cod: Another favorite – light and delicate chunk of fish with miso sauce – falls apart with the touch of a fork and melts in your mouth! Great partner to rice dish. (5)
9. Chocolate Mille Feuille: Light but beautiful dessert, dark chocolate thinly layered cake w/ bruleed bananas and spice chocolate cream. Had a light wafer crunch, great amount of sweetness. (4)

Considering the trendiness and hype of Buddakan, I had very low expectations for this restaurant’s food. I was stunned by the quality and quantity of its dishes, and even more surprised to find that for four people, we were able to consume all the food plus 1-2 drinks each for only $200 total! No doubt you will have to wait for your table at the bar (regardless of reservations), but it’s definitely worth it. Dress to impress. Waiters are accessible and helpful, but not over the top friendly.

This restaurant deserves a 5!!!! So delicious and so much fun to bring a group.

2 Comments

Filed under Business Meal, Drinks & Apps, Fun Group Dinner, Meatpacking, Parents in Town, Private Party, Sex & The City Swank

Tagged as , , , , , , ,