Thai NY

I'm on a Thai binge these days. Been craving for Thai food, especially the Pad Thai. Maybe it's different to my taste buds, Chinese noodles just don't cut it half the time because I eat that so often. Thai NY is literally right next to Jaiya, a recent restaurant I visited twice and did a review about down below.

I've been to Thai NY before, but for some reason I don't remember much about it. It was actually for dinner the first time around and maybe it just didn't hit the spot because I wasn't hungry. So, I pay another visit to Thai NY for their lunch special.

Their lunch specials weren't bad at all. They had a complimentary appetizer along with your main entree. Prices ranges from $6.95-9.95, depending on your liking of vegetables or meat.

Tom Yum Soup

Edamame

Tofu Pad Thai

Vegetable Duck Pad Thai

First of all, the service was pretty fast. The waitress seated J and I at the same spot we sat at the first time we came here, sweet. The appetizers came out quick, then again how hard is it to make soup and edamame. First time trying Tom Yum Soup, it was spicy and sour but nothing that can't be handled. Although the specs of spice (red little chilis) can't really make a person choke. Maybe it's just me and I don't know how to eat spicy food but I keep choking, but it really tasted good.

The Pad Thai were tasty, it came out when I was in the middle of my appetizer. No complaints because I like my food coming out fast. If only their lemons were a bit juicier, I find myself really having to work the remaining juice out of it. The noodles were al dente, cooked perfectly. Taste-wise, it tasted like an authentic Pad Thai. I like how they used thinner noodles here, a lot of places use the traditional pad thai noodles that are slightly wider than this.

Thai NY is certainly quite a roomy place. They have endless amount of tables that extends all the way to the back (this restaurants probably takes up half the block). 

Thai NY

394 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10116

(212) 696-2888 

Dessert Works: Beard Papa

Hands down the best cream puff in NYC. No doubt, no contemplation, no nothing.

I use to get my cream puff from the Beard Papa by 8 Street NYU, but that closed down. I was going to pay a visit to the one in the West Village but that closed down not too long after the first one closed. So, the only one that is still open in NYC is the one all the way in the Upper West Side. But, in order to get the food that you love, you need to go great lengths. Well, I didn't but J did. The price didn't seem to change, at least I don't think it did. Heck, I would pay $2 each for these suckers but of course it was less than that.

The puffs are freshly made each day and they are ready to be squeezed with the cream filling when you order them so the puffs wouldn't get soggy. The reason I praise this place so much is because their filling is perfect. It's not overly sweetened and they give you a decent amount of cream - no pun intended. On rare days they even have different flavors from green tea to pumpkin. The best which I always find myself ordering is the vanilla, can't go wrong with that.

Pretty big huh?

They're a decent size. And each bite is so light, it even feels light. I like how I can eat 2-3 without feeling guilty or feel too sick because of the cream. Oh, and the powdered sugar on top is a plus!

Beard Papa

2167 Broadway

New York, NY 10024

(212) 799-3770  

Dessert Works: Creperie

So much sweets in this world, so endless. Some time last week after a quite early and satisfying meal, J and I walked around in the West Village. J wanted me to try this crepe place a little while back and here we are, finally stepped into this small shack of sweet aroma.

The place was definitely small, 4 seats inside the store and 2 benches on the outside which is used to hold the doors open. The wait can take a while since there's only one person behind the counter taking orders, preparing the crepe, and entertaining you. Once you're up and ready to order, it's like you're in the spotlight. All lights shining on you - literally. It started getting really hot in there because the beams of light were just casting over your shoulders.

S'mores Crepe

They have a large array of items on the menu. If you're not a sweet kind of person, they have savory which is pretty much like a sandwich. Or, you can even make your own. Tell the dude behind the counter what you want and you can be on your way in creating the most monstrous medley crepe.

The S'mores was so beautifully made, first bite was heaven, second bite was still good, third bite was average, and after that it had become way too sweet. I needed milk! I'm not a big sweet kind of person but it was good. Everything taste great on the first 3 bites and it goes down from there. Don't get me wrong, Creperie is great. If you got a sweet tooth, definitely stop by and dig your fangs into these babies.

Creperie
112 MacDougal St
New York, NY 10012
(212) 256-6705 

Greenwich Village Bistro

Walking around on a Saturday wasn't exactly the brightest idea. It was really windy in NYC but plenty of sunshine, but I still didn't like the wind. Walked well over an hour in search of a good brunch place but for some reason - none was showing up. The last time I remember walking through the West side, there was loads of small little restaurants that offers brunch but that time I already ate. This time around, with the intent of finding a place there was none to be seen. Total fail.

Made a huge weird figure eight and ended back in square one. At this time, I was hungry and felt annoyed. Luckily, a decent place was in the proximity of my annoyance and ended up chowing there.

Bellini

Sake Mary

Salmon, Spinach, Eggs

Steak and Eggs

So I was a bit disappointed at this place. It was all good until the bf and I placed our order. We both wanted brunch but apparently they couldn't serve us that and the waitress said she'll have the chefs in the back prepare us something similar to what we wanted. Then, I overheard her tell a group of 3 next to us that they were out of home fries. Oh, the luck that I have!

But the dishes weren't bad. The salmon could have been fresher and they could've gave more steak or maybe just present it better than that. The Bellini wasn't fresh, I think you can tell from the dull color in the photo. The Sake Mary was a surprise. Coming from the bf (a more of a drinker than I am and knows a lot more about cocktails), it was made correctly.  It had that kick of hot sauce, and I'm sure it was the Tabasco sauce.

The place was extremely laid back. The waitress was a bit too overly friendly and she looked quite like Leona Lewis - I say a bit scary? This place only accepts cash. I had to learn that the hard way.

Greenwich Village Bistro
13 Carmine St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 206-9777  

Jaiya Restaurant

I eat Thai food occasionally and never thought it had anything that was out of the ordinary or even surprising of that sort. I got introduced to this Thai place around Kips Bay in Manhattan. I wasn't much enthusiastic about it but my friend just loves her Thai food.

I was definitely struck by the decor of this simple Thai restaurant. It felt so retro and modern. Got seated right away which is always a good thing, and the staffs are so polite.

I came here during lunch on a weekday and they had lunch specials so why not go for that?
Their list was quite long for lunch specials and it also comes with a complimentary appetizer. Prices for the specials range from $7.95-9.95, which isn't a bad deal at all.

Papaya Salad

Jaiya Garden Salad

Fried Tofu Pad Thai

Pork Drunken Man Noodle

The food was quite amazing. The salad were indeed refreshing. Papaya salad had a nice crunchy texture while the garden salad was paired nicely with the peanut vinaigrette. I was blown away by the Pad Thai. My first thought was, it looked really bland and colorless. But, never judge a book by its cover. The dish was packed with flavor and definitely taste different than any other Pad Thai I had tasted in the past. Maybe it was the sweet and salted flavor that was combined ever so well.

This place definitely deserves multiple visits and with the Pad Thai being on the lunch special menu every day, it's affordable in my handbook.

Jaiya Restaurant
396 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10016
(212) 889-1330

Starting Anew

I'm excited about this blog. I've been eating around in NYC for quite a while and I have a separate blog that I use to write. It's a more personal blog. Therefore, I want to dedicate a whole blog about food and just about food. There will be restaurant reviews, recipes, and also random food related posts. So with that said, welcome to my crazy life of endless food.