PrintRun, Don't Walk, to Thai Market
I finally made it to Thai Market, and I was mightily impressed. First of all, I loved the look of the place. There were blown-up photos of markets in Thailand, umbrellas on the ceiling, and Thai cups cleverly placed in and on gold-leaf walls. Its owners have managed to make the place look great without spending a lot of money, much like Land Thai Kitchen did 25 blocks south.
Steamed Thai dumplings with delicate wrappers were filled with minced chicken, preserved radish, and peanuts. Grilled sliced skirt steak was accompanied by al dente string beans and delicious preserved chili purée. A minced pork salad was enlivened by ginger, bird’s-eye chili, and crunchy Napa cabbage. A dish called Amber Shrimp mixed Chinese celery, onion, egg, and chili and was sautéed with yellow curry.
Kow soy featured chicken, egg noddles, pickled mustard greens, roasted shallot and Chiang Mai curry. The dishes noted as spicy on the menu had enough heat for me. Fans of incendiary Thai food will be disappointed, though it must be noted that we didn’t order any dish with three asterisks next to it, which were marked as the hottest dishes. My guess is if you ask for it incendiary they will oblige you with pleasure.
The flavors were clean and distinctive, the ingredients sometimes unusual and always fresh, and mercifully we had no dishes with that cloying New York Thai food sweetness. But we didn't have Pad Thai, which is the dish most often excessively sweetened in Thai restaurants.
Thai Market joins Land Thai Kitchen as standout Upper West Side Thai restaurants. I can’t wait to go back.
Thai Market
Address: 960 Amsterdam Avenue (b/n 107th and 108th streets), New York NY 10025
Phone: 212-280-4575
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5 Comments:
I just went there last Thursday!...not on purpose, just because it stood out on that block and my friends and I like Thai food. I didn't try anything you ordered, but my noodly dish was pretty damn hot. In a good way...after my eyes stopped tearing. Mmm. I also liked the portion sizes; just enough, not gut-bustingly huge.
roboppy at 1:22PM on 07/23/07
Yeah, this place is a standout amongst otherwise dreary dining options around Columbia (sorry, Max Soha) and has naturally been pretty crowded since it opened. Robyn is right though -- portions are modest, but usually enough. If you are hungry, you will want more than just an entree. Luckily, prices are very reasonable.
mdp at 4:38PM on 07/23/07
I've eaten here twice and have had great experiences both times. I ordered the Chicken Curry (** hot) on my last visit and was satisfied with the spiciness. The small salads are great starters - though in this case, beware of the heat.
dougcress at 10:00PM on 07/23/07
I love that neighborhood. My girlfriend and I used to live a little north of their and spent a great deal of time at Max Soha, it is nice to hear that there is a good Thai option up there. Land was the closest until, how does Thai Market stack up.
Does anyone know where to find lime leaves?
bill - www.ilsvont.com
ilsvont at 10:05PM on 07/23/07
this place is okay. it's better than the rest of the thai restos in the 'hood. i've lived in this neighborhood forever and am so sick of people complaining about the lack of a restaurant scene there...though the immediate food offerings are limited, you can walk up to harlem in 15 minutes and have such amazing, diverse food. if you want to sit on top of a billion restaurants go to the east village with the rest of the herd. i found the portions at thai market really really TEENY. i wanted to get a slice after eating there--not a good sign.
Lexie at 1:11PM on 07/26/07