Random Neighborhood Eateries Part 2
Went to brand new Thai eatery Em (278 Smith) last night — the joint that not only replaced the inscrutably named Three Bow Thais, but also blanketed the surrounding area with them cute, rectangle-shaped menus. Worth going to or just Thai-erd? The Kubrick-meets-veiny-alien-growths-from-Spielberg’s-”War of the Worlds” decor is certainly unusual and the food was…solid.
We started off with the yummy Taro Veggie Parcel, which gets extra points for referring to itself as a “parcel.” I then commenced to slurping loudly on an above-average Thai ice tea and tried to figure out what to order. Em has an impressively diverse and interesting menu — one that offers loads more than your average Thai restaurant. Eventually, I went for the Chaing Mai Noodles, the wife called out for the kingly Rama Chicken.
The truth of the matter is I enjoyed my food — a lightly fried nest of noodles resting atop a (too) light curry sauce — more in theory than in actual delivery. It was well made and fun to eat, but just wasn’t the full-bodied taste sensation I was looking for. The Rama Chicken was ok. It was disappointingly covered in that weird, mildly terrifying sauce/glaze that you find in a lot of restaurants these days, and like my meal was much, much too sweet.
That all said, the service was genuinely pleasant, and it’s certainly worth a reprise to try something new! different! and exciting! Maybe what we had just isn’t their forte, right? (crosses fingers…)
January 24th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
I’d have to say I disagree. We ordered a beef curry and a fish dish. The ingredients were of poor quality. It was initially tasty as we were very hungry. The more we chewed, the more we started worrying that we might be sick. The place looks good but keep going to Tuk Tuk, or at least Joya. This place won’t last if they use BAD (as in cheap) meat.
January 24th, 2006 at 10:35 pm
Gah! That’s scary. I’m kind of a fan of Nine-D, myself. They don’t have much going on menu-wise, but I think their curries are the best in the neighborhood.
January 25th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
My boyfriend, roommate and I have eaten at Em twice, and really loved it. Hopefully your bad experience was a one time occurence. Try the Chinese broccoli and the Larb. Yum!