Thursday, June 4, 2015

EAT: THAI SOUP IN EAST HARLEM



We finally had a chance to stop by Thai Soup which just opened earlier this year at 166 East 118th Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenue.  Our first impression was that the tiny 3-seat restaurant was mostly designed for takeout but the decor was done nicely in a very modern way that most Thai eateries tend to go for.  We felt like having a light noodle soup which Thai and Vietnamese cuisine is known for and ordered a green curry that was listed with vermacelli noodles and a papaya salad with soft shelled crab added on top.

The fried crab was an additional cost but we thought it might be a nice touch but would recommend having the salad as is since the marinade is very strong in the first place with fish sauce.  Overall the papaya was fresh and delicious in a huge portion that would be easy to share with 2 people.  As far as the fried crab goes, it did not have much of a coating on it so it was not as crispy as we would have imagined it to be.  Definitely order this salad but save a few dollars by not adding on the extras.

Next came the noodle soup which had the noodle addition looking very green for some reason and it turned out they gave us the regular curry entree that usually comes with rice with an option to switch to pasta.  We had pointed to the noodle soup on the paper menu but somehow there was a bit of confusion.   The curry itself was nice and the shrimp super fresh but the noodles were a little off putting because they actually were spinach fettucine of which the staff mentioned that they use since some Americans were not used to rice noodles.  We are quite an ethnic bunch at HB so this was also confusing to see why this would happen just if one were to make a stereotypical judgement call.

This was probably one of the more confusing exchanges that we have had at a restaurant in recent years but nevertheless would recommend the food.  The main caveat here is to state that one either wants the soup or the entree and be specific that rice noodles are desired.  Too many authentic establishments try to westernize their menu for a few picky eaters but our opinion on the matter is that if we wanted European pasta, we would head to an Italian spot and not an Asian option.

On a side note, Thai Soup has mostly a delivery business and only delivers east of 5th Avenue up to 128th Street.  Tel: (917) 475-1656

4 comments:

  1. Funny that they would substitute fettuccine. It's not like Thai food is rare in NYC.

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  2. That soup with the shrimp looks very delicious. I'm keen on trying this.

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  3. The spinach fettucine reminds me of a dish sold at Absolute Thai on 102nd and Lexington. They offer 2 versions of pad kee mao: one that is made traditionally and another with a sauce made of sriracha mixed with tomato sauce. It tastes like fra diavolo with rice noodles and is very off-putting. But to be fair, East Harlem is filled with americanized chinese food (e.g. Steak & Hoagies a few blocks north) so restaurants might be afraid to go traditional.

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  4. I'm surprised they only deliver to Fifth Ave. There is a lot of business waiting for them on The block between Fifth and FDB, There is no other good Thai option for the South Harlem neighborhood unless you live all the way against Morningside park and can order from the Columbia U restaurants. They could clean up in South Harlem.

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