Simply Paradise

[thelastsupper]

Hey all,

This is the new Thai/Laotian restaurant on Broadway. I had their Paradise Noodles (promising but not very good- one added pho-like stuff to rice noodle soup). However the Sausage App. was most tasty. I also liked the description of the Tearless Tiger. Something like: "The tiger does not cry because he eats the most tender meats."

Reports?

[mb7o]

Hmmm... someplace new to try.

Pho is actually a common Lao dish, they're on the border with Vietnam and in some areas (like Savanakhet) Vietnamese are still the main merchants. Bun bo is also popular there, which makes sense because the road east ends up in central Vietnam.

[MsRamsey]

I went the other night and had tom kha and their version of crabmeat wontons. I consider the wontons to be a retro guilty pleasure, and they were tasty. The sweet-and-sour sauce served with the wontons, is, amazingly, both sweet AND sour.

I would not recommend the tom kha. There was nowhere near the explosion of lemongrass and lime flavor that one would get from, say, Siam on Broadway. It was extremely bland, like the canned version, and needed MAJOR doctoring up.

I'll definitely return, though. The place is really pleasant, the staff is nice, and there are many more things I'd like to try.

[thelastsupper]

I would not recommend the tom kha.  There was nowhere near the explosion of lemongrass and lime flavor that one would get from, say, Siam on Broadway.  It was extremely bland, like the canned version, and needed MAJOR doctoring up.

That's how I felt abot the Paradise Noodles. Nothing there, not even very spicy.

Thanks for the info mb7o. I don't know much at all about SE Asian cuisine. But I do know that despite the similarities between the soup I had and pho, my soup had nothing of the delicate flavor or comforting attributes that pho does. It was just boring.

[Schielke]

I have been wondering about that place for a while. It looks like a rainforest cafe.

Ben

[nightscotsman]

I highly recommend the "tearless tiger" beef dish (tender and well marinated) and the pineapple fried rice. The fish steamed in banana leaves is also good.

Don't even think about dessert.

[thelastsupper]

Yeah, when they were redoing it, I was terrified: both by the name and by the enormous palm tree/interior pond decor.

[MsRamsey]

Don't even think about dessert.

Okay, now I really must insist on more info! In a previous e-mail, you said, "And let us not speak of dessert."

Spill!!

[nightscotsman]

Well, I'm reluctant to go off on the dessert since the rest of the meal was good to great, but if you insist...

When we asked about dessert the waiter described the lone option as a custard, sort of broiled on top served with pineapple and strawberries. We looked at each other and agreed that it sounded like some kind of creme brulee. Not quite. What we got was a square of thick, pasty custard that had been broiled on top (no sugar, just browned) and then steamed so it was warm. The plate was garnished with shredded cabbage, a carrot flower and 4 chunks of canned pineapple - no strawberries. After a few bites we gave up in puzzlement.

And let us never speak of it again .

[mb7o]

I finally made it to Simply Paradise the other night. Dishes: fresh rolls, larp gai, tom yum gai, 'kee mao' gai, (yes too many chickens), grilled fish (since they were out steamed fish), steamed rice.

The place was unusual because none of the servers were thai. I didn't get the chance to see who was working in the kitchen. The decor is kind of mixed but nice, anyone know the deal with the piano?

The meal progressed from boring to good. The fresh rolls were uneventful. The larp was completely flavorless. Not bad, but amazingly bland. Not spicy at all even though we everything was ordered 3 start.

The tom yum didn't have much flavor, though it was spicy. And at least there was visible galangal and lemongrass in it, unlike some other restaurants. They didn't bring out the rice til last, which always irritates me.

The grilled fish was pretty good, but didn't interest me, we ordered it plain intentionally.

The 'kee mao' chicken on the other hand was excellent. A variety of vegetables, and the flavor was just balanced correctly.

Didn't see the 'pho' dish, I'll have to look again at what the paradise noodles. I rate this a maybe go back.