Kittichai

[ewindels]

New Yorkers are forever bemoaning... well, pretty much everything. New York food enthusiasts are forever bemoaning the impossibility of finding authentic cuisine from (insert your favorite country/region/city/neighborhood here). My own peeve has been Thai food -- in my (admittedly limited) experience, what is dished up in the metropolitan area’s Thai restaurants is a wan and listless imitation of the real deal, an impression only reinforced by a week in Bangkok last year. During seven days of almost obsessed eating, I was introduced to a cuisine that, even in it's most rustic form, is awe-inspiring in its ability to meld a panoply of exotic flavors and an uncanny way with heat and spice. From Bangkok's top hotels to simple street fare, this is a cuisine with few rivals and not easily duplicated. (This is not to denigrate other Asian cuisines which do much the same thing, but which haven't created the same level of magic for me.) We stuffed ourselves knowing that back in New York there would be no substitute.

Well, despair no more, fellow Thai enthusiasts -- a damn convincing facsimile of the high-end, inventive Thai cuisine now sweeping Bangkok's luxury hotels, has arrived in Manhattan. Kittichai has opened as a showcase for Ian Chalermkittichai, brought over from Spice Market restaurant in Bangkok’s Four Seasons, where I was lucky enough to sample his cooking during my visit last year.

Oy, Here's Where He Schwatzes About Everything But The Food

Located in Soho's achingly hip Thompson Street hotel in what used to be Thom restaurant, Kittichai melds urban Thai sleekness with Manhattan cool. Orchids, orchids everywhere is the theme -- the walls of the up-front bar are lined with orchid filled jars in Day-Glo colored liquids, vased in profusion on the bar, hung on fish wire above the square reflecting pool that is the centerpiece of the soft, intimate dining room, and scattered sparingly amongst the dishes as they arrive at your table. The dining room walls are draped with lustrous Thai silk, delineating the sections of teak-enclosed banquettes that line the walls. Pinpoint spotlights highlight the tables (a little too harshly early in the evening for those of us who benefit from more sepulchral tints). In an otherwise carefully appointed setting, the scarred linoleum tables look like they've come from the closing sale of some defunct school cafeteria -- table cloths should be considered. Heavy pottery plates and bowls in the geometric patterns currently considered de rigueur add to the exotic atmosphere. Spoons and chopsticks (oddly enough the cheap, disposable kind generally found in Chinese takeout) are the only utensils, although a wider variety is no doubt available on request.

Service is subdued and unfailingly attentive. The servers were red-lined, black pajama outfits.

Is He Done Yet?

You could do worse on one of this year’s beautiful summer evenings than to find a spot in one of the hotel's two flanking outdoor lounge areas and savor one of Kittichai's luscious cocktails, many using Moet champagne. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (inveighing, as always, against the ungodly idea of dining while the sun was still up) and I skirted the various Paris-Hilton look alike contests and forced ourselves to sample two each for the delectation of our gullet comrades. The mango martini, made with fresh mango puree, grand Marnier, fresh lime juice and rum, is thick and tangy. An elderflower martini blends intriguingly dense, viscous layers of elderflower syrup, Skyy vodka and Moet and looks like a lava lamp. The watermelon cooler, while light and refreshing, needed stronger flavored watermelon to offset the Skyy, Grand Marnier and (again) Moet. But the sure-fire hit of the lot is the Ginger Lemongrass Highball: fresh ginger, lemongrass puree, cointreau, lime juice and Hendrick's -- the ultimate and perfect summer cocktail.

The menu in the dining room is broken up into "tapas", soups, appetizers, fish, poultry and meat, curries, side dishes and desserts. Although not huge, the menu ranges wide across the Thai spectrum and beyond (including foie gras, which seems to be currently mandated by law on the menu of every restaurant in the city). Portions are on the modest size, and if you've got the dough I would recommend some tapas, a soup, an appetizer, and an entree (With separate side). Tapas and appetizers range from $7 - $20, and entrees from the upper $10s to the upper $20s (the lamb is $29). We opted to share three tapas, an entree each with a side of the pineapple fried rice, and a dessert each.

All three of our tapas were recommended by our waitress: chocolate spare ribs, meltingly tender and coated in a thick, dark baste redolent of a mole; small, crunchy fish cakes in a pool subtly flavored, fish-sauce based sauce; and fried jasmine rice cakes -- big, feather light slabs of pounded rice dough, studded with sesame seeds or spice, to be dipped in a mild but terrifically flavored chunky, dried shrimp sauce. I could easily have eaten a couple dozen more.

Elvira's Chilean sea bass was perfectly cooked, a hefty, moist slab, delicately spiced just enough to compliment the fish's own powerful flavor. My short rib green curry was a work of art -- the meat fork tender, the sauce studded with big slabs of peppers and gooseberries, which popped when you chewed them with a smoky flavor. The sauce had just the right amount of heat. The pineapple fried rice, studded with bits of chorizo, served in a pineapple and redolent of its juices, was an experience unto itself, but next time I would probably go for plain jasmine so as not to confuse the flavors of the entrees. Wine pairing is a tricky job for most Asian food, especially with fiery dishes. The Sancerre recommended for Elvira's bass, while fine on its own, didn't really stand up to the heft of the fish, and I'm not sure what could have complimented the zest of my curry, although the Zinfandel didn't obscure it in any way. The guy drinking Stellas at the table next to us probably had the better idea.

Champagne mango on a bed of sticky sweet black jasmine rice is a terrific pairing both taste-wise and texturally. The kaffir lime tart with coconut ice cream is light and luscious, although the tart crust was a bit tough and under baked, and the ice cream, while fine, did nothing to erase the memory of the life-altering version at Bangkok's Celadon restaurant.

$200 flat for the two of us, including tax and tip.

Overall: outstanding. Kittichai's food is a bona fide example of the Thais' dazzling ability to marry panopleic flavors and uncanny knack with heat. I came away with real awe for the subtle blendings. Other than the curry, I would have preferred a little more heat, but that’s me, and the kitchen may well be bowing to the notorious timidity of New Yorkers, to most of whom spice consists of a tentative dash of supermarket cayenne. Elvira being just such a person, I denied myself the Thai beef salad, which our waitress promised packs a serious kick. Next time, though.

Edited July 20, 2004 by ewindels (log)

[slkinsey]

Cool. Thanks for the review.

Other information on Kittichai:

Kittichai web site (not updated at this time)

Blurb from "The Corner Table" on Epicurious

When Ian put the first dish—Thai eggplant with rock shrimp in fish sauce—in front of me, the aroma took me right back to Bangkok. This is real Thai food, with deep earthy flavors and just enough chili heat to make your lips tingle.

Mention on the Hip Guide

In the 130 seat space designed by The Rockwell Group, expect a complete glimpse into Chalermkittichai's homeland through dishes such as Pandanus Red Snapper, Florida Pompano with curry custard, white cabbage and horapa sweet basil, Wok- seared Manila Clams and Roasted Bangkok duck.

Page on New York Metro and New York Metro blurb on opening (scroll down)

Chef Ian Chalermkittichai was recruited from the Four Seasons Bangkok to introduce New Yorkers to authentic, refined Thai cooking—a combination, he brashly asserts, that doesn’t exist here. Among the menu items he’ll use to prove his point: pomelo salad with grilled prawns and coconut, penang curry with braised short ribs and kaffir lime leaves, and crispy catfish salad with scallops.

Blurb on Daily Candy

Chef Ian Chalermkittichai left stardom in Bangkok to open the restaurant named in his honor. His menu favorites include monkfish in pandan (similar to vanilla) leaves, banana-blossom salad, baked Chilean sea bass, crispy wholefish, and short ribs in green curry.

Everything is served family style. So bring the crew.

Review by Andrea Strong

I loved the crispy rock shrimp—fat, golden shrimp wrapped in greaseless batter, still juicy inside, served on top of thick circles of Thai eggplant in a vibrant pool of chile-lime juice ($11). The Thai-marinated beef salad with Chinese long beans ($12) was also delicious—bright and perky, with a gentle but insistent heat. The salad of banana blossoms with artichokes in a roasted chile pepper vinaigrette ($11) was also wonderful, though, truth be told, it resembled a can of cat food, poured out onto stunning flatware.

[Pan]

I just check www.menupages.com and there were no results for Kittichai. $100/person for Thai is really steep! But I guess perhaps roughly half of the cost was wine?

[slkinsey]

Apparently the point is that Kittichai serves super high-end Thai food, such as would be served in the top restaurants over there, rather than "everyday people" Thai food like we mostly get here. According to all their PR material, this style "doesn't exist here."

[Pan]

I see. If it's true that they're serving food that's like food served in really high-end Thai restaurants in Thailand, not stuff that's watered down for Americans, that would be really interesting. I wonder about ewindels' comments about the pepperiness level, however.

[ewindels]

Thanks for the clarification, gents -- I have slightly amended my original post to point out the level of what Kittichai is aiming for (i.e., this ain't Lemongrass Grill). As for the question of heat, I have no doubt that, as in Bangkok, if you asked for extra punch, they'll definitely give it to you. Bear in mind also that there were only two of us and one of us is not a big eater, so we only had a limited sampling of the menu and that specifically geared towards Elvira's phobia of spice. Next time, with more adventurous companions, I would definitely a) order more and b) tell the kitchen not to be shy. Even so, the meal was still amazing.

[slkinsey]

If it's true that they're serving food that's like food served in really high-end Thai restaurants in Thailand, not stuff that's watered down for Americans, that would be really interesting. I wonder about ewindels' comments about the pepperiness level, however.

Hmmm... that could have been a function of the dishes they ordered (chocolate spare ribs, fish cakes, fried jasmine rice cakes, sea bass, short rib green curry, pineapple fried rice). Needless to say, not every Thai dish is mouth-burningly hot, and the only one of those listed that I would expect to be particularly spicy-hot would be the green curry. Interestingly, ewindels tells us that the green curry "had just the right amount of heat." It is possible his concluding remark that he "would have preferred a little more heat" is more reflective of the dishes they chose than the restaurant's aproach to spice overall. Or, perhaps it's the case that this high-end hotel restaurant style of Thai cooking isn't as firey as the more peasant/street-food inspired dishes with which most of us are more familiar. That said, I am sure they do make some necessary concessions to Western tolerances for spicy heat, just as restaurants in Thailand no doubt make similar adjustments when serving Westerners.

[Laksa]

Did you happen to see if the menu makes good use of little chilli icons?

[ewindels]

I don't believe the menu utilized these heat ratings, which I remember from Bangkok (especially at Spice Market, where this chef was previously), and which I found terrifically useful. Kittichai should definitely consider them, but given the level of the cuisine they're doing, they may well consider this beneath them.

Edited July 20, 2004 by ewindels (log)

[slkinsey]

A few nights ago I got together with bergerka, JosephB and a few other friends to make several Thai currys from scratch using a mortar and pestle, etc. There was much pounding of fresh galangal and the like, and all in all it was quite a labor-intensive undertaking. The reward was great, however, as the flavors couldn't have been fresher of more vibrant.

This got us to wondering about how restaurants do it, though. Our feeling was that the wonderful fresh flavors (especially in the green curry) probably wouldn't last all that long, and certainly wouldn't be as good a day later. And yet, it seems impossible that restaurants are pounding (or even food processor-ing) curry pastes to order. Do they perhaps make up gigantic batches of every curry paste they have and use it all up on a daily basis?

[Laksa]

Kittichai should definitely consider them, but given the level of the cuisine they're doing, they may well consider this beneath them.

That's what I was thinking as well. So my post was really partly in jest. Perhaps every item or curry dish on the menu could be adjusted by the chef to different levels of spiciness?

[callalla]

At a recent Thai cooking class that I attended in Sydney, our tutor told us that David Thompson has an army of chefs pounding away with mortar and pestle to get that really fresh aromatic Thai flavour. As he's based in a v.expensive hotel environment in London he probably has the fund behind him to do that - not sure how other places would manage.

[lambretta76]

Can anyone comment on the service at this place? On *another* food board, a poster stated that the service was "inept and amateurish." Now, all I've seen here is that they're beautiful, whispy, young things - are they good at what they do or are they just hangers for tight, black clothing?

I'm contemplating taking my boss, who is half Thai and half-Quebecois, here on Friday, as he's already scheduled for a Sripriphai outing on his next trip to NYC and was looking for something fancy but good. (Spice Market, where we also have a reservation, I've heard is quite fancy and not-so-much good.)

[ewindels]

Hi Lambretta,

Sorry I missed your post / question. As stated in my review, I thought the service was fine, but I do tend to go to places early (appallingly so, in the opinion of my dear friend Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), so the place was anything but full. Can't comment on what the situation might be like later on when it gets really hopping.

Hope you and your boss had fun wherever you went.

[lambretta76]

Well - after hearing a fairly negative review of Spice Market from a foodie friend, I decided to give Kittichai a try.

The room was very nice - pond with floating candles in the middle of the room, spacious banquets around the edges, silk wall coverings. It was never more than half full. The volume was loud but conversation was easy due to good acoustics...

The service: our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu and what went into the dishes. Very polite, prompt, and attentive - you would've thought we were his only table. (He had 3 2 tops and a 4 top besides us.) If only all of the "trendy" restaurants could have service this good.

The food (the most important part):

From the Thai Tapas section:

Marinated monkfish in pandan leaves - five tasty hunks of monkfish wrapped in (inedible) pandan leaves, great texture and flavor, though the unwrapping of the fish was a bit cumbersome. Also, the accompanying dipping sauce was rather boring, though luckily they didn't need to be dipped.

Spicy chicken lollipops - Four excellent chicken drumsticks with the skin and meat pushed back to resemble a lollipop. The tangy, yet sweet, tamarind marinade was outstanding. I don't remember if they were grilled, fried, or a bit of both, but they were crunch and smoky and crispy all at once.

From the appetizer section:

Thai beef salad - a great rendition of the classic. Don't expect to find lettuce or other greens in this dish - it focuses on the beef and the spices that flavor the beef. Intensely citrusy and spicy, with rare beef instead of the usual grilled-within-an-inch-of-its-life cuts.

Chocolate back ribs - more Mexican than Thai - reminiscent of a good mole sauce. Five ribs - not too meaty but not too skimpy either. Fantastic flavor, though I don't understand why they ended up on this menu. Had I had these at Hell's Kitchen or Mexicana Mama I'd be much more satisfied - however - I was expecting upscale Thai. Well, OK, they were really good so I'll let it slide.

For entrees:

Braised short rib green curry - possibly the best green curry I've ever tasted. Unbelievably fresh - my boss proclaimed it to be better than his mother's version, who makes it entirely from scratch. The short rib nearly melted under the pressure of the fork - that tender. I dream that all beef could taste like that.

Honey-glazed duck - the least impressive of the entrees, though it was still quite good. The baby bok choy were something I had never encountered before - I imagine if these were more widely available the market for brussel sprouts would evaporate. The duck was slightly chewy but was quite flavorful. The mango in this dish was the best I've had (more later).

Chilean Sea Bass - Jesus<Beatles<Sea Bass entree at Kittichai. OK, I'm kidding, it's not better than any supreme deity. But, I have to say that this is the best fish dish I have ever tasted. A fist-sized hunk of sea bass marinated with a sweet glaze of fermented yellow beans. It was served on a dish of sauteed... you know what - who cares? I don't remember. Perfectly cooked - hot and moist throughout. The fish kicked my ass.

Side:

Sauteed long beans with peppers, two bowls of jasmine rice.

For dessert:

Sticky rice with champagne mango - It was white rice as opposed to the black rice listed on the menu. (The waiter informed us of that as it was ordered so it was no surprise.) Relatively minute portion served with a slice of the aforementioned mango. It was so good, with a slightly tangy after taste due from the champagne glaze. Are they importing mangoes from Thailand, or are these a variety available here in the US? It's amazing what good ingredients can do...

Frozen white chocolate parfait with jackfruit - A fine ice cream dish - I only had one taste before the whole thing disappeared.

Kaffir lime tart with coconut ice cream - Quite possibly the best key lime pie I've tasted. Tastewise. It was a little solid for my tastes, I like the consistency of Steve's Key Lime pies better. However, the taste was slightly better. The dried, crushed lime leaves on top (at least I think that was what they were) really added to the dish. The coconut ice cream had much more of a coconut ice flavor and went really well with the tart.

All this, plus two glasses of a forgettable gruner veltliner (good, not great) and a Thai iced coffee came to $193 for three before tip.

[Pan]

Thanks for that great report!

On your question about mangoes, I did some internet research and found this FAO page which lists "Florida, USA" as a mango producing area. I believe the mangoes most commonly sold in New York are grown in Mexico, however, and it wouldn't surprise me if a restaurant like this got mangoes from Southeast Asia.

If you'd like to read more about the world trade in mangoes, you can read another page on the same FAO site.

[Laksa]

I've seen Thai mangoes at my local Thai grocery store and other Asian grocery stores. The Thai store lady swears by her mangoes. She claims, and I can attest from prior experience, that Thai mangoes are less stringy than the Mexican varieties, and sweeter and more fragrant.

She also has these whopping softball sized guavas from Thailand. The bigger the guava, the more flesh you get that's not peppered with those pesky guava seeds.

[Krista G]

I tried Kittichai Monday night as a birthday dinner, and the experience was favorable. I actually liked Spice Market, but that's a horse of a different color really. As a side note, does anyone know why Spice Market was chosen as the name of the Meatpacking district restaurant when that name is already associated (at least in my mind) with the Bangkok restaurant formerly helmed by Ian Chalermkittichai?

Anyway, we had one tapa, the Southern Thai ceviche of diver scallops, caviar & lemongrass wrapped in an egg nest, which was nice, but the scallop didn't really shine through the egg and caviar. However, an appetizer of crispy rock shrimp, grilled eggplant and chili lime juice was amazing.

I agree that the short ribs in green curry was right on. Traditional in a good way, plus an atypically Thai cut of meat. Instead of the sea bass, we chose the special of dorado, which was cubed, dusted in tempura batter (they made the point of saying it was dusted, not heavily coated) and presented between the head and tail with a sweet chili sauce. I loved the accompanying fried basil and lime leaves, but then, I'm a sucker for fried herbs.

The only dessert I tried was the kaffir lime tart with coconut ice cream, which was enjoyable. The grated lime rind (I think that's what it was) added a nice punch of color to the little rectangle.

A glass of gruner veltliner was alright, but I was more impressed with the cocktails. I can't recall the name, but the one with calamansi juice, coconut milk, Grand Marnier and Skyy voda was tart and creamy without being cloying. A very refreshing summer cooler. I've never seen calamansi (or kalamansi, whichever you prefer) in the U.S. I'm wondering if the juice was bottled or fresh squeezed.

On the way out, we noticed Mario Batali smoking at one of the outdoor bar tables. I never seem to notice famous faces in crowds, but he's hard to miss.

[phaelon56]

$100/person for Thai is really steep! But I guess perhaps roughly half of the cost was wine?

If I read the original post correctly, that price included four cocktails and a bottle of wine. A subsequent poster pegged their dinner for three with no cocktails and one bottle of wine at $193 total. Based on the prices mentioned, I assume a non-drinker could get out of here for about $60 with tax and tip for one each of app, entree and dessert. Pricey for Thai food but in keeping with NYC prices for a moderately upscale but not high end restaurant.

[lambretta76]

The cocktail list there did look amazing, but we had such a hard time deciding on food that I simply ordered the Gruner. In fairness, I think this wine held its own with the heavy spices of the green curry and, surprisingly, the chocolate ribs. However, it was just an OK wine to begin with, that happened to stay OK with the food. A "Jack of all trades, master of none" wine.

And to break down the price for our meal mentioned earlier, we had:

2 tapas

2 appetizers

3 entrees

3 sides (2 orders of jasmine rice at $3 a pop, long beans were $5)

3 desserts

3 bottles of water

2 glasses of wine

1 Thai iced coffee

This came to $193 including tax, but not tip. Cutting the desserts (which were a bit of an overkill as were already pleasantly stuffed) and opting for Bloomberg's finest you could easily cut the tab to the neighborhood of $60 per person, including tip. The amount of food was ordered for three fairly starved persons, so it is conceivable that you could get away with only two entrees for three people as well...

[Krista G]

A non-drinker could definitely get out of there under $60 per person. 1 tapa, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 1 side, 1 dessert and 4 drinks was $140. About $40 of that was drinks. But it is hard to resist the urge to over-order. Two starters for two people was plenty, but I could've easily shared a third item. Not that I left hungry, mind you, I just enjoy variety.

[Pan]

I've never seen calamansi (or kalamansi, whichever you prefer) in the U.S.

Check with the Thai store on Mosco St. in Chinatown to see whether they have any. I'd also check Udon's Thai-Indonesian store, though I don't remember them carrying fresh fruit. Another possibility is the Vietnamese store on Mulberry St. (west side) between Bayard and Canal, which carries many ingredients used in Malaysian as well as Vietnamese food.

[mjr_inthegardens]

was it diff. to get reservations?

[ewindels]

Colleagues of mine have had no trouble getting reservations across a wide range of times, but that may be pure luck, given the amount of buzz on Kittichai as a SHT place (that's Smart, Hip and Trendy).

I should mention from my original post that the four cocktails were not included in the final bill (I paid for those separately). Nevertheless Phaelon, I should think you could get out of there with a decent amount of food for $60. Note again however that portions are not large, and that there's no bread or free munchie or anything else to fill up on, so I wouldn't go if you're ravenous.

[Laksa]

On the way out, we noticed Mario Batali smoking at one of the outdoor bar tables. I never seem to notice famous faces in crowds, but he's hard to miss.

This week's issue of the New York Observer gives a favorable review of Kittichai (3 stars).

The review mentions that Mario Batali ordered his curry extra hot, and he says something to the effect that the restaurant rocks!