Kittichai- a double shot of food

Here at the J Spot we love to provide a wide variety of opinions on food. This blog post is a compilation of two separate critiques; one done by myself and the other by Hillary. We both had the opportunity to dine at Kittichai within the past week with friends, and not together. Each of our reviews is significantly different. Hope you enjoy.

Review #1

Kittichai….just another trendy NYC spot

With close friends and family anxiously awaiting the release of this blog post, the expectations are even higher than usual; my fingers are slightly shaking as I press each key. The reason for dining at Kittichai was to celebrate the 25^th birthday of our dear friend Stanley (Official J Spot Birthday shout out). Don’t get me wrong, I had an enjoyable evening, full of classic college stories, fantasy football banter and well overdue catching up with good friends, BUT the point of this blog is to review food and that’s what I intend on doing. Let’s get started.

As always, I arrived a little early to scope out the joint before the guys got there and to let the server know to add a candle to the desert for the birthday celebration. My first impression of the décor was that it wasn’t over the top, but added to the overall concept of the restaurant. Dark wood trim outlined the dining area. Dimly lit lights, fake bamboo shoots and a pond with floating candles filled the center of the room. The service was not up to my standard, as the waiter had to continually check the menu whenever we had questions. Not surprisingly, we all ordered off the restaurant week menu which makes his job even easier, but this guy still had to take a peek at the menu to double check. To his credit, every dish and drink order was brought out promptly, even the martini that was ordered from one of the guys in our party who will remain nameless. Six of us got beers and/or “manly” drinks but this one guy thought he was too cool for school. I’ll let you ponder just exactly who this mystery martini man really is.

APPETIZERS

Fried Mussels in a Thai lemongrass and ginger broth

Nothing special about this dish. I was interested to try fried mussels, because I have never heard of such a thing. When the soupy dish arrived in front of my face I was immediately disappointed in my choice and was jealous of the people who got the tuna tartar. The mussels didn’t have much of a taste because they were drenched in an overly seasoned spicy ginger sauce. The heavy flavors of lemongrass also contributed to the demise of this dish. It was doomed from the start. I would not recommend this dish, but I tried the tartar which I would recommend if you are ordering from the restaurant week menu.

ENTREES

Seafood Bouillabaisse with fresh scallops, clams and giant prawns

Another mistake on my part. I wish the waiter would have given me a little heads up that the two dishes I ordered would be served in identical sauces. Same texture, same color (I think, the lighting was very dark) but this sauce had even more kick then before, which actually made it worse. It was difficult to eat without rice to dull down the spicy flavors which were causing me to break out in a sweat. Again, the fresh seafood flavors were completely dominated by the sauce, so I didn’t get to enjoy a perfectly cooked scallop which was calling my name from the bowl. I usually am a huge fan of soups, but I don’t want TWO of them as a meal and I would have loved if the flavors had varied some more. I would not recommend this dish, but would highly recommend ordering the Short ribs which looked and tasted phenomenal.

DESSERT

Jasmine flan

This dessert was intriguing so I thought I would give it a try. I appreciate creativeness in the kitchen, especially when it comes to dessert. It was served with a side of homemade jasmine ice cream which was light in jasmine flavors, soft in texture and was a great pallet cleanser to conclude my spice-filled evening.

Kittichai is what I would refer to as “BIT” (Buddakan in Training). Their creativeness is there but the execution is lacking as some of the components of their dishes just didn’t come through as promised. Perhaps, the chef should speak with Stephen Starr and find out how Asian Fusion is really done. As you can see, I was not overly impressed with this trendy, posh NYC joint. They are a dime a dozen in this city.

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	6.5		10
Service	6.5		10
Ambiance	8.5		10
Bang for the Buck	7		10
Overall	7		10
	35.5		50

Review #2

Trendy but not over the top décor immediately gives you a sleek Asian vibe; the lighting was dim and there were a lot of deep wood colors. The water basin in the center of the room was floating with candles and there appeared to be Orchids hanging from above. I immediately liked the feel I got from this place. The wait staff was perfectly nice and never snooty making you feel uncomfortable or out of place.

To the food…

We opted for the restaurant week menu; there were enough choices to make everyone happy. I knew immediately what I was going to have; Tuna Tartar appetizer and Pineapple braised Short Ribs as an entrée. One of my dining partners decided to be a bit more adventuresome; asking the waiter for his suggestion she decided on the Thai steak salad and the Bouillabaisse. Warned against her choice by my incredible boyfriend- she took a leap of faith… and told the waiter that he better not be wrong in his suggestion!

Grade A .meing. tuna tartar, limestone tartlets, peanut, ginger and lime zest

The presentation certainly received an A+. The plate came out with what appeared to be a farmer's Hoe holding 8 mini limestone tartlets each filled with a peanut and some zest. To the right was the circular mound of Tuna Tartar which sat next to a small dish containing a dark, thick, seeded sauce; An interactive process. Place sauce and tuna inside tartlet; place in mouth; chew. Scrumptious. The crunch and buttery flavor of the tartlet went perfectly with the sauce that alone tasted as though it contained both coconut and fish sauce. Alone the sauce was not my favorite but together with the tartlet it complimented the freshness of the fish.

Northern thai beef salad, Chinese long beans and roasted sticky rice powder

Having only tasted one bite of this dish before it disappeared off the plate I can not say much more than the beef was very tasty – with a nice kick and a refreshing finish of mint.

Pineapple braised short ribs in green curry, thai eggplant and sweet basil

For someone who does not like curry, I'm not sure what I was thinking ordering this dish other than pleading distracted… by the short rib and eggplant. I am pleased that I overlooked that not-so-minor detail. This dish was good. It was presented in a bowl where two pieces of short rib, off the bone, sat in the center of a delectable green curry sauce with a few pieces of eggplant (I must've missed the sweet basil). The meat was perfectly cooked and fell apart to the touch. Alone, the meat itself could've used a few more spices but the meat was not alone. Each bite was infused with the accompanying green curry sauce that had the perfect amount of flavor and spice without being overpowering. As an eggplant lover, it would've been nice to see a few more pieces on the plate- but I didn't let that get to me.

Thai seafood bouillabaisse, tiger prawns, scallops, and mussels

The most controversial dish of the night; highly suggested by some not to be ordered, my dining partner was pleased that she took this leap of faith. Although the broth was a bit bland and from my view the fish didn't seem that plentiful; my partner was pleased by her selection. She enjoyed the flavors and spices of the fish, even if the broth was a bit sub-par. For my taste, the one bite I took – the mussel in broth- was fine. But who am I to judge a dish I did not order- only tasted.

Kittichai succeeded in what a good restaurant week experience is supposed to accomplish; enticing the customer to come back on a regular night. I'd go back—after I get to the rest of the restaurants on our list that is!

	Restaurant Review Rating Scale
			Total Points Available
Food	7.5		10
Service	8.5		10
Ambiance	9		10
Bang for the Buck	8		10
Overall	8		10
	41		50

Neighborhood: Manhattan/SoHo
60 Thompson St
New York, NY 10079

(212) 925-2971

KittichaiRestaurant.com