Intern lunch at Pure Thai Cookhouse:
Thai Iced Teas - we were convinced these drinks that sat on nearly every table were homemade. To our dismay we later witnessed a server pouring out the orange creamy stuff from one of those mass-produced jugs. Recommendable, but not extraordinary.
The tart lime-y green papaya slivers garnished with pungent dried shrimp and minced thai chili was vibrant and bold - the inherent tough green papaya texture was easy to overcome after two forkfuls.
These marinated baby back ribs were just before fall-off-the-bone tender and smothered with a delicious sticky, fragrant tamarind sauce. This must-order contains enough substance for an entree if consumed by one.
I thoroughly enjoyed the salad of crispy romaine lettuce, watercress, and pleasantly chewy, charred grilled beef. Packed with tons of lime juice, fish sauce, all the other good stuff my inexperienced palate was unable to discern, this dish had all the makings of an excellent Asian salad.
The pork and crab egg noodles dish, ordered by four people, wasn't particularly appreciated. The smooth, curly egg noodles were comparable to blanched instant ramen noodles. The picked crab meat possessed a faint sour taste.
Other dishes we sampled included Chicken Pad Ee Sew (on the sweeter side), the Wok Calamari with Ginger Curry (with surprisingly tender calamari logs), the very overrated Curry Puffs (which dried out the mouth like saltine crackers have their way of doing). The Shrimp Pad Thai and Spring Rolls were ordinary.
Pure Thai Cookhouse
766 9th Ave (Between 51st and 52nd)
New York, NY 10019
