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Thai, Uncensored by Ursula Kizy Sure it's fun to dine on Pad Thai while gazing at a 50 foot statue of the Buddha and all, but did you ever wonder what the stuff really tastes like in Thailand? Like, what they really eat? You bet your sweet basil you do! Before you can fully appreciate Halibut Cha Cha La Vong, wouldn't it make sense to start from the beginning? Let's do that, shall we... A quick indicator of a restaurant that serves truly authentic food lies in how many natives of said cuisine are dining there. In other words, if you're at an Indian restaurant, the more Indian guests, the better. Sripraphai proved to be no exception. A comforting amount of former Thailand inhabitants were present at the recently re-decorated Thai restaurant. Steaming plates of whole, fried fish, coated with spicy-sweet crimson-colored sauce graced many a table top. The expansive menu, ranging in price from $1 side orders to $17 entrees, featured typical Thai fare like Pad Thai, Masaman Curry and Steamed Dumplings as well as more obscure dishes like Sauteed Pork Stomach with mustard greens, Sour Curry and Fried Pickled Pork Spare Ribs.
Be careful what you wish for at Sripraphai. We're used to Thai restaurants in The City humoring us when we ask for "spicy" dishes. Of course there may be a slight kick, but "spicy" in most restaurants doesn't even register on a scale of what the Thai actually consider to be hot. Thai "virgins" can only take so much, and the servers know this. At Sripraphai, if you ask for your dish to be "extra spicy," the waiter will do one of two things: try to talk you out of it, or nod sadistically and return with a dish that will blow your eyeballs out of your head and leave you praying for death. That's a slight dramatization, but good to keep in mind... Flavors are intense here...and ingredients are fresh and vibrant. Paralyzingly hot sauce surprisingly doesn't mask the aromatic notes of ginger in the Red Curry dish. The Shrimp Fried Rice, heavily concentrated with a strong flavor of fish (thanks to shrimp paste) was not for the faint of heart. There's a LOT of flavor going on. Fried Pickled Pork Ribs tasted exactly as the name indicates: boneless pieces of pork, served with lettuce, peanuts and thick slices of ginger were tangy, somewhat tough and chewy. If I were to walk into a gas station in Bangkok (humor me), I might pick up a vacuum-sealed pack of Fried Pickled Pork Ribs for my road trip. In sharp contrast to the typical sweet and slightly spicy Thai sauces we've had before, the Thai Wings were dry with a sharp, pork-like flavor and sour finish - not exactly my style, I'll admit (I like my wings sloppy and saucy). The fried fish was succulent and rich with the taste of basil and chili.
Sripraphai's menu is packed with tantalizing East Asian dishes like steamed or fried Tilapia and Striped Bass served in a variety of ways such as sour and spicy curries, aromatic ginger and basil sauces, and lemongrass-scented coconut milk. Dishes I'd love to try next are the Fried Tilapia with green mango sauce, Bean Thread salad with ground chicken and shrimp, and the sautéed Roasted Duck with basil, chili and bamboo shoots. A warning about the service...they tend to like their regulars and take advantage of newbies, so be assertive if you want to win their attention. Bottom line: The Thai food at Sripraphi's got spunk. It can be unapologetically HOT, likes to be aromatic, to be sour, to be creamy, rich and always wants to be the center of attention. In other words, it's not a watered down, benevolent version of Thai for the masses; it's real. The prices are more than reasonable and the house wine is actually drinkable. Sripraphai is worth the trip if you want to know what Thai really tastes like. Sripraphai Thai Restaurant Woodside, Queens, 64-13 39 th Avenue (near 64th Street) |
