This was our third visit to Ayada, and every time it has been not only pleasant and satisfying, but noticeably not busy for a restaurant serving food of this quality. While I love being able to go to a great restaurant without waiting an hour to be seated, I am glad to see that business seemed to have been picking up a little this last time. (I'm so sleepy right now, and the only thing keeping my fingers typing, and my face from smashing onto the keyboard is the fear of blog inertia after only 3 posts. So this might end up just being blurry iPhone pictures, and blathering drivel, completely useless to anyone [of my 4 readers/friends/mom] looking for edifying musings on Thai cuisine. We shall see.)
*Sripraphai: som tum, crispy pork w/chili and basil, and southern style curry w/duck
The Islands: jerk chicken
Sushi Azabu: sushi omakase
(I can eat any one of these meals on the worst of worst days, and feel fine with the world afterwards. I will get to posting about these eventually).
This was our beautiful som tum (spicy green papaya salad w/dried shrimp and crushed peanuts) the first time it came out. Look how bright and lovely. It glistens.We sent it back. Not once, but two times - each time as appreciatively and non-assholedly as possible. Because despite our most earnest attempts to impress upon the waiter when ordering that we wanted it to be "very, very...very spicy...Thai spicy," it was not. At all. And we are spice-addicts. And assholes. Sorry, but sometimes you really just gotta get your fix.
So after the second time, and much audible and fierce chopping (of chilis, I presume), we were presented with this:
Oh ho ho. Just look at that hot mess (I do sincerely despise that phrase, but it seems fitting in this context). That's dirty. And GLORIOUS. Crunchy, fishy, funky, tangy, frinky, stangy, tushy, crunky...peanuty, and spicy as all hell. To call this a 'salad' seems like a misnomer, because no salad could blow your face off like this fiery beast. You don't eat it, it eats you.
At this point, I believe the chef came out just to get a load of us. Whether he was curious to see if we could handle it, or to see just what kind of douchebags would send a salad back twice, I'm not sure.
But it was totally worth the mild shame. Also, upon witnessing our maniacal, sweaty grins, a very sweet waitress divulged to us the magic words to use next time: "Just say 'five spicy.'" At least that's what we all decided we thought she said. We'll have to see if it works next time.
Northern style Thai sausage. I'm not so big on sausage in general, unless it's blood sausage, but somehow my chopsticks kept going back to it. Garnished with red onions and slices of fresh ginger, it had a nice smoky tang, and a snappy [natural?] casing.
I think these were called "beef tenders." I'm not sure, because we had actually ordered the "pork tenders," but were brought these beef things instead. Which was fine, as these were indeed very tender. Fatty (in a good way) and savory, but not mind-blowing. The chili sauce on the side was mild, but tasty.
You can probably tell by now that the som tum is the real star in my book, as my descriptions (and irrelevant prose) are petering off. Which is extremely abnormal, as in my book the salad is almost never the star. My book is a very meat-oriented book.This is kang som sour curry. Light rather than thick, but full of bright, tart and fishy flavor, it comes with shrimp (I failed to try one) and tender slices of omelet with spinach. Light, thick, full, bright...? I don't know. Just try it. Very refreshing on a summer evening.
The steamed fish with chili and cilantro sauce was another winner. They offered either red snapper or sea bass. We went with the sea bass. I grew up eating fish almost everday, in a variety of preparations, and I don't know if I've ever had one so tender and buttery. (Sorry, Mom.) As stuffed as I was at this point, and even after the som tum beating I'd given my tastebuds, this was a damn tasty fish. Honestly, as rich and satisfying as a good steak. I like how they covered the eye with a grape tomato, to spare the squeamish I assume, but it just makes it look like an evil zombie fish. I thought about trying to eat the eyeball, but it seemed more trouble than it was worth. The fish body was good enough.Note: it's BYOB; there's a deli 2 doors down with a decent selection of beer.
So sleepy. 'Night.
Ayada
77-08 Woodside Ave (Elmhurst)
New York, NY 11373
(718) 424-0844
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