As Josh’s birthday fell on a Friday during Lent this year, we picked a Thai restaurant for dinner after having a few happy hour drinks at Bourbon Street. Thai food is easily adaptable to seafood for me, and then I don’t get jealous that I’m missing out on eating meat. We ended up at Yum Yum Bangkok, home of one of my favorite lunch specials, which is right around the corner from the bar.
We were a pretty large party but they managed to squeeze us in by combining a bunch of tables in the back. Service was efficient and fast as usual, and we were chowing down in no time. Josh and I shared a fried tofu appetizer and some summer rolls to start. The tofu was a bit too soggy for my liking, rendering it more chewy than crispy. It was served with a sweet and tangy peanut sauce, and while I liked the flavors of the dish, I was disappointed with how the tofu turned out.
Fried tofu
The summer rolls were softened rice paper wrapped around lettuce, mint, rice vermicelli, and shrimp. There was a hoisin-peanut sauce that came on the side for dipping, but the rolls had obviously been pre-prepared and placed in the refrigerator all day. The rice paper was ice cold and stiff, making them a bit hard to eat. Again, while the flavors were all there (I especially enjoyed the fresh mint), the texture of the rolls made them a bit disappointing.
Slightly stiff summer rolls
Fortunately our order of shrimp pad thai held up to my expectations. The noodles were served piping hot and still had a nice chewiness to them. The flavors were appropriately sweet and sour, and the crushed peanuts and fresh bean sprouts added a nice crunch to the dish. There were lots of shrimp mixed throughout and they were all perfectly cooked.
Shrimp pad thai
Our other entrée was the mango striped bass, which was a filet topped with mango, lime juice, chili, and cashew nuts. The fish wasn’t very crispy but I liked the sourness of the shredded green mango pieces on top. I just wish the dish had a touch more acid and heat, but it was a nice twist from the usual Thai dishes we always get.
Mango striped bass
I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with some of the food we had at Yum Yum Bangkok but it might be attributed to the size of our party, as they were rushing to get everyone’s food out quickly and at the same time. The issues I had were with execution, not with the flavors. I don’t think the food there is the most authentic tasting that I’ve had in the city, but it’s reliable and still pretty tasty. Prices are very reasonable, even at dinnertime. I still prefer their lunch specials though!
Yum Yum Bangkok
650 9th Ave. between 45th and 46th St.
New York, NY