In my Gastronomy class, we learned about a man named Craig Claiborne. He was a restaurant critic that played a pretty big part in the way current restaurant reviews are written. He changed the star rating system, updating it from a 3 star system into a 4 star system. He also wrote a cookbook for the New York Times. Our professor asked us to experiment with writing reviews by writing one of our own. Our assignment was to visit a restaurant, look for certain criteria and then write a brief review based on the way Claiborne may have written it. A couple friends and I visited a place in Poughkeepsie called Thai Spice. Here's the review!
Thai Spice
Certain foods simply speak to individuals at a different level than others. Noodles in particular speak to me with a tone of familiarity and comfort that no other cuisine really matches. This past weekend, I felt compelled to seek out the flavors of Thai cuisine and in particular, Pad Thai. Gathering a few friends, we searched and found a promising venue that hopefully would satisfy, Thai Spice.
Located near downtown Poughkeepsie, Thai Spice is situated right at the intersection of Raymond and W. Haight Ave. From the store front, Thai Spice looks as though it could be the clandestine neighborhood dive bar, which fortunately does not do the food any justice. Upon entering the restaurant, one can find a small, quaint dining room that’s best explained as a mix of a traditional Thai street hawker and a classic French bistro. The restaurant had seating approximately for 40 which made for a cozy but not uncomfortable dining experience. The unpretentious yet elegant table-scape complemented the simple and calm atmosphere. The only element clashing with the dim-lit room would be the lone T.V. playing above the bar with its volume on just a few levels too high. With that said, Thai Spice would be an excellent place to relax and dine after a long day at work.
After being seated, the uniformed front-of-house staff was very quick to bring menus and water. Allowing us a few moments to peruse the menus, which were clear, concise and very well sectioned, the server came over to take our drink order followed shortly by our main order. For starters, we went with Thai dumplings, Tao Hoo Todd, and Green Papaya Salad. The Thai dumplings were good were only just that. Plating was simple, displaying the dumplings over a section of banana leaf. The dish was garnished with a tuft of shredded carrots over a small bedding of lettuce. Tao Hoo Todd was a fried tofu dish paired with a sweet, nutty, chili sauce. This dish was platted the same way as the previous dish, garnish and all. Though simple, this dish reminded me of my summers in Taiwan as a child and struck home on the comfort scale. Lastly, the green papaya salad was an excellent interplay of sweet, savory, and spicy. Even though it was clearly drenched with fish sauce, the salad was surprisingly refreshing and definitely opened up the appetite for the following three main dishes. Sure enough, the shredded carrot garnish appeared again on this dish.
The main players of this meal, consisting of chicken kang keow wan, pork pad thai, and ped yala, arrived shortly after our empty appetizer plates were cleared from the table. First impression was the excessively large plates. Though the portions were large and the ratio of food to plate was appropriate, the small bistro like tables did not allow enough room to accommodate such large plates which resulted in a somewhat cramped dining experience. The overused shredded carrot garnish crept its way back onto each dish. All minor complaints aside, the entrée items were fantastic. The pad thai noodles had a delightful springiness in the bite which was complemented by the perfect balance of sour, sweet, and savory flavors present in the dish. The kang keow wan was a green curry with coconut milk. This dish looked deceiving mild but packed a generous amount of heat, rounded out by the creaminess of the coconut. Spooned over rice, we found our taste buds screaming from the pain yet could not stop ourselves from enjoying this dish. Finally, the ped yala, a crispy duck accented with the sweetness of tamarind and pineapples, outshined any of our expectations. This dish contained all the elements of a delicious meal: crispy duck skin, fragrant pineapple, and the sweetness from the tamarind. Though slightly more expensive then a college budget would allow, this dish definitely deserves many more visits in the near future.
The attentive albeit stoic staff was quick to bring each dish as well as anything else we needed at the table. Though we agreed that the price we paid was appropriate for the meal and service, we also decided that portion-wise, things could be scaled down slightly and ideally reduce the price of each item. All in all, our experience at Thai Spice was of complete satisfaction. The environment was soothing and best of all, the food was the epitome of comfort.
