"Strawberries are rare in Thailand, so it's surprising that strawberry tum ($12) is the best dish at Rynn - a newish East Village Thai at 105 E. Fifth Street, near First Avenue. Ripe berries are tossed with bright yellow husk cherries and dressed with lime juice and chile paste, with a touch of fish sauce. Rynn's recipe also brings out the floral flavor of the county's famous bird's eye chiles, and as if that weren't quite good enough, the herb phak paew, also known as lady's thumb, evokes the smell of soil after a tropical rain."
"Rynn's menu also demonstrates the many Chinese and Japanese elements modern Thai cooking has absorbed. Kanom jeeb (" pleated snack") evokes Chinese siu mai, a fringed dumpling bulging with shrimp, pork, and chicken; while goong chae nam pla ($15) likely evolved from Japanese sashimi. The dish was introduced here 15 years ago by Ayada in Elmhurst, where one of the waitresses attested to the Japanese origins of the dish. But here rather than being left whole, the raw shrimp have been minced. Flavored with fried shallots and dill, they are deposited in green and red endive leaves, making the appetizer easier to eat and adding crunch to the crustaceans."
[
add
]
[
|
|
...
]