06.04.09
Review of Planet Thailand 212, Saturday April 2009
30 W.24th & 5th/6th Aves., 212-727-7026
Great for: very hungry people, specials, large groups
This was the second (main) dinner of the night for my date with the Marketer. It’s an offshoot of the same restaurant in Williamsburg – I can see why they were successful enough to have two places. The menu is huge, but I stuck with the specials and wasn’t disappointed. I was, however, with him. Plus he said something really offensive and racist a few weeks later, giving me an excuse to stop talking to him entirely.
M got the special app of clams in Thai chili vinaigrette. The sauce was way too vinegary. Fortunately, my special of spicy tataki with tuna, mango, tobiko, eel and avocado made up for it. It looked lovely with tri-color tobiko on top and was fun texturally with crunchies inside. Everything was all chopped together and just the right level of spicy. (It might be too much for most people though, as I generally prefer my food on the blistering side.)
M had 15 pieces of sashimi and sushi which he said were good. My special entrée of pan-seared tuna with soba noodles was very spicy and great. The tuna steak was huge and there were lots of vegetables too. I loved the combination of spicy mayo and teriyaki on the tuna, though some of it had that chewy gristle. Actually, the dish overall may have been a tad too spicy, even for me. It was somehow less so the next day when I had the leftovers.
I liked the cool square pot in which my green tea was served. The waitresses were friendly but dopey. The place is crazy-looking, with a big, warm, aqua blue kitchen (yeah, I don’t know how blue can look warm either) and enough Ghost chairs to populate a haunted Starck mansion. There is an enormous thing above the bar that can best be described as a candy mountain made of colored lightbulbs. I liked the music. I wasn’t drinking that night, but they have a very long cocktail list with lots of fancy drinks that I’d definitely try another time.
The resto is huge. People started coming in around 8:30, and M said usually it’s packed. It seems to be popular for groups. I’d probably come again if I were nearby.
Rating: 7.5 / 10
Our cost: $60 + $40 tip
Noise level: it echoes
Chance of walking in: good.
