***CLOSED***
Last time we were at Tong Thai Brasserie Tong Thai Brasserie, we vowed to come back before the prices went up (just our own speculation). This time, we were a party of 5, ordering 5 appetizers, 6 entrees, and 2 desserts.
Our friends, Sara, Angie, and Winnie, had never been to Tong before so we did order some repeats from last time. The Vegetable Daikon Cake and Curried Puffs were just as good (see pics and description from last time) as we remembered. The Thai Dumplings were fine but nothing special. These days, you can get pretty darn good dumplings in the freezer section of Chinese markets.
We got two orders of the Chile Soup (with shrimp and mushroom), which some liked and some didn’t. It’s too sour for me.
As for entrees, the Hanger Steak seemed to be everyone’s favorite, made medium-rare, just as I ordered it. Juicy and sweet, possibly marinated in coconut milk, with mild spices.
The Swimmer Blue Crab Fried Rice was our second favorite, simple yet the flavor of crab does highten fried rice. The cashews helped too. My only complaint is that it is listed as an entree vs. a side dish (which is where I think it should be classified).
The Shrimp and Squid were perfectly cooked, the vegetables al dente, but the flavors were generic, a standard garlic sauce stir-fry.
The Berkshire Pork Belly was nice and tender, served with excellent baby Chinese Broccoli, and noodles. I’m kind of indifferent about this dish. There was nothing specifically wrong with it but I probably wouldn’t order it again.
The Pad Thai (wrapped in an egg crepe) was completely different from last time. The noodles were mushy, there was no more spice, and just generally less flavorful. Please Please don’t become another generic Americanized Thai place. Hold out!
The Duck on Rice was a bit too sweet for me and the duck was over-cooked. I did like the few pieces of pickled watermelon.
We shared two orders of Thai Tea Ice Cream, topped with nuts and fruits. After finishing the ice cream, I picked up the banana leaf and noticed the ice frozen on the bottom of the bowl. How clever?
Overall, I was less impressed this time. Several dishes were served at room temperature and the spices were really held back this time. Still, this menu is way more interesting then the standard Thai place in the city, and for $24 per person (including tax and tip), I can’t complain.
Great idea to hide some ice underneath the ice cream!
For the price, I’ll definitely be back. Overall I enjoyed my experience(having great company is always a plus). Thanks for taking us Jess!
The steak…I’m staring at the garnish that looks a cross between a lime wedge and a green tomato? What was it? it looked like there are sesame seeds on it. LOL Maybe I’m a bit confused….But everything looked yummy!
Asianmommy, I’m going to steal that idea!
Angie, we always love eating with you.
Wonders, I think you’re talking about the Thai eggplant.
Ah, thanks! I guess now that you told me, it looks like it ! lols