PINTO: Would the Real Pad Thai Please Stand Up

Pinto Place Setting.

This review originally appeared on The Gotham Palate.

I've had my share of good pad thai before - from Boston's Brown Sugar to Penang Grill in Stamford, Conn., and Soho's Peep. But the best so far would have to be Pinto.

I picked this spot to celebrate my friend's 22nd birthday because of good reviews from friends over the summer. It was just the three of us. For first-timers, the West Village can be disorienting and you can get lost even with a map. After sufficiently walking in enough triangles to make our heads spin, we finally made it.

Pinto was darkly lit, like a demure, mysterious lover trying to play coy. Small candles throughout illuminated the small L-shaped bar. Our bartender clinked glasses as she deftly blended liquors in the cocktail shakers. Our two male waiters, both lanky and tall, looked like they had popped out of a GQ magazine, or maybe just hipster Williamsburg - one in wavy, messy curls and the other in an asymmetric faux Mohawk that curled into a mini bouffant on top. They were men of few words but were very accommodating, especially when I asked one of them to bring out the cheesecake at the end and surprise my friend.

PCU Noodle.

The guys scarfed down the food fast...especially D. D ordered the PCU Noodle ($10), rice noodle sauteed with sweet dark soy sauce, baby bok choy and egg. I couldn't wrest a complaint from him as he was silent most of the time, forking down to the last bite.

Pad Thai.

A had a very solid Pad Thai ($10), or sauteed rice noodle with tangy tamarind sauce, smoked tofu, Chinese chive, egg and peanut. Maybe not the softest noodles ever, but Pinto's got its flavors down pat. This version is everything that pad thai is supposed to taste like: tangy, peanut-y, slightly sweet, with a spicy finish.

Curry A La Penang.

My eye was immediately drawn to the Curry A La Penang ($12), a red and sweet homemade curry with rice on the side. The tender beef and fresh bok choy were pleasantly pared with a complex medley of milky coconut and sharp, rich spices. That's one lip-smacking sauce, perfect poured over sticky Asian rice. Even better since Pinto uses local, organic ingredients.

Drinks.

Pinto's imaginative creations extend to their specialty drinks. D ordered a cold Guinness and I had a Strawberry Mojito, which I highly recommend. Real crushed strawberries, mint sprigs, rum and other ingredients floated around this leafy concoction (trust me: it tasted better than it sounds). Another signature cocktail is the "Ginger Zinger" (citrus vodka, banana liqueur and fresh ginger).

The cozy, modern decor and subdued atmosphere is low-key enough for a first date and the perfect antidote to a harried work week in the office (or, in my case, the selling floor). Plus, Pinto gets extra points for classy food presentation.

I still don't understand the meaning behind the restaurant's name, as it conjures images of beans and Mexico...and not anything related to Thailand. I grant this is an attempt to be "different" and set itself apart from its peers, which it does skillfully.

Affordable prices, homey Thai food and non-snobby service = relaxing evening spent with friends. Celebratory night achieved!

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. OK, so the noodles may not have the most ideal give and the tofu could be softer, but for the sheer "magical" feeling of this place, I give it 4 stars.

Location:
Pinto
118 Christopher St.
New York, NY 10014
www.pintonyc.com

Me No Speak

I'm up to lesson 29 of Pimsleur's "Learn to Speak Beginner's Japanese." As much as I enjoy amusing my co-workers with new phrases and actually understanding the Jdramas I watch, it sure is a piece of work! Memorizing a boatload of new vocabulary, not to mention getting down the grammar structure...nothing comes easy (especially when you're past 21).

If you don't have the patience, look no further! Me No Speak Language Companion is just what you need. Available in Chinese, Japanese and Thai, these pocket-sized phrase books cover all your bases - from food to basic hygiene. They're printed in both English and the target language, along with colorful pictures. How can you not dig it?

Be on the lookout for Me No Speak Korea and Turkey, coming soon.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle.

Sweet Chili, Chacarero's, Starbucks Challenge

Before I totally forget about this, I'm posting some pictures of Boston from last week. I stayed with A in Arlington, and we caught up with another friend, R, over some (surprise surprise) Thai food near A's house. The restaurant is called Sweet Chili. I've been here before in college...

Unfortunately, the waiter misunderstood A's body language and served her the Pad Thai instead of the Drunken Noodle that she wanted. (A case in which, ironically, pointing at the item backfires on you.) It turned out that the Pad Thai was quite tasty, as I ended up discovering (I ordered it). I don't think A would've minded eating it, even if she had had it the last time she came here. We all ordered off the lunch special, which included an egg roll and a spicy triangle along with your main dish ($6.95).

Sweet Chili also sells udon and bibimbap, but common sense told me to steer clear of the non-Thai offerings. Simply put, you don't order Korean or Japanese food at a Thai restaurant - you get the well-known Thai items.

Beef.

R ordered a beef dish...the name I can't remember. In the name of adventure, she decided to try the Singha beer, which is locally produced. Singha beer is the oldest and most popular Thai beer in Thailand. It's a relatively smooth pale lager, though it doesn't really stand out in any way.

Singha beer.

I liked the glass it was poured in.

Testing the beer.

This is not an iPhone ad.

Drunken Noodles and Thai Iced Tea.

I had a picture of my scrumptious Pad Thai but it didn't come out right. All the ingredients were fresh and crispy, from the bean sprouts to the fat rice noodles. I ate it all!

Next morning (Sunday), M took D and I out to Chacarero's, located in Downtown Boston. We arrived early at 10:45 a.m. and found the windows dark and the doors locked. Luckily, a friendly chef opened it for business in 15 minutes.

"It's worth the wait," said M.

According to the restaurant's website, a chacerero is a traditional Chilean sandwich. M recommended the small Chicken & Beef Combo. For $7.50, you get a hefty amount of soft, grilled meat with your tomatoes, Muenster cheese, steamed green beans and avocado spread. It's all contained in homemade bread. I don't know why I didn't think of inventing this myself! The avocado really ties together the bulky sandwich and gives it a moist flavor. I only wished I'd tried the hot sauce! Sans hot sauce, it was rather plain and a tad bland. Satisfying nonetheless.

Chacarero's also offers empanadas, sweet oven fried potatoes (I heard those are divine) and a selection of omelets.

While in Boston, I took the Starbucks Challenge. Starbucks insists that, given a blind taste test, you won't be able to tell the difference between its regular brew and its new instant coffee.

Well....I squashed that pretty soon.

In fact, I didn't even need to taste the coffee. I just took a whiff of each one and determined which was which after all of two seconds.

And I was right.

Who's the biggest coffee addict??!

We Belong in Phuket

And now, for some shameless promotion...

So I don't usually use this space to advertise myself, but my friend Joe and I are entering the Ultimate Thailand Explorers competition and we'd love to have your support! Please check out our video below, and rate/comment on it at YouTube.



We both really want to travel to Phuket and explore all that the area has to offer, including but not limited to: snorkeling, windsurfing, Muay Thai, riding elephants, sampling the tangy-spicy joys of Thai street food and learning the local customs.

Let's make this happen!