FOODIE

Sweet And Spicy Rules At Sri Thai
By Luann and Marcus/ foodie@longislandernews.com

In search of a feast from the East, the Foodies ventured to Sri Thai in Huntington village and found that sweet and spicy brings culinary sparkle to New Street.

Where the atmosphere and décor bring a spicy eastern flare, the staff brings in the sweet. Fun, friendly and attentive, the ladies of Sri Thai are all dressed in pink as a sort of uniform; they even match the bright pink holiday tree near the counter. On April 13, we hear they plan to wear traditional Thai dress for Thai New Year.

We had visited Sri Thai on many a lunch occasion to take advantage of their specials. From noon to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 20 dishes are available for $7.95 and include soup or salad, rice and egg roll. Broccoli and chicken sautéed with oyster sauce is a winner, but a variety of curry and noodle dishes caught our eye as well.

After sipping on deliciously sweet Thai Iced Tea, we started with a plate of the Sri Thai spicy potatoes ($5.95). The sautéed potatoes are covered in a dark, velvety, barbeque-like sauce, with chili paste, soy sauce, garlic, red onion and basil. The perfect balance of sweet and spicy we came to associate with Sri Thai, the red onion brought a nice flavor to the potatoes.

A sweet, crispy noodle dish called Mee Krob ($5.95) was up next. A plate came piled high with thin, crispy noodles drizzled in a sauce with a hint of orange tang to it. Light and airy, the noodles were the perfect accompaniment to the heavier potatoes – they awoke the palate without making us feel too stuffed once our main course came.
A pair of entrees was perfect for the chilly Friday night and warmed us to the core. Crispy duck ($20.95) came with tamarind sauce, which has more of a sweet and sour taste to it rather than sweet and spicy. The meat is served dark and tender on the inside, but crispy on the outside, and is garnished with cashew nuts.

We probably had the most fun with the Pineapple Special ($15.95), simply because of the diversity on one plate. The dish comes with sautéed shrimp and chicken with cashew nuts, onion, scallion, bell pepper, dried chili pepper, chunk pineapple and chili paste. The pineapple chunks are generous and sizable, and the sweetness of the fruit provides a cool balance to the spiciness of the chili paste. The shrimp is cooked well and is delicately seasoned with all the flavors in the dish, as is the chicken. If you’re not the biggest fan of hot hot hot, watch out that you don’t chew on a dried chili pepper – those veggies provide the dish with that perfect heat that rises in the back of your throat, but can really do a number on your mouth if you’re not expecting it!

As we recovered from the spicy heat of our dinner, we were presented with heat of a different kind. For dessert, fried ice cream flambé ($5.95) was literally on fire as it was placed between us. Served impeccably over a homemade raspberry puree that covered the whole dish, the crisp, sugary exterior encloses the cool, creamy ice cream; it is a classic end to a traditional Thai meal.

Sri Thai
14 New Street
Huntington
631-424-3422

Cuisine: Thai

Atmosphere: Eastern themed, casual

Price range: Moderate

Hours: Mon-Thurs noon-10 p.m.,
Fri-Sat noon-10:30 p.m.,
Sun noon-9:30 p.m.

Main Menu