A-Plus Thai Place
You can almost smell that Spring is in the air here in NYC, pouring rain on a constant basis and roadside dining barriers are starting to get packed.
As I got off the 57th street stop on M15 bus and slowly walked down 2nd Avenue on my way to A Plus Thai Place on 1007 2nd Ave between 54th & 53rd streets in Midtown East. I met Chef Aura Piyada a couple years back when we both did the New York City Wine and Food Festival by Food Network. I remember during the orientation that we both got lost trying to find the meeting area and ended up talking. This is where our friendship began. I’ve been planning to visit her for quite some time now and luckily the day has finally arrived where I get to try Northern Thai dishes.
As I arrived at the restaurant the server greeted me warmly and I met Aunt Sanun who Chef Aura started this business venture with over a decade ago. Their family hails from Northern Thailand, from the kingdom of Sukhothai which was once the capital of Thailand.
Chef Aura was living with her grandmother then and this is where she first fell in love with cooking and Thai cuisine. Her balance of subtle flavors and fragrant aromas slowly started to coat the dining room as the dishes start coming out and set on top the wooden table laid out with banana leaves. Cinnamon sticks and various chili peppers decorated the table along with sprinkles of coriander that serves as a reminder that you are about to partake on a culinary feast of Northern Thai cuisine.
Chef Aura prepared a feast for us consisting of various favorite dishes from her childhood and staple dishes from her dinner menu. The crisp fried Branzino with the garlic sauce was one of the dishes that stole the show with it’s unique flavors. The “Laab” was my favorite appetizer as the chicken was spiced perfectly complimenting the fresh lettuce cup.
Their version of the Thai Basil Chicken reminded me of my travels before to Bangkok during my college days. This dish to me is the classic comfort dish that is a must have every time you step into any Thai place.
The Tom Kha soup had the right amount of heat and richness from the coconut milk and the decadence of the banana blossom was simply delicious.
The meal would not be complete if we didn’t have Khao Soi on the table, a northern thai specialty with the chicken cooked to perfection and garnished with crispy noodles.
The sweet Thai iced tea float though was a complete game changer for me. I told Chef Aura after trying it that it was the best ice cream float I’ve ever had, and she simply said thank you, in Northern Thai we like to put vanilla ice cream on top of our Thai iced tea. In the end the simple things in life is what brings the outmost joy out of us…
Our meal ended with an array of desserts, fried banana was served first and then the mango with sticky rice followed.
Subway Series will continue as I #KulinaryaTravel next to downtown near Union Square as I visit Café Salmagundi