SriPraPhai Thai in Woodside-A Restaurant Review

Let's Take a Look at This Popular Queens Hotspot for Authentic (Really Authentic) Thai Cuisine

My first experience with Thai cuisine was about 1989. I don't remember what I had, but I was underwhelmed. Then, a few years later, in Hell's Kitchen, I figured, let me give it another shot, so I ordered the Panang Beef, and the exotic spices simmered in coconut milk, joined with the tender beef overwhelmed my taste senses. I was hooked. Back then, the web as we know it today was non-existent, and no one to my knowledge was writing food blogs yet. So, the only way to learn about it was to go to an old fashioned bookstore and buy a book, hopefully with lots of pictures to help the novice along.

I knew of a Thai grocery in Manhattan's Chinatown, so I went there to buy a few essential ingredients. Fish sauce, or "Nam Pla" (Nam means 'water' and pla means 'fish'), seems to be found in most everything, so I bought a bottle. Fish sauce is made from anchovies fermented in salt for months, then pressed in a way not unlike the way olive oil is extracted. Don't let this idea put you off. It gives anything it is added to that umami component, an extra layer of taste, a depth of flavor, that plain salt can never achieve, and is nearly indiscernible when used in small amounts. Think of drizzling a bit of soy sauce on your Chinese take out. Coconut milk is something found in sweet and savory dishes, so I bought a few cans. I found a large selection of different curry pastes, Panang style being one of them, so I was sure to buy a container. Then I tried my hand at recreating the dish I fell in love with in Hell's Kitchen. And all those flavors I loved so much are there with the curry paste and coconut milk, with my whatever blend of veggies and protein. It always came out too soupy, watery. But, it was OK for a novice, I guess.

But I live in Queens, and I was hoping for something closer to home. One day, traveling on the #7 train as it left the 61st St/Woodside station I saw the plain storefront on street level and said, next time, I am getting off to take a look. "SriPhaPhai Thai Bakery and Sweets" with some Thai writing under it. (64-13 39th Ave; 1-718-899-9599; cash only; closed Wednesdays) I thought I was going to visit a store and take a few nibbles home with me. Inside I remember just a wire shelving unit and a refrigerator case with these sweets and other items on display. Bright fluorescent lighting, plain tables, and Corelle plates on the tables. I found it odd for there to be tables and chairs for a place selling such a small selection of sweets and spicy dipping sauces. Then I saw at the cashier there was a menu. SriPraPhai. "You serve food as well?" was my question. I received an unenthused "Uh huh." as a response. So, I sat down and asked for a menu. I remember ordering the Papaya Salad with Crispy Catfish.

By that point I know I had tried a few Thai salads with the fish sauce, lime juice, chili, and garlic dressing, Papaya Salad being one of them, and was impressed that food could be so flavorsome but also contain zero added fat, at least with the dressing and veggie ingredients. So I thought I would go ahead and try their version. It was a regular Papaya Salad, garnished with toasted peanuts and salty crunchy baby dried shrimp, but piled high with shredded, deep-fried catfish that added a very interesting textural component to the familiar salad.

My repeated visits allowed me to try several other offerings, various dumplings and appetizers; salads; noodles, soupy or stir fried; curries of different types; an occasional sweet treat. I was enthusiastically talking with the young waiter/manager (the owner's son, as I now know) about how I thought this was the best Thai restaurant I have ever visited. I always received an uninterested reply. This got me thinking that the sign on the outside, "Thai Bakery and Sweets." Well, they do sell sweets. But maybe that Thai writing on the sign revealed more than the English letters told. I thought they were trying to keep a storefront that might dissuade a western clientele from patronizing the establishment by calling it merely a "Sweet Shop." This annoyed me to my core! But it piqued my interest, at least, and if they are not gracious to westerners, too bad. It's a free country! But they really did serve over-the-top food, and choices you NEVER see in your run-of-the-mill Thai restaurant. So, this single store-front establishment in a working class Irish/Filipino/Asian/Hispanic neighborhood has stood the test of time. In 2003 the owner bought the buildings on both sides, did a total renovation, added a lovely backyard patio and now and SriPraPhai now finds itself in a gentrifying neighborhood where young professionals are settling down, finding the area's diversity, grittiness and comparatively lower rents appealing, while SriPraPhai reaps the benefits of a totally fresh and revived market. The restaurant has always been a favorite of local Thai ex-pats who appreciate the loyalty to the cuisine they love so well, and now the neighborhood's new-comers are happy to go along for the ride. So, as the restaurant has grown, the management and staff are most gracious in their evolving surroundings, grateful that their perseverance has paid off.

I will not be spending too much time on the dishes siamophiles are accustomed to seeing in their local Thai restaurants, but, rest assured, they are all excellent. For example, the noodle dishes: Pad Thai, Pad See-Ew. The Satays with Peanut Sauce. The Tom Yung Koong or Tom Kha Gai soups. "Shrimp in a Blanket" (A-32 on the menu), et cetera. I will just scroll down the menu, top to bottom and point things out along the way that are tried and true favorites for me. I will point out some items that are not normally found in average Thai restaurants, but that I am interested in trying at some time. Honestly, there are many dishes I want to try, but once I am there I am always drawn to my favorites. The menu is huge, over 10 pages, but I tend to stick to 10 items, no matter how hard I promise myself to try something new.

I am familiar with the names of many Thai dishes transcribed into English. I only wish the restaurant would do the same, instead of using a more descriptive name in the heading. For example, dish C-1, Seasoned Pork with Garlic and Pepper. I had to think about what it is. If they called it Moo Kratiem or Gratiem (Gra Tiem, Kra Tiem) I would know exactly what it is. (Moo is pork, and Kratiem is Garlic).

Your server will ask you how spicy you want your food. The restaurant seems to have toned down their spiciness ratio to better conform with the palate of the weak-tongued westerners. Usually, "medium spicy" would be just that for me, but nowadays, it seems to be a little too tame, so I ask for spicy instead. But there is a caveat. If you ask for your food "Thai spicy," you will get just that!

Let's have at it, from the top. I already mentioned the Papaya Salad with Crispy Ground Catfish (A-3). Phenomenal!

Papaya Salad with Crispy Ground Catfish

 Forgo the catfish for a really light and delicious Papaya Salad.  They also make a version with unripened Green Mango (A-7), tart and crunchy like the Papaya.

Crispy Ground Catfish with Green Mango Salad

 On a TV food show, the host visited SriPraPhai, and in the on-screen cooking demo with the him was the same disinterested kid, not a kid anymore (nor disinterested), I remember from my early days there. The on-screen demo was for the Chinese Watercress Salad (A-6).

Chinese Watercress Salad

 I tried it with some friends of mine who order it over and over when we go. Served with blanched  Shrimp, Squid and Chicken, the watercress is first dipped into a tempura-like batter and then crisp fried. Dressed with the fish sauce and lime juice dressing I mentioned earlier. The Duck Salad (A-12; with Pineapple and Cashew; Yum Ped Yang, as I have seen in other restaurants) is another standout on the menu, adding a type of roast chili 'jam' (Nam Prik Pao) to the dressing. The BBQ Pork Tender, is outstanding, served "Jaew" sauce (A-8). Tender, juice, perfectly seasoned.

BBQ Pork Tender, Jaew Sauce

 Fried pork version available as well. Outstanding!! So delicious is this sauce that I ask for a side of it to savor throughout my meal. "Jaew", or "Jaeo" sauce is popular with grilled meats and seafood. A powerful concoction of dried chili powder, lime juice, toasted ground rice, cilantro and a bit of sugar. Fried pork strips are also served with this sauce. The Fried Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla; A-29) is another flag-bearer for the appetizer team.

Fried Fish Cake

 So are the Shrimp Cakes (Tod Mun Goong; A-30),

Fried Shrimp Cake

 Fried Chicken and Crabmeat Roll (A-33; Hoy Jor).

Fried Chicken and Crabmeat Roll

These are served with sweet plum sauce. The wrapping for the filling is tofu sheet or tofu skin. A very interesting ingredient found many Asian cuisines. To me the texture is like chicken skin. Crispy when fried, and chewy when steamed, and no cholesterol. A side of  Jaew for me, please!

There is a large variety of noodle dishes, either stir-fried or served in a soup. Some sauced with curry, some dry. However, I didn't really care for the dry noodle (N-22), Egg Noodle, no Soup. Too bland for me, but maybe it's just what you need after the spicy papaya salad or the Jaew sauce. The better-known noodle dishes are far above standard. Several others I have never seen anywhere else before, and honestly, have not yet tried. But what keyed me into this place being the real deal, dishes N17-N23 are served until 5pm. The Thai enjoy noodles for lunch. In larger cities, street food is common with individual vendors selling their specialty until it is gone, usually by dinnertime. The same is true for food served it Thailand's numerous canals, where Boat Noodles became popular (not listed on the menu per se, but ask for it and you will get it!). So, culturally speaking, the dishes in this section are culturally eaten during the daytime, not at night. Many of you will be happy that they removed the congealed pig's blood from the recipes where it is customarily found. Oh, don't cringe! It was only a few pieces, and it really has no flavor, so if you closed your eyes and told yourself it was tofu, no one is the wiser. It is a cheap and wholesome protein, and the Thai waste nothing! If you choose one with the option of dark spicy, it's better described as spiced like the warm, mellow spices found in a Vietnamese Phở.

The next section in the menu is soup. It is rather short, because various noodle dishes are served in soup. But there are a few interesting items there you won't find in the Thai place in your local strip-mall.

There's an entire section, albeit only 3 items long where soft shell crab is featured. (Another one in the appetizers section.) Where can you go wrong?

Soft Shelled Crab, Green Curry (SC-1)

Soft Shelled Crab, Chili Garlic & Basil (SC-2)

Soft Shelled Crab, Green Mango Salad (A-15)

The next section is "over rice." Some but not all of the choices here offer smaller portions of the A La Carte menu further down the list served with the rice on the same plate. I, for one, can have a very tantalizing meal choosing just items off the appetizers and salads menu. If you like to do this, you won't be disappointed. But if you still feel piqued, but don't want to order a full main course, these dishes over rice are a great option. The Combo of Roasted Pork was interesting because the succulent tender roast pork is prepared like the familiar Chinese roast pork, with the same ingredients in the marinade turned into a thick sauce served over the meats. Dee-lish!

Menu item O-8 is a dish that is found in far too few Thai restaurants. Shrimp Paste Fried Rice (Kkao Kluk Kapi).

Shrimp Paste Fried Rice

Shrimp paste (kapi) is made from small salted and fermented shrimp. The ingredient by itself can be quite strong in odor and in taste, but like the fish sauce, is used in quantities that do not offend. A Thai friend of minetold me it is not really a recipe of fried rice. Khao means rice. Kluk means rubbed, so the shrimp paste is rubbed in to incorporate it with the rice. A mound is turned onto a plate and then a symphony of other ingredients is arranged around it: Sweet pork, Chinese sausages, sliced long bean, green mango, dried shrimp, shallot, chili, julienned egg omelette, lime wedge, cucumber; ingredients can vary. So, in this case, the strong kapi is used to accentuate and support the other flavors on the plate. This one IS a favorite of mine!!

Pan Fried Mussels (Hoy Tod), O-14, is in this section, better placed in the appetizers section. It is a mussels omelette with a starchy slurry swirled in served with blanched bean sprouts and sriracha chili pepper sauce. This, in fact was my first encounter with this spicy condiment that is now trending like kale! Then at the bottom of the rice menu, to bring you back to Earth after seeing all these enticing smaller portions served with rice, you find two Thai restaurant stand-by plates to share, Pineapple Fried Rice and Basil Fried Rice.

I have not tried anything in the fish section, but the options are pretty straightforward. If fried, Red Snapper or if steamed, Striped Bass; or Trout Fillet (fried or steamed, large or small). All of these available in a variety of preparations.

The next menu section is A La Carte. Order a portion of rice on the side. Here you will find larger portions of stir-frys, vegetable dishes, an occasional noodle or soup dishes, and the curries. This is where it is best to visit this place with a group, order a number of dishes and enjoy your meal family style. And the true splendor of this restaurant shines in this category, as you will find the dishes you are familiar with (if you know the name in Thai, ask your server if they carry it. They probably do!) But here you will find much more exotic fare to be tried. There are offerings of Frogs Legs (close your eyes and think of chicken wings. Seriously!). Crispy Pork Belly with Chili Garlic and Basil (C-16)

Crispy Pork Belly with Chili Garlic and Basil

 (the same cut of the pig where we get bacon, just cut thicker and fried crisp, and served with the traditional Thai basil stir fry with garlic-Pad Gra-Prao, if you are more familiar with the Thai name, as I am), or the Sautéed Pork Leg with Chili Garlic and Basil cooked in the same manner are both favorites of mine off the A La Carte section. A stand-out winner is C-1, as I mentioned earlier. Seasoned Pork, Garlic and Pepper, or Moo Kratiem. I have had versions of this dish which were a bland, sauced stir-fry with veggies, seasoned with garlic and black pepper.

A Bad Version of Moo Kratiem

 No! It is a meat dish sautéed with garlic until the garlic is crisp, with a heavy hand of black pepper.

SriPraPhai's Seasoned Pork; Moo Kratiem

There is no sauce, nor vegetables, just a garnish of cilantro. A mention of something I appreciated. I ordered a dish (C-35, Sautéed Sa-Tor Bean. My server said that westerners tend not to like this ingredient. When I asked him why, he told me many find the bean had a funny taste. When I asked him what westerners thought it tasted like, he bluntly told me a "rubber tire." I thanked him for his candor, and said I want to order it anyway to see, and not to worry, I  understand the risk, I will not send it back. Promise. He was right. It tasted like a rubber tire, so, westerners, I do not recommend this dish.

(Drumroll, please!!) The reason this restaurant is meant to exist, in my opinion, is the Panang Curry (C-21).

Panang Curry

The version offered here is not soupy or watery as I have had it in other restaurants, as I have made it myself. It has a rich thick gravy finished with a drizzle of sweet coconut cream. This is the real McCoy! Once I remember I made the mistake of ordering it mild, but I was very disappointed. The panang curry paste, which contains chilis, of course, also contains other spices and ingredients, like peanut, that help thicken the final product. Let's face it, it's spicy. Take some paste out to quell the heat, and the result is thinner a more insipid product. Order it spicy and they will just gild the lily with fresh chilis added to the mix. Don't need it, so order it medium spicy and you will NOT be disappointed. Some curries are supposed to be watery. A friend likes to order the green curry at Thai restaurants. It tends to be soupy. The Massaman Curry (C-22) is served in a bowl with a soup spoon, not on a plate. So is the Red Curry (C-24). And the Jungle Curry C-27). Oh, the latter is for chiliheads only. Very very spicy!

Massaman Curry

Incidentally, the word, Massaman is derived from the archaic Thai word, mussulmun, meaning Muslim. Spices unheard of until then in Siamese cuisine were brought to Thailand by Muslim traders in the 17th Century from the Middle East, through the Indian subcontinent and via the Malay Archipelago. Cumin, cardamom, mace, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon, cloves bay leaves and whatever else picked up along the way made its way into Thailand in this manner. It is also not as fiery as the panang curry can be, unless you want it to be.

SriPraPhai offers all the popular dishes you will find at most Thai restaurants. But if you tend to be disinterested seeing the same dishes time and time again, or if you are into more exotic flavors, or are looking for a more authentic experience, then you have got to take a ride on the #7 train and get off at 61st/Woodside station and dine at SriPraPhai Thai Restaurant. The Zagat survey calls it the best Thai restaurant in New York City, and ranks it among the top 30 restaurants in the entire town! But don't take their word for it. Go see for yourself. You will not be let down. Sawadee-kap!

Oh, did I mention they sell sweets?!