Asian foodies are so demanding. When we first sat down at Pok Pok NY, our Japanese friend exclaimed, “Thank GOD there is no pad thai on the menu!” She said this because most New York Thai restaurants have identified themselves with the overused noodle dish which has become a staple as far as Thai cuisine is concerned – except that a good pad thai is absolutely rare in these parts. They normally come out dry, bland, and (sigh) Americanized.

So we welcomed the addition of Pok Pok NY into the neighborhood as authentic Asian restaurants were few and far between, plus we’ve grown tired of trying them only to be disappointed. Pok Pok was highly acclaimed, in fact we bumped into fellow food-obsessed friends who got in line with us that Sunday afternoon. Of course our group had to ruin that impression. Uggh, so demanding!

Papaya Pok Pok – Papaya, Lime and Chili Salad

We started with the papaya salad which was too hot that it was inedible. Continue reading →