Meeting A Mister At Mitr (Thai) In Midtown Manhattan In May
That’s A Lot Of Alliteration
When you become accustomed to dining out alone or schmoozing at corporate dinners, sharing a meal with a dear friend feels like a gift. This is why whenever I go to New York City I call up Chris.
One of my best friends from college, Chris is both a sweetheart who makes everyone he meets happier and a diehard foodie. I remember when we were so desperate for Vietnamese food while living in Allentown, Pennsylvania that we drove 25 minutes in every direction in search of the best bowl of phở. The winner, if you’re curious, was Loan’s Authentic Vietnamese Bistro based out of the Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market. This is what we were doing at 19. What about you?
In our 30s, we still meet and eat whenever I’m in New York City. This May, we quickly agreed on Thai food for dinner as I taxied into the city. Chris sent me the details for Mitr Thai and I was sold. Not that I’ve ever been led astray by one of his restaurant recommendations, but as Chris was born in Thailand and has lived in the city for the last decade, I knew I was in for a treat.
Mitr means buddy in Thai, and lucky for me, I was going to experience it with one of mine.
Located approximately halfway between Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center, you enter Mitr Thai on 46th Street, passing under some classic New York City scaffolding that begs the question: Do those ever get removed? The restaurant interior reveals a bar and line of tables with vibrant pops of gold, white, and teal against a combination of intricately textured wood accents. The space is intimate and cozy, but the design elements feel luxurious. We were quickly led upstairs, past the hanging woven sculptures swaying with their technicolor splendor, and towards a table filled with promise.
Mitr Thai offers diners a culinary journey through Thailand. The menu is centered around a map and the words “taste all four regions of Thai cuisine, in one place.” You can pick and choose from the Northern, Central, Northeast, and Southern Thai starters and entrées, or explore the separate menus for specials and street food. Faced with many tantalizing options and a strict 90-minute seating period, quick decisions are a must.
I imagine if I lived in New York City I would explore this menu region-by-region in order to discover the nuances of Thai cuisine. But, as a one-time visitor, Chris and I did what I assume most diners do, and ordered across each section of the menu.
We sought an ideal combination of plates to split: Something with noodles, a side of rice, different types of proteins including seafood, pork, chicken, and lots of veggies. I think we nailed it.
The curry puffs, from the central region of Thailand, consist of a mild blend of chicken, potato, onion, and curry powder, wrapped in a light pastry with braided edges. The three mid-sized puffs were paired with a cucumber relish that I constantly drizzled on top. This bright condiment with cucumbers and herbs added a wonderful cooling freshness to balance the warming, aromatic filling. It was the perfect start to our meal.
Chris ordered the nam prik ong, a Northern Thai dish, originating from where his extended family still resides. Nam prik ong is a dip of ground pork simmered in a tomato chili paste and served with pork rinds and greens to use for dipping and wrapping, respectively. We added a side of sticky rice for an additional pairing option. A first timer to nam prik ong, I appreciated the depth of flavor that rounded out the spiciness of the chile relish—it was fiery, yet still tasted savory and complex, while the meat remained juicy. My inner-carnivore also enjoyed dipping pork rinds into a pork dip. While there are many vegetarian options at Mitr Thai, this is not one of them.
Craving seafood, I ordered the goong pad kapi, one of the Chef’s Specials, made with bright pink jumbo shrimp tossed in kapi, a traditional fermented Thai shrimp paste, and served with Thai eggplant and long hot peppers. This dish introduced me to both kapi and Thai eggplants. The shrimp sauteed in that concentrated prawn paste was bold, with a near-potent tartness that grows on you with each bite. More surprising was the small and round Thai eggplants with its green hue and firm texture. How often do we get to try a new vegetable? This eggplant absorbed the robust and tangy flavors of the dish.
We didn’t want to overlook the street food menu, a choice I’m grateful for, as Mitr Thai’s pad se-ew with chicken is the best I’ve ever had. The broad noodles were velvety soft and lavishly tossed in a thick soy sauce with hints of sweetness then served with Chinese broccoli, eggs, and our choice of chicken. Pad sew-ew is always a crowd-pleaser, but this version excelled in the subtleties: Straightforward ingredients with exacting textures and a perfect noodle to sauce ratio. We cleaned our plate, even as our appetites waned.
I exited Mitr Thai joyfully (and with ten minutes to spare) because the food was bright, often surprising, and always satisfying. I would recommend dining there whether you want to explore regional Thai cuisine or order dishes that you’ve had dozens of times before. If I could give any advice, it would be to listen to the name of the restaurant: Mitr. Bring a buddy and turn a great meal into a cherished memory.
Regional Thai Cuisine With A Side Of Friendship.
Ergo Yum.