Sri Pra Phai

Srip Pra Phai
Sunnyside, Queens

We have not had much luck with finding "good" Thai food --- i.e., prepared simply, with superfresh ingredients and balanced spice, and easy on the budget. Superfatty was hopeful that Srip Pra Phai would fit the bill.

Getting to Sunnyside from midtown was not all that bad; we managed to skip the afternoon rush and got there in less than thirty minutes. We opted to eat in their courtyard, a lovely affair of rose bushes and hanging flowers, and a little fountain, to boot.

Be forewarned that their menu is extensive. The prices are very reasonable, so Sri Pra Phai is a great place to splurge. The smiley faces in the menu reflect the popular dishes. Here's what we got:

Fried soft shell crabs with mango salad on the side. (This had the smiley face.) They were light and crispy, although not as superfresh as we'd like.

Duck salad. DJKung liked this dish; the duck was crispy and yummy.

Pad thai. This was a very light variation, with egg and soy sauce.

Kang kung (water spinach). This is always a crowd-pleaser. The greens are very mild, and the stems have a nice crunch to them

DJKung's dad got the pork with cellophane noodles casserole. It tasted very light too, with a refreshing Chinese celery flavor.

DJKung felt that there was not a lot of meat on the table, so he ordered the stir-fried pork. It seemed like it was simply cooked in a splash of soy sauce. He did not like this too much.

We're not really sure what it is--- the food was ok, but nothing savory. Generally, we like our Thai food bursting with that salty-sweet-hot combination that you get with really good Southeast Asian food. We've agreed to give Sr Pra Phai another shot before we decide.