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Kittichai
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
60 Thompson St(between Spring St & Broome St)
New York, NY 10012
Neighborhood: South Village
(212) 219-2000
- Nearest Transit:
-
Spring St (A, C, E)
Canal St (1, 2)
Canal St (A, C, E)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Katie B. said: "I'm not a big fan of Thai food, but when i'm in bay ridge it's one of my favorite places. Soup Tom Ka is delicious here. Good portions for me personally. After dinner feel full and pretty light at the same time. it is a very small…" read more »
589 reviews for Kittichai
Review Highlights
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"The chocolate baby back ribs were indeed." In 26 reviews -
"Banana Spring Rolls with Burnt Honey Ice Cream." In 26 reviews -
"Chilean sea bass marinated in yellow beans - WOW x 4." In 26 reviews
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589 reviews in English
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Review from Elsa M.
5/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Well, well, well... What do we have here? Quite possibly the best brunch I have had in ages?! I think it might be. The ambiance alone is flawless, with orchids throughout and an orchid pond right in the center of the restaurant.
However, I didn't come here to eat orchids. I came here to eat the food, and while I wasn't a fan of the "5 Asian spice French toast" (which was extremely dry and sounded better than it actually tasted), I was a fan of the Kittchai omelette!!! In fact, I tore up my hubby's plate. LOL! Sorry, babe!
Saturday brunch plus unlimited mimosas/bellinis is only $25, which is a steal for the quality of food and the pleasure of eating with friends in a beautiful setting. Our group spent almost three hours there taking full advantage of the "unlimited" nature. Bliss. Will definitely be back. Hopefully soon! When's my next trip to NYC again? lol! -
Review from Myrtle T.
Princeton, NJ
5/6/2012
I ordered the $55 tasting menu, along with two other friends. Here's my run-down review:
Appetizers:
-Kittichai fish cakes - mediocre, forgettable, bland. Gave the rest of my portion away.
-Salmon tartare - very tasty, a little heavy on the sauce, but it hit the spot.
-Green papaya salad - it was light, tasty, and yummy, but not spectacular.
***I rate it 1.5 hits out of 3.
First course:
-Crispy whole fish, galangal dressing - delicious. cooked perfectly. sauce was amazing.
-Pan-seared mahi mahi - the cut of fish was not good. it had no flavor for a mahi mahi.
-Sauteed gai-lan - heavy on the soy sauce(?), oversalted, but vegetables were spot on.
***I rate it 1.5 hits out of 3
Second course:
-Organic chicken in green curry - flavorful, savory, tender, great.
-Coconut braised short ribs - also flavorful, super tender, amazing.
***I rate it 2 hits out of 3
Dessert:
-Flourless Valrhona Chocolate Cake - I had just returned from Paris with tons of valhrona chocolate in my luggage, and this cake was perfection.
-Banana spring rolls with burnt honey ice cream - the spring rolls were fried fine, but the ice cream had little flavor. not memorable.
***I rate it 1 hits out of 2
Overall, it scored 6 hits out of 11. It has a nice price for a tasting menu, with ample portions. A good, reliable restaurant but lacks the wow factor overall. -
Review from Sharon G.
Brunswick, GA
5/5/2012
Went for lunch and found this place a bit pricey. $18 for a piece of salmon with red curry on a small bed of wilted greens. Good but have had much better curry. Glad we ordered a couple of bowls of jasmine rice (extra charge) or we would have left hungry. $15 for a beer. I'll agree with T L., the place is beautiful and we should have ordered the $25 prix fixe menu. Maybe the choices would have been better for a much better price.
$100 lunch for four for what we got...think we'll try somewhere else next time. -
Review from Amy S.
Brooklyn, NY
5/24/2012
Came here originally for dinner during Restaurant Week and loved it so much we came back for dinner again, recently. This review is based mostly on our first visit; our second visit was standard, but with the same wonderful food and service.
Ambiance: Wonderful! The bar area is beautiful. Clean, but still friendly. The restaurant is a calming oasis and put us in a great mood.
Service: Half and half (front of house/manager: not so great. Wait staff: Amazing!)
Host/Hostess: During our first visit, I arrived first and gave my name to the hostess, since I had a reservation. She asked me to sit and wait for my boyfriend before being seated - no problem. When he arrived, I told her he was there and we waited about 10 more minutes. Finally, I asked when we would be seated and she responded as though she had no idea we were there and had not checked off that we had arrived. That wasn't great.
Wait staff: My boyfriend was a server for a long time and is very critical of table service. We had such great service that we waited after our meal to speak with the manager and give our compliments. That's a huge deal. He never does that.
Manager: We waited for about 15 minutes to speak with a manager to give our compliments to our waitress... and she never came to speak with us. It was late, so we left, a bit disappointed.
Food: Fantastic! We had the rock shrimp appetizer both times we came here, as well as the ribs appetizer. They were both very flavorful and quite tasty. The Duck 2 Ways was interesting and really good, too. The one dish I would not recommend was the sea bass. It wasn't bad - the sauce was actually delicious! - but the fish, itself was rather bland. Again, it wasn't bad, but not the best thing on the menu.
Overall, I would love to give this place 5 starts! I would if I could afford to go there more often! -
Review from Nicolle R.
New York, NY
5/18/2012
Came here last night with my girlfriends for dinner and drinks; the weather was perfect, we sat outside. Our waitress was super nice & friendly. We ordered tons of appetizers and sides and shared everything. The fish cakes were delicious and the bbq ribs...the jasmine/garlic rice...the papaya salad and croquettes were all very delicious! Definitely a great date spot and a trendy scene!- the cocktails were also delicious!
-
Review from Cindy W.
Roslyn, NY
5/1/2012
Came here for a six month anniversary dinner. We ordered six dishes. It took 2.5 hours to bring the food to our table. And to top it off the food wasn't that great, considering this place has been around forever, you'd think that they'd get a bit creative with the food but it really wasn't memorable to me.
I see that other reviewers also disliked how hot it was in the restaurant. I agree.
Can't really say i am going to come back to this place. Meh. -
Review from Lisa S.
Yardley, PA
5/6/2012
The ambience was awesome. Loved their spicy bloody mary and lychee bellinis. Food was not anything I would go back for. Service was horrible. We waited for our drinks for 20 mins. Our waiter was not willing to give us different glasses for different drinks. The quantities was skimpy for the amount of money you pay.
Overall only the ambience and the drinks can be recommended -
Review from T L.
New York, NY
5/3/2012
Went here for brunch went 4 other friends. Kittichai is absolutely beautiful with a lovely pool in the middle of the restaurant. Very tranquil with great lighting. The only somewhat issue was that since there were five of us, they put us at a table in an enclosed corner, so we missed out the ambience of the rest of the restaurant. But that was more than made up for by their $25 prix-fixe brunch menu of delectable food options which includes 2 hours of unlimited cocktails.
I had the eggs benedict which had a yummy curry-flavored hollandaise sauce on it. They made it with spinach and even the spinach was soooo good. My friends had the salmon and 3 egg omelette entrees, and everyone raved about their choices. As for the cocktails - 3 choices - an extra-spicy bloody mary, blood orange mimosa, or a lychee bellini. I don't usually like mimosas, but love blood oranges, and it was an excellent choice. Friends had the bloodies and bellinis, and stayed with their choices for the 2 hours.
The best part of the meal was our server, Chen. Beautiful and knowledgeable and so sweet. We were never with less than a 1/3 of a glass for the entire 2 hours! So I guess it was a good thing we were put in a corner away from the rest of the clientele - we definitely were having too good of a time!
Highly recommend Kittichai but definitely make a reservation - it's (of course) packed on the weekends. -
Review from Judith S.
New York, NY
4/20/2012
Where do I begin? It was a warm evening and the inside of the restaurant was a sauna - when we mentioned this to the waiter he laughed it off and said it was supposed to feel like Thailand... ok haha but we're sweating. So I removed some outer layers that i had on and put them on the top of the bench seats and was chastised by an employee. Ummm if you don't want me to put my jacket there maybe ask if you could check it for me? All of this wouldn't be a big deal at an inexpensive restaurant but we were not at some cheap thai place.
Then my friend ordered a glass of wine which she wanted to drink while we were waiting for our appetizers to come out - she reminded the waiter at least twice and it came to her with the food. And let me also mention that it took a while for the food to come out...
Anyway, all of this wouldn't have been a big deal if the food had been amazing, which it wasn't. We all shared appetizers and the short rib entree - which we ordered because they were out of the baby back ribs (what? on a Saturday night?) the only things that I really thought were decent were the rock shrimp and the vodka cocktail I had. The Short Ribs were vile - so fatty. My friend (politely) had to spit hers out into her napkin.
I was very disappointed and for the money it was definitely not worth it for the atmosphere, service, and the food. All of these were subpar. -
Review from Pamela T.
Brooklyn, NY
4/24/2012
I came here for brunch with my girlfriend and was a bit skeptical by the mixed reviews. I enjoyed it quite a bit though.
The decor is nice, I love the pond in the middle of the restaurant. The menu is extensive with lots of choices even for brunch. My friend ordered french toast which is definitely overpriced, and it tasted like ordinary french toast. I ordered the 3 course meal - baby back ribs (tender and tasty), curry (also tasty), chocolate cake (neither my friend nor I enjoyed it) The table next to us ordered flan which looked good, should've gotten that instead. Oh wellz.
Our waitress was really nice too. We were there for 2 hours and she came by a few times to check on us, didn't rush us by any means even though the restaurant looked full. -
Review from Nameeta K.
New York, NY
3/31/2012
I was agonizing over which place I would review for my landmark 50th, until it hit me...of course! Kittichai! Hands down one of my all-time favorite restaurants in NYC, I couldn't believe I hadn't reviewed it yet.
This place has it all - amazing food, phenomenal service, AND stunning decor. So of course it was the ideal place for my roommate's farewell dinner.
Although I've been here a few times before, as I walked into this fabulous place yesterday, once again I couldn't help but be blown away by the sheer beauty. From the wall of colored flowers immersed in water-filled vases to the dragon "boat" with lit candles to the highlight piece, a gorgeous water pool in the center of the restaurant, whoever designed Kittichai should certainly win an award.
Now that I've raved about the decor, on to the food! The 8 of us ordered a whole slew of dishes and so I got to sample quite a few things. Some highlights below:
Thai spiced butternut squash soup: I have NEVER had such a delightful soup. Perfect creamy consistency with a wonderful spice, it really warmed my soul.
Kittichai fish cakes: Light & delicate with a nice crisp coating. So good with the chutney.
Pan-seared Mahi-Mahi with red curry: The fish was perfectly cooked and well-coated with the sauce. Doesn't come with rice, so you will need to order it separately.
Duck two ways: Yum! Delicious curry gravy with full-bodied flavor.
Each dish was beautifully presented which gives Kittichai even more brownie points in my book. Oh and speaking of presentation, I HAVE to mention the Thai iced coffee. This is a must get for me every time I come here. Each component (the milk, liquid sugar, and coffee) comes in individual cute little flasks. You also get a glass filled with ice so that you can fill it up and make the coffee exactly to your taste - a concept I LOVE.
Oh and by the way, to top it all off, the servers are knowledgeable and attentive without being overly cloying. They even brought out a surprise plate of tiny desserts with "Bon Voyage" written on the plate for my roommate!
Although the cost is on the higher end for dinner, the experience is totally worth it. And of course, there's always the well-priced $25 prix fixe lunch menu for a more affordable option! -
Review from J P.
New York, NY
3/30/2012
What a gem. I went for my special occasion and was greatly surprised. Love the decor especially the square pond in the middle of the restaurant. Got seated right away at a booth. Nice and cozy. We went during lunch hour on a tuesday and it was empty but I like it that was to really enjoy the decor and have the waitstaffs full attention.
Our waitress was friendly and knowlegeable with the food, drinks and ingredients. We had some yummy thai food. Tuna tartare with house prepared cuplets, corn fritters, mahi mahi and shrimp pad thai. All very tasty. The drinks were very good. My favorite is the Thai ice tea martini. Perfect color and taste.
It was an enjoyable experience and would be going back and bringing more friends. -
Review from Diane A.
Fort Worth, TX
5/8/2012
Came here with a group of 6 girls, everything we ordered was delicious. Although it's a little on the pricey side, They have great presentation and flair to their food. The food was authentic Thai with a twist.
-
Review from Erick G.
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
4/10/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
It was a wonderful evening - drinks and food were done to perfection. The ambiance was just right :)
I brought a first date here and I think the ambiance helped or maybe it was the lighting :) Food was delicious and the service was impeccable. Just don't get caught rubbing shoulders in a booth... they will frown on you.. oops!! -
Review from Sheri s.
3/10/2012
Kittichai: Refined Thai dining dinner tasted so good ;-)
The ambiance in beautiful, the bar is bright with an array of rainbow flowers in vases. During dinner time the main dining hall was dark and seduction with a gorgeous water focal point in the center of the room with floating anthuriums and candles enclosed in round vases.
All my dishes were so flavorful and rich in spice. I had the two way duck. It was so scrumptious, if I had tasted the curry sauce earlier I would have put it all over the roasted duck portion. The cauliflower came with this surprisingly yummy sauce. It tasted like melted butter with a nice mix of other spices. Usually restaurants don't dress up the flavor of the cauliflower, but Kittichai definitely left me wanting more sides to soak up the cauliflower sauce.
I had the normal Thai iced tea and personally liked that I got my Thai tea, the half and half and the syrup all in cute separate crockery so I could mix the tea to my hearts content. -
Review from Sally C.
3/1/2012
I came here to celebrate a friend's birthday over a boozy brunch. It's $25 for an entrée and unlimited drinks, which is a pretty good deal since the drinks are nicer - lychee bellinis and blood orange mimosas. The atmosphere was nicer than your typical NYC boozy brunch.
I had the pad thai, which actually wasn't bad. It wasn't the best pad thai I've had but it was definitely decent.
However, the service wasn't great. We had to literally flag down the waitress and she had a slight attitude problem.
3 stars for the food, 5 stars for the drinks, 2 stars for the service = 3 stars overall -
Review from Vicky V.
New York, NY
3/7/2012
Had my bday dinner here. We had to get the prefixed menu ($55/person), but it was actually a great idea as we a. didn't have to worry about what to order and b. everything was divided so there was no situations of someone ordering a 10$ plate while the other person a 30$ and then dividing evenly upon the bill.
The only Pro was: it was kind of odd, but they kept on forgetting to bring 3rd portion of each round, so we had to remind them. I am not sure if it was a mistake, or if they intentionally were trying to skip on us -
Review from Christine Y.
New York, NY
2/16/2012 5 photos
The place looked great! Drink was great! Food tasted great! So, solid 5 stars for Kittichai!
The giant square water pool at the center of the dining area is the focal point of the restaurant - lotus leaves laying on the water, Lit candles floating near the lotus leaves, flowers hanging from the ceiling; all shining under the recessed lights. With the dimmed light in the whole restaurant and soft sofa seats against the walls, it's truly a romantic and elegant place. Wanna impress your date? Bring her here :)
Drink - It was the first time I had Thai iced tea this way: the waiter brought me a glass of ice, a tall bottle of unsweetened Thai iced tea, a small bottle of milk and a small bottle of sugar water. How cute! I was like a little girl playing toys when I mixed them together. It was fun, and of course tasty!
Appetizer - we loved the Thai spiced butternut squash soup and the baby back ribs! The first taste of the soup was quite heavenly - a little sweet, a little spicy, very creamy, very special. After a few spoons, the spice added up and became a bit too much (for me), but overall it was still delicious! Baby back ribs were very very tender. Oh, towards the end of our meal, our next table ordered the pan seared prawns, and it smelled reeeeeally good and made me drool even though I was already very full.
Entrée - we had the mahi-mahi (fish) with tomato and coconut flavor and the organic chicken in green curry with eggplant and basil. The fish had the crispy skin with coconut flakes, and the fish meat was still soft. The organic chicken was very bouncy and curry was tasty.
Dessert - we had the chocolate cake and the coconut cream caramel. The chocolate cake was probably double dark chocolate - really bitter, very bitter - probably welcomed by hardcore chocolate lovers. The coconut cream caramel brulee was sweet and tasty, plus, the almond crisp on the side was sooooo crunchy and would make your mouth fully filled of delicious taste of almond!
Highly recommend Kittichai! -
Review from Valery C.
2/26/2012 15 photos
I am fussy about Thai food, despite having questionable qualifications to judge its authenticity. My benchmark was a defining moment at Sripraphai years ago when I felt powerful sour, sweet, salty, and heat flavors memorably coalesce into something unforgettable. I have sought that perfect balance ever since, to a lot of disappointment. I have also tended to seek it in casual settings, a reason Kittichai was never on my radar, despite the namesake chef being Thai. He has since departed and Ty Bellington arrived, making some promising changes, particularly with basic food prep, using fresh ingredients for everything and creating sauces from ground up. The restaurant hasn't been professionally reviewed since Bellington took over, but I came curious to see what I thought about the food. Not to mention that a friend who tried it already loved it and was all about returning.
Kittichai is upscale Thai, the restaurant darkly gorgeous and swanky. Plush U-shaped booths line the perimeter of the main dining room, a stone pool with floating blossoms amidst the wide tables in the center. Service was attentive and reliable.
We decided to try one of the two tasting menus, each of the five courses involving 2 - 3 different dishes served family-style, plates at center for sharing by all, the right way to be having this cuisine. This was a fantastic way to sample many dishes, and at $70 a person, you can try 13 different dishes. Alternatively, there's a la carte ordering. The drinks menu is extensive and interesting, cocktails very appealing and all tried were fairly well-crafted. The cocktail equivalent of a Thai iced tea was especially fun and very good.
The verdict on the food? I didn't relive that epiphanous moment, but there were some wonderful highlights balanced with dishes that were simply good. Ingredients were universally fresh, flavors bright and deep, quality of cooking quite high (e.g., moist, flaky bass, tender ribs, crispy greens). Presentation, very attractive. My favorites (noting a personal fondness for sour) were the red snapper ceviche, sharply acidic balanced by rich, ground coconut, the earthy beef salad with beans and roasted rice powder, and the green chicken curry, which could use more heat but really made up for it by being deeply flavorful.
Enjoyable dining experience at Kittichai, and was pleasantly surprised by the level of cooking, even if it still isn't the Thai food that I seek. But Kittichai is easily recommended if you seek an upscale Asian restaurant with well-prepared food and gorgeous setting. -
Review from Jessica D.
Dallas, TX
4/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great brunch spot!! Came here in the middle of the pouring, freezing rain on Earth day (hah) yesterday, and I was surprised that there was no wait at all. The interior is very design zen with chic lighting and comfy booths (try to get one!) surrounding a calm body of water in the center. For brunch, I tasted the Eggs Benedict and the Kittichai Omelet. Both were delicious, but the benedict was just amazing. The sauce had a great smoky flavor and the yolk, of which all varieties are normally just disgusting to me, was palatable! I'd come back with friends in a heartbeat, solid option. Also, I looove the spicy horseradishy bloody mary! One of the best I've had in a while.
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Review from Samuel M.
New York, NY
3/16/2012
I have mixed feelings about this place. On the one side, i LOVED the music, the space is gorgeous, the decor is chic and there are good looking waiters and waitresses. But on the other side the food is not that good, nothing to remember. We shared a number of dishes, meh.
The problem: their champagne is cheap, two glasses after dinner and i was very very dizzy. The hostess was an ice cube: no expression, no smile, no look. Like a robot, and not the funny ones. I won't come back. I loved it at the beginning, i hated it at the end. -
Review from Melissa B.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012
Kittichai's at 60 Thompson Street Hotel was amazing!
We enjoyed a "boozy brunch" here a while back, and had an awesome time!!
The ambiance is beautiful, the price is $25 for breakfast and unlimited drinks, and the brunch is "Thai Fusion"- you heard it right, a Thai breakfast.
Good food. Fresh fruit in the cocktails. Relaxed ambiance. -
Review from Vivian L.
New York, NY
3/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Once upon time, I came here 1.5 years ago and had the 5 course tasting menu. I had the best meal.
The flavors and fusion were intoxicating. I truly enjoyed all the dishes and lovely presentation. I never knew that Thai food could taste this amazing. I thought 70/pp was kinda cheap since it was one of BEST tastings I have ever had (for Thai food)...
Last night, we came here again for the 5 course tasting menu. I had a mediocre meal. I thought, Kittichai lost their culinary magic to connect with their customers' taste buds. They must had change chefs.
It appears Kittichai caters to a crowd that values beautiful decor over tasteful meals. The food tasted bland (perhaps a bit too salty) and the flavors didn't come together. From the presentation to tasting, the dishes didn't capture my taste buds as it did almost two years ago.
Sadly, my love affair with Kittichai has come to an end. -
Review from Jaime P.
Morristown, NJ
2/12/2012
My sister and I went for brunch and chose to have the brunch pre fixe menu...(a entree and unlimited cocktails for $25...yay!)
We arrived 20 minutes early for our reservations and the hostess was more than happy to accomodate us and get our table ready early...(yay!)
The restaurant is beautiful, it's sleek and modern..
I had the eggs benedict with smoked salmon which was delicious and my sister had the kittchai omelette with sour sausage and lumb crab...equally delicious!!
The bloody mary was too spicy especially paired with the omelette because of the sauce with the omelette( If you really love spicy...then by all means)..the blood orange mimos was eh, but the lychee bellinis were amazing...(pretty sure I drank 10 of them)..
The staff was very attentive, your glass is never empty for more than 30 seconds, the food came out really fast, and like the I said the hostess was also super nice..
Also I requested a dessert that they normally only have for dinner (the pandan-valrhona white chocolate fondue) and the pastry chef agreed to whip it up for me...and it was AMAZING....it's green and kinda looks like its something out of ghostbusters...but it's AMAZING. amazing.
The ONLY reason for the 4 stars is our main server was not friendly. Like at all. Not even a little bit..Even after the bus boy knocked over my glass and sent water flying all over me she didnt even open her mouth to apologize she just came and put some napkins on the table. Other than her, I was absolutely recommend coming here, its an awesome place for a drunken Sunday brunch. -
Review from Radhika B.
Dayton, NJ
2/13/2012
After reading some subpar reviews about service, I came here with lowered expectations about being seated late or having a mean server but...this place more than exceeded my initial expectations. Went here for restaurant week and it was really worth every cent. From service to food, this place was impeccable from start to finish. We had a 7:30 reservation and we were seated in few minutes which was really impressive on a Friday night at prime time. Our server joined us in 5 minutes to take our drink and food order. The appetizer came out in 10 minutes with every subsequent course coming really fast.
Here's what we ordered:
-Appetizer: Baby back ribs, Mekhong whiskey barbeque sauce - cooked to perfection. The sauce was definitely not your run of the mill bbq sauce which was a refreshing change but still on the sweet side.
-Appetizer: Red curry of chicken in puff pastry tartlets - very tasty and seasoned just right. I loved the drop of coconut milk and sprig of cilantro on the tartlet - it added a really nice flavor to the meat without being overwhelming.
-Entree: Pan seared Mahi Mahi, rich red coconut curry - as a native fish eater, I absolutely loved this curry and it reminded me a lot of my mother's cooking. The interesting part was the dessicated coconut which really brought out the flavor of the curry. The fish was cooked to perfection.
-Entree: Chili-smoked hanger steak, long beans, preserved chili jam. Now I dont eat steak very often anymore so when I eat it, I want it to be perfect - and this steak was cooked medium rare perfectly. The chili rub was really tasty and I loved the crunchy green beans under the meat.
-Dessert: Flourless Valrohna chocolate cake with fresh cream - a bit dense and dark (I don't particularly like dark chocolate) but my boyfriend LOVED this dessert.
-Dessert: Coconut creme caramel with coconut tuille - so so so so good!!! I LOVED THIS CREME CARAMEL. I've made this creme caramel with coconut a few times before so it's already one of my favorites! The consistency was great and it wasn't overly sweet (albeit a bit eggy).
A note on the decor: it was absolutely gorgeous. I loved all the flowers in the jars and the tealights floating on the mini pond in the center of the restaurant.
Bottomline: if you want to go somewhere special, this is a really nice place. Very clean, great food, great service...what more could you want? -
Review from Erin D.
2/1/2012
Very positive, 3.5-star experience here for Restaurant Week Dinner 2012. Portions were definitely filling, and menu choices were creative and varied, but no special "wow" factor that makes me want to rush back anytime soon. I actually really, really like affordable, casual Thai places, and I can score some pretty impressive dishes at Zabb City for about $10, so the whole "upscale Thai" thing doesn't do it for me.
Here's my take on the RW experience:
FOOD: Anyone who knows me knows I like big muscles. (Just look at my boyfriend, honestly.) Well, I like my bivalve mussels HUGE, as well, and Kittichai did not disappoint with this appetizer. I found their steamed mussels in a lemongrass broth infinitely better than a similar dish at Seahorse Tavern. My friend found the ribs too spicy, although our waiter said they were very mild. (It's worth noting that my friend is ridiculously sensitive to spice (WEAK!) and usually just sticks with Pad Thai everywhere.)
My picky BF raved about his salmon curry entree, and I'll admit I was impressed with the size of his meat, myself (mmhmm!)! I liked that the fish wasn't drenched in curry; rather, it had a thick spread of a very creamy red curry on top. The hanger steak was more tender than I expected, but it was difficult to truly appreciate the beef, as it was marinated in a thick jam and also drowning in a sauce. Not sure I'd get it again. As far as desserts go, get the coconut flan or go home. The chocolate cake was dry and powdery, and the sorbets/ice creams were bo-ring. Coconut flan was way above the rest.
SERVICE: Our waiter was awkward and spoke in a whisper. He seemed a bit too unfamiliar with the dishes - wasn't really sure what was spicy and what wasn't.
AMBIANCE: Ridic. Love it. I want that hypnotizing, magically moving pond in the center of the restaurant in my apartment. Very, very cool, trendy space, but also dark and closed in (no windows). Probably one of the more memorable restaurant spaces I've seen in the city.
In comparison to the other joints I've tried for various Restaurant Weeks in the past years, I actually think this is worth checking out before the deal ends on February 10th, particularly if you're looking for a cool night out with a group. -
Review from Sarah G.
2/6/2012
I didn't want to like it. I don't know why, but I just didn't want to. Well, I liked it. I liked it a lot.
The restaurant is much bigger than I was expecting and very sleek. Service was helpful and very nice.
I confess I did not even look at the regular menu, opting immediately to go with the RW Winter 2012 Menu. Started with the ribs and HOLY OH MY GOODNESS AWESOME. I don't usually like eating meat off a bone (is that weird?!), but these were awesome. The meat was tender and the sauce tangy. Loved. Next I had the coconut prawns. I don't know why they call it prawns b/c it was regular shrimp. Don't be embarrassed, Kittichai, because they were just fine! I finished the evening with the caramel flan/pannacotta thing. The crisp served on the side was freaking awesome. Must have again.
To top it all off, I loved the cocktail I was drinking - Thai Basil something or other. So good, I couldn't get enough. -
Review from Elizabeth J.
Manhattan, NY
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here with a group for brunch. Fantastic service. Our Irish server hand a steady hand and our bottomless drinks were never empty. The food was good, very flavorful. I had the Kittichai Omelet, which came w/ Sriracha sauce! sooo good. I loved the fact that their drinks were all made fresh. The only thing I would like different is the option for straight champagne. My friends had the Salmon and Locks which also was very good. Nice big pieces of Salmon, very fresh.
The atmosphere is very swanky, meatpacking ish, dress up for brunch kind of style. Very nicely decorated, trendy yet not super loud and obnoxious. I will def come back. -
Review from Marina D.
Manhattan, NY
2/12/2012
Kittichai is one of the places that has been on my radar forever, but somehow I never made it there. This restaurant week, I decided to finally try it. Went there with a friend on a Friday night.
We had to wait just a few minutes for our table, which was not a big deal. The bar area is kind of hectic and not too cozy, but the bartender was very nice. The dining room is gorgeous!! The lily pool in the middle of the room is beautiful and the hanging orchids were lovely.
We had the restaurant week menu with wine pairings. The food was good. The portions were generous. My friend really liked the wine pairings; I thought the wines were just ok. The service was attentive and competent, and our waiter was very cute ;)
The problem was the incredibly weird crowd. A strange mix of just normal, nice-casual, after-work folks, groups of women out for a girls' night in club get-up getting drunk and shrieking at the top of their lungs (that's 9 pm we are talking about, not 1 am), lots of gay couples on dates, and at least one crying child. Idk, it kind of created a bizarre vibe that didn't work for me at all.
There is nothing wrong with this place, but the overall experience gave me no reason to want to go back. -
Review from Buba A.
2/14/2012 7 photos
I celebrated my birthday dinner at Kittichai last year and I have to admit it was quite a good choice -- they sure do serve "Thai" food, however edging more towards the exotic culinary aspect of it. Service was bit slow in the beginning, considering the fact that the restaurant was barely packed on a saturday night -- but the main entrees we ordered, the drinks & dessert-overdose in the end definitely made up for it!
My friends & I ordered tiger prawns with red curry sauce, thai barbeque chicken with coconut, organic chicken with green curry & hanger steak with beans & chilli jam.. I would usually not seem to LIKE every dish served but at Kittichai, everything tasted HEAVENLY!! (or maybe we were starving??) but still, I have no complains.
My sister had ordered the valrhona white chocolate fondue & banana spring rolls with burnt icecream for dessert -- but there had seemed to be some sort of a communication error & the bus boy ended up serving us the valrhona chocolate cake with fresh cream (& the waiter was super nice enough not to charge us for this!!).. i loooved the white fondue and the banana spring rolls too & since it was my birthday, they also served me 3 cute, yummy pastries as complimentary!! so we were not only foodcomatosed but also dessertified -- biig time! =)
I recommend Kittichai to everyone -- not only for their delicious food but also for the ambience, the decor, the music etc.Listed in: Plush Dining!
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Review from Anna B.
Manhattan, NY
3/13/2012
Was looking for a brunch spot on yelp and stumbled upon this place.
The brunch/lunch menu wasn't Thai food BUT... the decor was lovely, the food was good and the drinks kept on a coming (we ordered the one with unlimited drinks).
Our waiter was great! We never had to wait for drinks. We were drunk when we left.
It was empty at noon, and it started filling up at 2. -
Review from Denise D.
CANAL STREET, NY
2/16/2012
OH MY, now this place is Gorgeous! I am all about the ambiance and decor of a place, and this place is just amazing. As soon as you walk in, it feels like you are transported to a wholeother world of beauty, with dark sexiness, and delicate Asian touches. We were seated in a booth, and we were overlooking the water in the center of the dining room, with floating lily pads and hanging flowers.
We came for brunch, which is AYCD, and was so delicious. They had a lychee bellini, and a couple of other choices, and they were just flowing like nobody's business. Who knows how many I had, but I know I left happy. One thing to note about the AYCD deal, you are only able to have it for 2 hours, which is plenty of time, but if someone is late, and the group decides to get seated before that person arrives, the late person does not get the full 2 hours. So if you are coming with a group, make sure everyone gets there on time, so everyone can take full advantage of their wonderful AYCD Brunch.
As for the food, it was good. Small in portion, but had a good taste. You have a few choice of what you want for entrees, and I had one with eggs (sorry I can remember what the name was). You have to excuse my memory.. my mind wanders when I drink a bunch of yummy drinks.
The service was good, and our server was very nice. He was on top of refilling the drinks, and making sure that we were taken cared of.
I would definitely recommend this place! -
Review from Adrienne M.
New York, NY
1/27/2012
I went with some friends to Kittichai during Restaurant Week. What a fantastic time we had!
First, the service: two thumbs up! The staff was so accommodating and on point. From the moment we entered the venue, we were greeted by the pleasant hostess, coats were checked, and promptly seated. The waitstaff was knowledgeable, friendly, good looking (hey, a little eye candy never hurts), and very professional. Our water glasses were always filled and our three course meals with wine pairings were served in a timely and well-orchestrated manner.
Next, the decor: inviting, hip, trendy, cool, and stylish. There is a really cool fish tank at the entrance and some sort of pond-like vessel in the middle of the restaurant. There are lots of candles and unique artwork from Thailand (I'm assuming). Kittichai has a very sophisticated and swanky vibe minus the pretentiousness found at other upscale restaurants.
And finally, the food: in one word... DE-LIGHT-FUL! I had the Thai Butternut Squash Soup to start - to DIE FOR! It was butternut squash with a kick and the portion size was perfect. For my entree, I ordered the Stir-Fry Prawns with coconut cream and celery. SO GOOD and again the portions were just right! I was quite content by the time the dessert came out. My dessert was the flour-less chocolate cake, and honestly I've had better desserts but the presentation was really nice.
My friends had the Ribs and Mussels appetizers. Since I don't eat red meat or pork, I only tried the Mussels. It was sauteed in a thai basil, chilli and wine sauce - SO YUMMY! They also had the Hanger Steak and the Green Curry Chicken for their entrees, and the Coconut Creme Caramel and Assorted Ice Creams for their desserts. We were very pleased with our selections.
So there you have it folks! My first FIVE-STAR restaurant review. I will definitely be going back to Kittichai, very soon (I hope)!Listed in: Restaurant Favs
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Review from Mev K.
Flushing, NY
2/10/2012
I decided to try this place for lunch for restaurant week.
The place on entrance is simply gorgeous. Its a very relaxing and chic atmosphere.This place is perfect for an intimate dinner or first date.
It was pretty quiet when we walked in but for some reason we had to wait for the waiter to take our order. But after that everything was pretty smooth and nice.
I ordered the mussels for appetizers. I had never tried them before and they were pretty good.
The mahi mahi was decent sized portion but a bit on the salty side. The flour less choco cake was seriously good. Just enough to get to your happy place.
The presentation was beautiful also.
Bottom line- The food was good but nothing spectacular enough to want me to come back. -
Review from Rachel Z.
Manhattan, NY
2/7/2012
The atmosphere in Kittichai is very relaxing, romantic, and chic. It's a great setting for an intimate date! The lily pads in the center of the dining area are breathtaking
The mussels were a great appetizer and the mahi mahi entree was more than a decent portion size. The coconut creme caramel with a coconut twill was one of the best desserts I've ever had! The service was spectacular and my waiter was very easy on the eyes ;)
this place is a must if you want to try exotic favors in Soho -
Review from Chatter Box F.
Manhattan, NY
5/13/2012
Came here for brunch and ended up doing the prix fixe lunch menu - three courses with optional wine pairing . Started with the salmon tartare appetizer. Beautiful presentation, generous portion size and very tasty. Had the steak entree with long beans and rice and that was also very flavorful. The desserts were decadent and very nicely presented, tried the flourless chocolate cake (which came wrapped in a leaf) and was like a heavy mousse with whipped cream on the side. Rich but not too rich. The coconut dessert was like a coconut flan with a crispy coconut flake toile I think they called it on the side. Very good as well. Nice atmosphere - we actually sat outside since it was nice and it was pretty. Service was fine. Overall great experience. I would come back here without hesitation.
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Review from Christina F.
New York, NY
4/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
What a delightful place-- absolutely beautiful space. The food was excellent and presentation was spot on. Warm towel to wipe hands in between delicious BBQ ribs and main course were handy. One star off b/c they kept us waiting past reservation time... on a late weekday evening.
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Review from Jackie H.
Orange County, CA
My friend and I met up with another friend for brunch while shopping in Soho. The atmosphere is more trendy or upscale and the decor is interesting and obviously Asian inspired. The menu items all seem to have some sort of Thai or Asian influence. My friend had the eggs benedict and she said it was delicious. Her friend had the salmon and said it was quite tasty as well. I tried the french toast which was ok but nothing exciting. I was confused as to how it was supposed to have Asian spices etc. it seemed like i was just eating some toast with a berry type sauce. Not bad or anything but not exactly what I expected. They are on the pricier side so I don't think I'd bother with a return visit or necessarily recommend based on my experience food wise. The service was great though, they were very attentive and I liked the atmosphere but again didn't blow me away or anything
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Review from Lenochka S.
Plainview, NY
3/16/2012
Nice place! Good for romantic dinner or just night out. Different from other" just restaurants".
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Review from Jana S.
1/15/2012
Solid brunch spot here.
Great ambiance, chic music, nice people watching, delicious cocktails and superb service. You must order the bottomless brunch cocktails for $25 - your glass will never stay empty. Our waitress, Morgan was great with keeping our flutes full.
Good spot for large parties. Food was "ok." Had the thai-sour sausage and crab omelette, nice portion with tasty sides.
Left Kittichai feeling buzzed and ready for next adventure.
**Located in the Thompson St. Hotel**
