Oct 04 2005
Why is Thai Better Than Chinese?
Yes, I know that Thai food was the new Chinese food like five years ago, but I have to wonder how this trend has continued to thrive. Why haven’t any respectable Chinese restaurants cropped up to challenge the Thai invasion? I can think of five decently priced, tasty Thai restaurants in the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill neighborhood: 9-D, Joya, Tuk Tuk, Lemongrass, and Thai Sesame. Now, they each have their strengths and weaknesses, but it’s all supremely edible and mostly tasty. I wish the same could be said for the Chinese places I’ve tried. Sadly, Ling Ling Young Young, Me and My Egg Roll, Wing Hua, all produce the same brown gelatinous food with varying degrees of quality. None of it is tasty, and it all tends towards serious heartburn and occasional questioning of freshness. Has anybody tried a Chinese take-out (or eat-in) restaurant in the vicinity that’s worth the trouble?
18 Responses to “Why is Thai Better Than Chinese?”
Chance is good
I also like Fortune House in the Heights
A couple of notes: The Thai restaurants that exist as a “new” Chinese version are invariably run by Chinese. How many Thai people have you bumped into in your life? Same goes for a majority of neighborhood sushi places.
My wife and I (yes, the Spliffmeister somehow found someone who will put up with him), when living in Jersey City (I don’t want to talk about it) had the BEST Vietnamese food at our fingertips. We often lament the lame Saigon Garden in the Heights. Fifteen Thai restaurants, and not one Vietnamese? Is it that hard and/or different? Hell, we even have two Peruvian restaurants, Mancora and Cholita, that somehow manage to survive (Mancora I can understamd, Cholita I can’t).
I agree, Chance is good. Pricey, but good. And cool-lookin too.
I think 9D is definitely Thai or at least South Asian. I can agree that most other places are probably run by Chinese families. On of my favorite Vietnamese places in Chinatown is run by a Chinese family (the name slips my mind)
being from south east asia, i can say with certainty that the thai places in the carroll gardens/cobble hill/boerum hill section are run and owned by thais. they probably look and sound chinese to the non-asians, but they are definitely thais. i can’t speak for other places because the only thai places i frequent are in my neighborhood and the ones in queens. the ones in queens are AUTHENTIC and are so much better. the thai princess who is an NYU graduate used to go to the one in woodside when she was living in ny.
i have observed that thai and chinese places which cater to non-asians modify their cuisines in their attempt to make it suitable for the western palate. the end result is usually disastrous which explains for the poor quality of the chinese take outs and thai places in brooklyn. exceptions are the chinese take-outs in chinatowns which have remained unaltered.
Great question. Wing Hua does do a nice miso soup. Me and My Egg Roll has a great lo mein. Everything else on the menu has that corn starch glaze. I agree with Gemma all the way about westernizing the cuisine.
Some of the best southeast asian food I have had in NYC is made by Chinese that grew up in Southeast Asia, particulary Nungs from Vietnam. The best Chinese food is in Flushing along with the great bakeries that line the streets.
the chinese ladies at the laundromat (first place and smith st.) usually buy their lunches at a take-out in sunset park which is brooklyn’s chinatown. have no idea how far it is but margaret (the leader) says it’s worth the hassle to bring lunch all the way from chinatown rather than buying next door (which is a chinese take-out).
I’ve been down to Brooklyn’s Chinatown but don’t know where to start. That Chinatown is more like what I expect to see, not Canal St. We’ve eaten at a place called “86 Noodle” near Century 21 in Bay Ridge and found it to be good.
I was asking myself the same question just the other day. I love the neighborhood Thai options (a recent trip to 9-D was fantastic), and absolutely hate the neighborhood Chinese options. Empire Kitchen was pretty good, but it was turned into a pharmacy.
For a long time, our backup was Red Hot Szechuan, in Park Slope. They deliver to our place on Hoyt St. The last few orders from there have been so so, and I’m pretty much ready to give up on Chinese in the neighborhood altogether.
I’ve had dim sum at the World Tong Seafood Restaurant on 64th and 18th Avenue (N to 18th Ave.), and it was delicious. Kum Kao on Myrtle is pretty decent, also.
actually, in my neighborhood (Park Slope), I haven’t found any good Chinese or Thai restaurants. They are all pretty average. I’ve found good Thai in various parts of the city (theater district, mini thai cafe near Tompkins Sq Park in the Lower East Side), but most of the good Chinese restaurants tend to be in Chinatown or Flushing.
I can recommend a great chain for Chinese Food in Manhattan.
Wu Liang Ye is great Sichuan and cheap. There is one in Lex and Rock Center. Thanks for the tip on BK’s Chinatown.
Crafty — Chinese take out that’s worth the trouble? Good luck if you ever find one.. all Chinese take out come the same, and is a “cuisine” that was born in America. (Speak with any Chinese native and you’ll find that authentic Chinese food is far from your average half-fried chicken with pork fried rice). As you said, heartburn (which is probably caused by the MSG they don’t even realize they put in your plate) and all the frying and oil are the elements that fast food restaurants just can’t possibly avoid. If you are looking for real authentic Chinese food, your best bet will be Manhattan’s Chinatown or Brooklyn Chinatown, where the restaurants cater directly to the Chinese and can care less what Americans say.
gemma – “86 noodle” is a Chinese joint if you didn’t notice the nice sign outside with all the Chinese lettering.. i’d recommend Bangkok at the end of bay ridge’s restaurant row strip on 3rd and 68th. They’re as Thai as you can get.
“Crafty” and I have enjoyed 86 Noodle on a few occasions. Unfortunately it’s not in our immediate area. We also did the taste of Chinatown recently… (Manhattan) there was definitely some nice food to be found.
Lychee Nut in Brooklyn Heights delivers all the way to where I live (2nd and Bond) and they are super tasty.
Teeda on Columbia Street in Red Hook is excellent. Cute space, affordable, great take-out. Their portions are generous and well-seasoned and they DON’T use a lot of cheap filler veggies! Yum.
Funny thing I was looking specifically for a good Chinese restaurant in Carroll Gardens tonight but we have the same menus you mention which suck.. I guess Thai is the only way to go.
Chinese near Carroll Gardens…
Andy’s
128 Montague St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
at Henry St.
718-237-8899
Andy’s has pretty good, fresh food and they will deliver larger orders to Carroll Gardens.
As far as Brooklyn Chinatown in Sunset Park… Ocean Palace is great. Sat & Sun- Dim Sum and Peking Duck, real Chinatown atmosphere and food.
Ocean Palace is located at 5423 Eighth Ave. at 55th St., 718-871-8080
Funny, me & the wife complain about this all the time! Not one good Chinese takeout in the neighborhood & always settle for Thai. If we want descent Chinese we have to go to China Town (worth the trip).
BTW the dim sum at Chance is horrible! Last time we went, the pork dumplings were still raw! The Japanese place on Smith is def Chinese. Its not bad though, just not authentic.
I really think Fortune House in Brooklyn Heights is delicious. I was a Lichee Nut fan for years, but Fortune House is just better. The walnut chicken is really kick ass, as is the orange beef. Pretty decent har gow (shrimp dumplings) as well. Big winner in my book.