Weekend Lunch with a Bestie

Pongsri
106 Bayard Street New York, NY 10013
212.349.3132

Two weeks ago, Will and I met up with my former colleague Diane for lunch. We had full intentions on trying out Maharlika because I really wanted to try Filipino food, but when I arrived they said the wait would be around 40-60 minutes and we knew we wouldn't be able to wait that long and we were already starving.

Diane wanted Thai food, so we took her to a Thai restaurant that Will and I like - Pongsri which is quite hidden in Chinatown. Very roomy restaurant and good customer service. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon around 1-1:30PM and amazingly, it wasn't that crowded. We knew what we wanted and placed our orders. We started off with our drinks.

Thai IceTea

Thai Ice Tea is a must-have whenever I go to a Thai restaurant. The Thai Ice Tea tasted great, but maybe a little too sweet.

Thai Ice Coffee

Will had the Thai Ice Coffee. It was quite strong and tasty. I loved it. Next time I go to a Thai restaurant, I will make sure to order Thai Ice Coffee because I would like to try it on my own.

Chicken Pad Thai

Will had the Chicken Pad Thai. He didn't look like he enjoyed it much. He gave a spoonful of the Chicken Pad Thai for me to try and it tasted extremely fishy. I know Pad Thai has fish oil in it and it's normal for me to taste a little fishy, but this time it was extremely fishy.

Beef & Meatball Noodle Soup

Diane had the Beef & Meatball Noodle Soup. I would have never thought of ordering a noodle soup from a Thai restaurant, but she did. The Beef & Meatball Noodle Soup was basically broad rice noodle with beef, beef meatballs, bean sprouts bathed in a savory and aromatic broth topped off with scallion and parsley. I didn't try it, but I wish I did. It smelled insanely good and made me salivate.

Pad See Euw with Calamari

Every time I'm at a Thai restaurant I usually order Pad Thai because it's my favorite and one of the famous Thai dishes. This time I ordered something different: Pad See Euw with calamari. The calamari was cooked just right and loved the spiral-like look it had. It was really greasy to the point that it looked and felt unappealing. It just didn't feel authentic or appealing to me. I've definitely had better Pad See Euw.

Pongsri is one of the only Thai restaurants I know in Chinatown. I decided to bring Diane here because I remember the food was good here, but in my opinion the food quality has fell. It certainly didn't wow me.