DINNER.
There’s a wait. There’s always a wait. But we’re in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, by the waterfront, and happily waiting in front of a used bookstore for our turn to reach the hostess at Pok Pok. After half an hour we’re inside, elbow to elbow with other guests, our bodies ready for beer and Northern Thai food specialties.
Bring on the sweet and sticky chicken wings, Ike’s Fish Sauce Wings, with a side of chili paste. Then the Kung Op Wun Sen, four large prawns, minced pork belly cooked and simmered with mung bean noodles in a clay pot; it tastes smoky, peppery, there’s soy sauce for sure and other ingredients we can’t place. The best parts are the prawns and the noodles that have crisped up at the bottom, its savoury sauce calls for a side of sticky rice. The Muu Kham Waan arrives shortly after. It’s slivers of pork neck marinated in a spicy rub, very pretty, very tender, oddly delicate, the heat builds up over time and can only be offset by the chilled mustard greens and cold beer. But my favourite is the Hoi Thawt, crispy, egg crepes with steamed mussels and served with Shark Sriracha sauce.
Assuming you’re visiting New York and you’re in Brooklyn, it’s well worth a trip and the queue – until Andy Ricker brings his now-iconic Pok Pok empire to Toronto anyways, could happen right??
Pok Pok NY
127 Columbia Street | Website
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