East 13th St. btwn 5th Ave. and Broadway – closed 2009
Trendiness rarely comes cheap in this town . Trendiness sans dismissive, hipper-than-thou, I’ll-get-to-you-when-I-feel-like-looking-down-attitude is an even greater anomaly. Trendy Tong Thai Brasserie avoids both of these vexatious formulas. While it embodies many of the traits of a brasserie, it’s a hell of a lot sexier. With its mile-high ceilings, ingeniously set shelf-like cross beams (creating a jenga-like effect when viewing from the downstairs dining room) and haute modern interior and tasteful furniture and sparse futuristic-kitsch accents, Tong feels like “Tong-Tower” with Applebee prices. The music ranges from trance to Enya and is played at a volume that won’t leave you feeling sonically insensitive after dinner. Surrprsing for a place that has as much architectural trend-factor going for it as Tong does.
True to brasserie, Tong’s menu offers a wide variety small bites, starters, seasonal and vegetarian dishes large plates that include branzino and tiger prawn, all priced very affordably. What Tong gets high marks in presentation and the portions are neither skimpy nor slothfully gargantuan. While the offerings are inventive and venture well beyond standard Thai fare, it at times ventures into terrain that makes it seem lost in need of harnessing a firmer identity. Tong definitely grazes– and at times crosses– that point at which fusioning goes too far. That was the feeling we had with the duck, which tasted more Mexican than Thai. The basil chicken with egg was overly-evocative of a of a beloved staple of Korean cuisine. However, the chicken and eggplant green curry that we sampled was–with the exception of getting pita instead of the naan bread that was advertised– just on the mark and at a good spice level.
All in all, Tong Thai Brasserie is a favorable addition to a neighborhood that has become rife with student-fare chains and huge, commercial grazing halls. In these post-bubble-busted times that we’re in, let’s hope this keeper stays.
[...] stylish fall 2008 newcomer and a restaurant that I had positively endorsed, Tong Thai Brasserie has also closed its doors. Tong’s original concept and menu are being replaced with the [...]