We were recently invited to E-San Thai, a Thai restaurant located off the beaten path, in Murray Hill. This place opened in September 2012 by Chef Toi Kumdang who also owns a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn, Khao Sarn. From outside, the restaurant has nothing really distinctive, besides the bright yellow sign. At the entrance, first is the bar:
Then, on the right is the dining room, with its vaulted ceiling and warm colors.
There were not that many elements of the decor to remind you that you are in a Thai restaurant, except maybe the plastic lotus flower that was on every table:
Or the display on the right side of the bar:
We sat at one of the tables and
I started the lunch with a Thai Iced Tea, drink that I always order with Thai food.
I love the dark orange color with gradation of this drink. It was good and not too sweet.
Then the first appetizer was the vegetable spring rolls:
They were made of cabbage, carrots, celery and glass noodles, and served with a plum sauce. I found them delicious: they were crispy, not too greasy and there was the perfect amount of shell.
The second appetizer was the E-San sausage, that is a house specialty made with ground pork seasoned with Thai herbs.
It was good and tasty, the spices really coming through. I wish however that it was served with a kind of mustard or sauce to dip in.
The last appetizer was roti canai:
I love that dish that is kind of a fusion between Indian and Thai food. It is composed of a roti or paratha that was a bit thicker and less greasy than what I am used too. The bowl contained a dish made of a curry similar to a massaman, with potatoes, onions and chicken; it is the first time I got it with chicken as usually they propose it without meat. It was a delicious dish that I definitely recommend.
Then, we got Pad See Eew that are thick noodles, tofu, egg and broccoli, bathed in a black soy sauce.
Again another good dish: very tasty, I truly appreciated that it was not too salty.
The second entree was the Pineapple Na-Na, a crispy duck with a pineapple curry:
I was scared at first that this dish would be spicy, but it was perfect, having a little kick that was well complemented by the sweetness of the sauce, as well as the pieces of pineapple. The duck was perfectly cooked and had a nice crunch.
It was served with white rice.
But what was the most spectacular was the sea bass that came after that:
It was a whole sea bass that was smothered with a sauce midly spicy and served with vegetables. The fish was perfectly cooked, moist and flaky, and the sauce was a bit sweet, with just the perfect kick. I never think about ordering fish, moreover a whole fish, in Thai restaurants, but this dish may have made me change my mind! If you go to E-San Thai, don't be freaked out by the mouth of the fish and enjoy it! I did!
Then, it was time to have dessert! The first one was the fried coconut ice cream that is one of their best sellers:
Fried ice cream is an interesting concept: the ice cream is first dipped in a batter and then fried. I can just tell you that I had to move fast with that one; not because the ice cream was melting, but because Jodi could not stop eating it!
That is true that it was delicious: the outside was a bit crunchy and the ice cream smooth, probably made with coconut milk. Another recommendation!
The second dessert was Thai donuts:
They were served with condensed milk and peanuts:
I liked them with or without the condensed milk...This is a very comforting dessert, a guilty pleasure that no one can resist, even after a full meal like the one we had!
With the desserts, I drank a Thai Iced Coffee that was a first for me:
I started the lunch with a Thai Iced Tea, drink that I always order with Thai food.
Then the first appetizer was the vegetable spring rolls:
They were made of cabbage, carrots, celery and glass noodles, and served with a plum sauce. I found them delicious: they were crispy, not too greasy and there was the perfect amount of shell.
The second appetizer was the E-San sausage, that is a house specialty made with ground pork seasoned with Thai herbs.
It was good and tasty, the spices really coming through. I wish however that it was served with a kind of mustard or sauce to dip in.
The last appetizer was roti canai:
I love that dish that is kind of a fusion between Indian and Thai food. It is composed of a roti or paratha that was a bit thicker and less greasy than what I am used too. The bowl contained a dish made of a curry similar to a massaman, with potatoes, onions and chicken; it is the first time I got it with chicken as usually they propose it without meat. It was a delicious dish that I definitely recommend.
Then, we got Pad See Eew that are thick noodles, tofu, egg and broccoli, bathed in a black soy sauce.
Again another good dish: very tasty, I truly appreciated that it was not too salty.
The second entree was the Pineapple Na-Na, a crispy duck with a pineapple curry:
I was scared at first that this dish would be spicy, but it was perfect, having a little kick that was well complemented by the sweetness of the sauce, as well as the pieces of pineapple. The duck was perfectly cooked and had a nice crunch.
It was served with white rice.
But what was the most spectacular was the sea bass that came after that:
It was a whole sea bass that was smothered with a sauce midly spicy and served with vegetables. The fish was perfectly cooked, moist and flaky, and the sauce was a bit sweet, with just the perfect kick. I never think about ordering fish, moreover a whole fish, in Thai restaurants, but this dish may have made me change my mind! If you go to E-San Thai, don't be freaked out by the mouth of the fish and enjoy it! I did!
Then, it was time to have dessert! The first one was the fried coconut ice cream that is one of their best sellers:
Fried ice cream is an interesting concept: the ice cream is first dipped in a batter and then fried. I can just tell you that I had to move fast with that one; not because the ice cream was melting, but because Jodi could not stop eating it!
That is true that it was delicious: the outside was a bit crunchy and the ice cream smooth, probably made with coconut milk. Another recommendation!
The second dessert was Thai donuts:
They were served with condensed milk and peanuts:
I liked them with or without the condensed milk...This is a very comforting dessert, a guilty pleasure that no one can resist, even after a full meal like the one we had!
With the desserts, I drank a Thai Iced Coffee that was a first for me:
It is like Thai Iced Tea except that the tea is replaced by coffee. I guess I will consider this drink the next time as I really liked it. It has a nice smokiness that I guess came from the coffee itself.
The lunch at E-San Thai was very good and made me want to discover more Thai cuisine. I often order "standard" dishes like Chicken curry Massaman, but there are so many other dishes to try. Of course my choices are also driven by the prix-fixe that restaurants propose, where unfortunately only these "standard" dishes are offered. I think it is a mistake, because there is so much to discover, and E-San Thai is the perfect spot for it.
Enjoy (I did)!
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The lunch at E-San Thai was very good and made me want to discover more Thai cuisine. I often order "standard" dishes like Chicken curry Massaman, but there are so many other dishes to try. Of course my choices are also driven by the prix-fixe that restaurants propose, where unfortunately only these "standard" dishes are offered. I think it is a mistake, because there is so much to discover, and E-San Thai is the perfect spot for it.
Enjoy (I did)!
If you like this post or the photos, feel free to share it using the toolbar below or to write a comment!
Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
