restaurantgirl

Address: 472 9th Ave., at 36th Street
Phone: 212-695-9920
Cuisine: Modern Thai
Vibe: Buddhist-Zen
Hours: Sun-Thu: 11:30am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 11:30am-12am
First Bite Impressions: Unexpected delight
Note to Self: Order the mojito
Don't Miss Dish: Tamarind Duck- Crispy duck served with smoked tamarind soy sauce over a bed of baby bok choy
Price: Appetizers, $5-10; Entrees, $9-18.
Reservations: Reservations recommended.

A diamond in the rough you might say, at 36th Street & 9th Avenue there lives a quaint and nondescript new Thai restaurant that is anything but mundane.  Woks abound with jumbo shrimp - plump & delicious - glass noodle pad thai's and the duck I dare contend is as crispy on the outside & juicy on the inside as any you'll find in Chinatown. Pad Thai spring rolls are double-rolled for an extra crunchy effect and even gimmicky pork poppers with were well-matched to a homemade fire sauce.  Just when we thought this little Thai delight was simply too good to be true, a mound of fried ice cream came to the table.  Healthy?  Ha.  Creative?  Not really.  Coldstone Creamery would've hit the spot, but I had to finish what I'd started.  Sure, it's be a schlep to the rather unscenic 9th Avenue hood, but the Thai at this newbie might just be worth the trek.