The noodles were just a little bit on the wet side and extremely tasty, even a little spicy. At close inspection, I saw tiny chili flakes throughout the dish. There was also plenty of white meat chicken. Topped with peanuts and scallions, it was a pretty decent Pad Thai. In fact, I’d even go back there to get it.

I’m all for fried stuff — in fact, spring rolls are some of my favorite apps on any Asian menu — but the crab and shrimp rolls (4 for $2.99) were too oily. Really, it’s nothing a few seconds on a paper towel wouldn’t probably solve. The rolls were filled with minced crab and shrimp, but the taste of fried overpowered the taste of the filling. I’d probably skip ‘em next time.

If we end up judging Thai restaurants — first and foremost — by their Pad Thai, I wouldn’t write off our very first Thai cart yet. They just might be getting into a groove.

Tuk Tuk Boy, 50th btw. 6+7th

As Anna wrote earlier this week, the Columbus Circle Holiday Market is going on now, and there are several great options for lunch. She sampled the empanadas from both Sizzle and La Sonrisa, as well as cider things at Breezy Hill Orchard. Plus, there’s Wafels & Dinges, German Delights Bratwurst and the Turkish pastries from MMM … Enfes that Brownie was a big fan of from the Bryant Park holiday fair. Shamefully omitted from the previous writeup was Red Basil Thai Kitchen, which hails from Astoria and has a stand between the Brats and the Turks.

There are lots of appetizer options available here. I tried the veggie dumplings ($5.95) listed in the “vegetarian snacks” area of the menu, thinking they would be akin to the appetizer portions one would get in a Thai restaurant. Instead of the usual 4-5 pieces per order, I received double that amount with a sweet soy dipping sauce, plus it came with salad topped with a delicious peanut dressing. The dumplings were more dough than I would prefer, but that made them more filling, making this dish feel like a meal in itself.

Unlike the appetizers, there are just two lunch options. The first is a red curry with jasmine rice that comes with your choice of protein — shrimp ($8.00), chicken or veggies (each $7.00). I ordered the other option: grilled chicken over yellow rice served with peanut sauce on top and the same salad as the dumplings ($8.00). The chicken had a really nice flame grilled taste to it and reminded me of satay, but larger pieces. The yellow rice was pretty standard until I hit a patch covered in peanut sauce from the chicken — that was good stuff.

To wash it all down, I highly recommend the hot ginger tea ($2.00). Made of real ginger pieces, the tea is warm, spicy, sweet and wonderfully reminiscent of the holidays. The perfect Asian alternative to cider from Breezy Hill Orchard!

Columbus Circle Holiday Market, Columbus Circle

Today my weekly Thai food craving struck. Having just come off a gluttonous holiday weekend, I decided to forgo my usual noodle grease bomb and try something a little lighter. As I was perusing menus for places in my neighborhood, I came across Rain Thai, a relatively new addition to the ethnic food enclave on 53rd between 2nd and 3rd. I was particularly struck by the delicious sounding and amusingly named item Grilled Moo Yang: marinated pork served with spicy chili and sticky rice ($10).

Now I’m not familiar with Moo Yang so I can’t speak to authenticity, but this was one yummy pork dish. The meat was tender, charred in places from the grill, and the flavors in the sweet marinade were great. It was served on bed of steamed vegetables with a side of slightly sweet sticky rice. The chili sauce wasn’t the sickly sweet chili sauce I was expecting (you know the stuff), this was vinegar based and actually very spicy. It balanced out the sweetness of the meat and made my nose run, awesome. The lunch special came with a choice of appetizer but unfortunately my gyoza (not Thai, I know) were in my belly before I realized I forgot to snap a photo.

This dish is definitely a solid option for midtown east-ers looking for some Thai flavors without the heaviness of a noodle or curry dish, although Rain does have some good offerings in these categories as well. Most lunch specials will run you $8.50 ($9 with shrimp, squid, or beef), with a few of the ‘Specialty’ lunch specials priced at $10.

Rain Thai, 220 E. 53rd St (Btw. 3+2nd Aves), 212-752-3333

If the new Pad Thai Cart on 50th and 6th has taught us anything this week it’s that the heart of Midtown has a serious craving for thai food.  The cart was packed yesterday (reports had the line at 20+ people) and they ran out of food shortly after 1pm.  But I’m more of a pad see ew kind of girl.  Located on 8th Ave. btw. 42+43rd, Qi Thai isn’t quite as far as the places on 9th and Chris had nice things to say about their reasonable lunch specials back in the spring.

But how is their Pad See Ew?  I needed to find out…

The lunch specials are priced perfectly, and with so many options, it’s certainly a difficult choice. I went with the chive corn dumplings appetizer. When they arrived, I was a little concerned that the dumplings were sitting in the soy dipping sauce, but — I assume because of the prompt service — they were nice and hot upon arrival and did not get soggy. If you like to actually see the veggies in your vegetable dumplings, as well as taste them, these are for you. No generic cabbage slaw in these babies!

As for the pad see ew, Qi served a very good version, which I ordered with veggies. Sweet and chewy, the noodles were cooked perfectly. Besides the usual noodles, egg and Chinese broccoli combo, other veggies like carrots, zucchini, celery really added color. The best part is, the noodles plus the dumplings were $7.95 plus tax, which makes it an excellent deal for a lunch that is absolutely enough food to sustain you til dinner.

If you’re looking for interesting Thai food in Midtown West, you’d be happier at Pure Thai Shophouse, but they fall short on ambiance compared to Qi.  And while I think the food and price were definitely worthy of another trip, the decor is really why you should swing by here over the other Thai places on Ninth. (In other words I can confirm that six months later, Chris’ review is just as true now as it was then.) With chandelier-like fixtures in cases separating the tables from one another, clear acrylic seats and white everything else, this place transports you out of the monotony of the workday, even if for a short lunch hour.  And for some, that is going to beat waiting in line at a cart.

Qi Bangkok Eatery, 675 8th Ave (between 42nd and 43rd St); 212-247-8991

Qi isn’t exactly a newcomer to the restaurant scene, as they have another location in Union Square, and they have Pichet Ong’s help with the conceptualizing of the menu, which has an attractive line-up of sub-$10 lunch specials. Along with the experience and pedigree, they have an eye for design and aesthetics that scored major points with me. The restaurant, with its impressive roominess, snow white color theme, futuristic plastic appointments and a shrine like room in the back, is as garish and over the top as it is beautiful and calming.

The food matches the swagger of the dining room, at least in appearance, and is ostensibly a bit more refined compared to its Thai competition in the area. But the pretension ends with Mr. Ong’s menu, which seems to lose its nerve by sticking with 9th Ave. comfort food – the familiar line-up of pad thais, drunken noodles, as well as green, red and yellow curries.

But regardless how outwardly mundane the menu may be, the lunch special represents a fantastic bargain for the area – a main course which comes with an appetizer is priced between $7.95 (chicken, vegetable, tofu based) and $8.95 (shrimp, beef, or ‘imitation duck’ based). You’ll also have the option of tacking on a Thai iced tea or a small chicken tom yum soup for an extra $1.50.

The tom yum soup, which is served in a gleaming white bowl, is a modest portion, but brimming with vegetables and flakes of chicken. It wasn’t as aggressively seasoned as other tom yum soups that I’ve enjoyed – the hot, sour, and fish sauce components tamed to a level that would suit a wider audience without completely losing the soul and meaning of the dish. However, I’ve tasted worse versions of this dish, and at $1.50, it’s certainly worth ordering.

A trio of miniature spring rolls arrived screaming hot and crispy, but nearly all wrapper which overshadowed a nearly undetectable mushroom filling. They also arrived pre-sauced with a sweet and sour gloss – I wish they’d sauced on the side, as the sticky glaze threatened to dissolve that lovely brittle shell that the fryer had accomplished.

The main event in my case was a tofu Thai green curry served with rice (they’d perhaps been lent a piece from Madonna’s old brassiere collection to achieve the conical mound of rice). Like the soup, the curry suffered from a much too passive hand with the seasoning as it lacked ‘oomph’ – like watching The Big Lebowski on public television with the swear words removed. However, the generosity of the ingredients, delicate pillows of tofu, crunchy shreds of bamboo and large nubs of eggplant, made up for the listless curry.

As much as I wanted the food to pack more flavor and character, I might be asking for too much in this neighborhood. The menu and execution is clearly pandering to a broader, non-foodie customer base, which I have zero problems with – at least they know their audience. The fair price and zen-like space is the restaurant’s saving graces, and are what makes Qi worth a visit.

Oh, and they have really cool bathrooms.

The + (What somebody who likes this would say)

• A three course lunch for under $10
• Elegant plating and presentation, make the food seem fancier than the price
• Huge restaurant space and ample seating for large groups
• The aesthetics are pretty amazing, in a glossy, post-ironic, all-white sort of way

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• The food, while not the worst Thai I’ve had, is nothing to write home about
• What the heck is imitation duck?
• This is the exact same menu that every other Thai restaurant gets away with

Qi Restaurant, 675 8th Ave (between 42nd and 43rd St); 212-247-8991

The early good news – the lunch prices seem more than fair, with everything falling comfortably under the $10 mark. And the restaurant space is exceptionally large for the area, ensuring enough seating to accommodate workday lunchers as well as the inevitable cadre of tourists. To get more of a preview, click through for the lunch menu and a shot of the interior.

Early adopters, please let us know what you think in the comments.

Qi Restaurant, 675 8th Ave (between 42nd and 43rd St); 212-247-8991

Unfortunately it’s a relatively rare menu item in many Thai restaurants, which is a shame because its a very likable dish. I’d previously claimed Rhong Tiam’s to be a fine version, Zach Brooks is a khao soi fiend, Danny is a big fan of the dish, and even our buddy Kelly Choi loves the stuff. And the version at Pure Thai met and exceeded my expectations of the dish.

This version follows the traditional khao soi blueprint, but distinguishes itself with lusciously tender chunks of dark meat chicken and the pleasing crunch of bean sprouts and crispy fried noodles, coddled by the ruddy curry and egg noodles. The curry itself is impossibly complex, hitting every single flavor receptor – a bit of sour, some sweet, intensely savory, deeply earthy, yet still light on the palate. In short, it’s an astoundingly good version. So good, that I pleaded with the waitress to ask the Chef to consider adding it to the regular menu. Unfortunately for the time being, you’ll have to call ahead (212-581-0999) and inquire if it’s being offered for the day. But it’s a call and a trip worth making.

Pure Thai Shophouse, 766 9th Ave (btw 51+52nd), 212-581-0999

We somehow missed the opening of a new Thai restaurant, Tom & Toon (241 51st St. between 7th & 8th), which launched with little fanfare in August of 2010. Our oversight may have been appropriate, given the predictable narrative of the restaurant. There’s an un-extraordinary menu akin to its neighboring Thai brethren in the ‘hood, such as Siam Inn two store fronts down, or the overabundance of Thai joints up and down 9th ave. However, Tom & Toon shouldn’t be easily dismissed, for it is the only Thai restaurant that has an all you can eat lunch buffet in Midtown. At $11.95, it’s a bit over our $10 lunch rule, but we’ve always be willing to stretch the price boundaries to $11 for buffets.  So what’s another buck when something as rare as Thai AYCE is involved!?

The buffet runs from 12-2pm, and offers a diverse selection of Thai standards. On my visit, I counted 9 different entrees, as well as readily available steamed white rice and green salad. The selections of pad thai, chicken curry, curried fish with holy basil, chicken wings, sautéed mixed vegetables, spring rolls, etc are kept in covered hotel pans over a low flame, and seemed to be brought out in small batches, ensuring some degree of freshness. I was happy to observe the restaurant workers fastidiously fussing over each buffet item – refreshing emptied pans, checking holding temperatures, and swapping soiled serving utensils with a clean replacement on a constant basis.

As with any AYCE restaurant, it’s important to keep expectations in check, for this is about quantity and not quality. There won’t be any dishes that will wow customers of this buffet, though I couldn’t keep myself away from second helpings of satisfying vermicelli noodles and a fragrant and spicy fish curry. And with the lone exception of considerably gummy spring rolls, everything that I sampled was acceptably hot and fresh. Service was attentive, and polite, and they graciously fielded inquiries about “what to do in New York after seeing Wicked” from the Australian tourists at the table next to me while helpfully handling probing questions from this Midtown Lunch’er.

There are very few Thai restaurants in the Theatre District that cry out for a curtain call. However, given Tom & Toon’s distinction as one of the few (if only) Thai AYCE restaurants in Midtown, we can certainly get behind this opening. They seem to have an ostensible commitment to freshness and quality of their buffet, and the food ain’t bad. Though you may have resolved to shed a few pounds in 2011, and despite the $11.95 price tag, Tom & Toon’s lunch buffet might be worth breaking your New Year’s resolution for.

Tom & Toon, 241 West 51st Street (btw. 7+8th), 212-226-4565

Usually 9th ave is out-of-bounds from an ML perspective, and the opening of a new Thai restaurant in this area of town is hardly sensational – in fact, there’s no less than 15 Thai restaurants within a 4 block radius of the newly opened Pure Thai Shophouse. But after reading Grub Street’s opening report, and learning of the pedigree of Chef David Bank, who previously worked under Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the Mercer Kitchen, I decided that this would require an out-of-bounds journey. And boy am I glad I made that trip.

A meander down 9th ave in search of Thai sustenance can be overwhelming. One Thai restaurant might cater to customers who prefer to dine amongst garish bubblegum pink décor, while the next Thai venue offers an exclusive ‘secret’ menu to the knowledgeable few with an old copy of the Zagat guide or access to Yelp.com. All serve the same highly fungible crowd pleasing dishes of pad thai, drunken noodles, and curries in various earth toned colors. However, if you’re ever in doubt as to which Hells Kitchen Thai joint to pick for lunch, I’ll suggest that Pure Thai Shophouse is perhaps the only Thai restaurant worth visiting on 9th ave.

The restaurant coyly purports itself to be humble street food – the walls are lined with rustic but handsome wood planks, and the tables are similarly austere. Diners squat on practical plastic stools and absorb a background soundtrack of Thai pop music and an atmosphere so unpretentious it wavers on avant-garde.

Pure Thai’s prices overall are a buck or two lower than their competitors in the neighborhood, though the portions are restrained – think of it as motivation to compose your lunch with multiple items from the menu. Given the portions and prices, you can eat very well and remain under the $10 mark.

I kicked off my lunch with an order of chicken satay ($2.50) from the “Snacks” menu, which came as a duo of diminutive but tender, smoky, earthy chicken. The dish also comes with a dainty bowl of nam chim taeng kwa (cucumber relish), which provides a sweet and sour counterpoint to the chicken.

Another appetizer of chicken curry puffs ($2.50) was perhaps the least successful dish of the meal. More bready than flaky, more flat than flavorful, the clunky puffs needed a good dab of sambal oelek and a generous drag through the accompanying cucumber relish.

The “Pure Thai Noodle” menu is the thing to try if you dine here. These dishes stray from the popular Thai noodle combinations (pad thai, et al) and are more representative of the Chef’s fine dining pedigree. Tender, ethereal ribbons of handmade egg noodles make their way into assertively flavored pork broth in a bowl of Sukhothai pork noodle soup ($6). Sweet slices of roasted pork are nestled amongst crunchy long beans and crumbles of ground pork. And if it couldn’t get any better or porkier, the dish is lavishly topped with crispy pork cracklings. Despite the dizzying amount of complex flavors and textures, the dish is remarkably clean on the palate – It’s a nearly flawless bowl of noodle soup.

The Nakorn Sawan ($6) is definitely not your average bowl of chicken noodle soup. The broth is soy based, and subtlety flavored with Chinese 5 spice. Two meaty chunks of bone on dark meat chicken provide body to the soup, and crunchy bean sprouts and escarole provide texture.

A measured portion of Ratchaburi crab and pork dry noodles ($7) is visually striking, pleasantly porky, and surprisingly refined for a bowl of noodles. Crunchy scallions and bitter yu choy work well with the fluffy sweet crab meat. However, my beloved egg noodles suffered mightily in transit (I took this lunch off-site), turning into a gluey clump of starch – I would recommend that this dish be consumed on-site, or a different noodle be substituted.

There’s pad thai ($6) to be had at Pure Thai, though it’s shuffled towards the rear of the menu as if an afterthought. I would encourage lunchers to stick with the more exotic fare and those dreamy egg noodles, but if pad thai must be consumed, then the version here is as good as any. Large swathes of puffy tofu with thoroughly juicy interiors replace the dried out nubs of tofu that most Thai restaurants get away with. And again, the flavoring strikes a delicate balance without being overwhelmed with fish sauce or tamarind.

In keeping with their past successes at Land Thai and Recipe, the Pure Thai Shophouse team outperforms their peers on almost all measurable attributes, whether you’re judging the price, décor, service or flavors. And even though Pure Thai Shophouse is a newcomer to Hells Kitchen, the food is mature and focused, and certainly ambitious for the neighborhood. Reflecting on my past several meals here, I don’t think I ever want to eat at any other Thai restaurant on 9th avenue again. If that endorsement isn’t enough motivation to go out of bounds for a bowl of Thai noodle soup, then I don’t know what is.

Pure Thai Shophouse, 766 9th Ave (btw 51+52nd), 212-581-0999