Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

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November 23, 2009 By cheryl

Obao: Panned Asian


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New York is filled with so many “pan-Asian” restaurants that it can be difficult to get excited about yet another one setting up shop.

Vietnamese pork chops? Been there. Summer rolls? So, so done that.

And Obao, Michael Huynh’s newest addition to his rapidly expanding string of Manhattan restaurants, hits these and all the other usual notes that you’ll find at many other similarly billed places in the city.

What’s different? Not much, compared with your run-of-the-mill multi-ethnic Asian restaurant.

There are some hits — anything meaty and/or grilled. And, of course, some misses, namely a “spicy” Singapore laksa (pictured above) that’s so watered down that its broth tastes like hot water with some curry powder tossed in toward the end.

But here’s the thing: Even at Obao’s recession-friendly prices (which put entrees between $9 and $18), for those who enjoy a hearty bowl of noodle soup or a crisp papaya salad now and then, there are just so many other places in the city to go for better versions.

So, why eat here?

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Filed Under: New York, Restaurants, Singaporean, Southeast Asian, Vietnamese Tagged With: Aldea, Arroz de pato, Bun bo hue, Cha ca la vong, Confit, Crackling, Dill, Duck, Eggplant, Fish, Grilled steak, Hanoi, Laksa, Lemongrass, Midtown, Obao, Papaya Salad, Pig's feet, Pork, Pork chops, Skewers, Spare ribs, Sugar cane, Turmeric, Vermicelli, Xie Xie

August 3, 2009 By cheryl

Xie Xie: A Little Lost In Translation


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Working my way through the Vietnamese fish sandwich at Xie Xie, the newest addition to the New York Asian sandwich scene, a phrase kept ringing through my head: “I’m not seeing the forest for the trees.”

In this case, it was the fact that two thick layers of dill, paired with a slender portion of turmeric-seasoned fish, ended up being so overwhelming that it was hard to get a sense of the sandwich as a whole.

All you truly noticed was that you had a mouth full of dill. (And a lot of bread.)

As for the fish — which is the star of chaca la vong, the heady dill- and turmeric-scented Hanoi dish that this $8.75 sandwich was modeled and named after — that can be a little hard to detect after wading through all that dill and starch.

Which is not to say that Xie Xie isn’t worth checking out. 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: New York, Restaurants Tagged With: Asian, Basil mayonnaise, BBQ, Beef, Carrot, Century Eggs, Chaca la vong, Chinese, Dill, Fish, Hanoi, Ice-Cream Sandwich, Jean-Georges, Kim Chee, Mandarin, New York, Sandwich, Turmeric, Vietnamese, Xie Xie, Yum Cha

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