Kittichai

I hadn’t been to Kittichai in several years, but upon returning last week with a few family members, I was reminded of how delicious each dish really is. Despite the restaurants über-hip décor and wait staff, the pretense stops there. The Rockwell Group headed up the interior design and architecture of the space in 2004 and since then, those staying in the Sixty Thompson Hotel have been treated to a lavish, extravagant version of hotel dining. The principals responsible for Indochine, Bond St, and Town are behind the concept, which includes a Feng Sui dining space, waiters clad in designer duds, and a chef imported from the Four Seasons in Bangkok. Of course, all of this is old news if you’ve read Zagats in the past four years.

What’s new, however; or, at least, what’s refreshing is the fact that after these four years, the place is still hopping—and it is due to the outstanding quality of the food. While presented with much pomp and production, so as to match the ambiance—each dish proved to be honest and unique. From tuna tartare—presented with mini tuile cups and a giant pitch fork looking thing for decoration—to sea bass tempura served in what looked like a Thai or Chinese spice box, the appetizers were pure in taste and flavors. Fluke sashimi was as good, if not better than a similar dish at Nobu.

Entrees like the pineapple braised short ribs in green curry and tiger prawns with garlic sauce and green beans had my brother and I practically licking our plates. Four enormous prawns lined up on the plate next to cubes of watermelon—perfect to ring in summer and the short ribs where fall-off-the-bone fantastic. Another stand out was the sea bass with morning glory, also called water spinach. The delicate sautéed greens and the crispy-skinned fish was a dream for my grandmother. We were lucky she shared. Other choices looked fantastic, too:a Thai omelet with lump crabmeat, crispy rock shrimp with grilled eggplant, the list continues.

Whether you are going with friends, with family, on a first date, or your anniversary, rest assured this is the place for a beyond doubt wonderful meal.