The annual Taste of New Canaan Stroll, raising money for the local Food Pantry returns on Thursday, August 22nd between 5-8pm.
NOA, located on Crown Street in the heart of Downtown New Haven, just celebrated its first Birthday and we were recently invited to check it out. NOA is the second restaurant owned by chef and owner Winyu “Win” Seetamyae who also owns the wildly popular and favored September In Bangkok, also in New Haven. Although both restaurants are Taiwanese, the “vibe” and dishes are quite different. NOA is a bit more youthful with a vivid nighttime scene. NOA, which happens to mean delicious in Thai certainly lives up to its name based on the dishes we tried.
Last week we had the opportunity to spend a blissful afternoon on the Saugatuck River. On behalf of our CTBites team, I’ll say that it was an honor to join our friends from the Delamar Hotels to experience their brand new Luxury Yachting program curated for hotel guests, and available to residents of Greenwich, Westport, Southport and surrounding communities.
We set sail in the stunning Angelique, a rare custom yacht docked in Westport. Boat lovers and aficionados will immediately fall in love with her. She’s exquisitely beautiful, supremely stately, stable and quiet, with the grace of a ballerina as she skims the waters. She is the only one of her kind here in the States. Angelique was designed to navigate the rivers and canals of the United Kingdom and The Netherlands. She is perfectly at home sailing along the shoreline of the Saugatuck and Long Island Sound.
The Hey Stamford! Food Festival returns to downtown Stamford for TWO BIG WEEKENDS: August 11-13 and 18-20. Presented by Co Create, First County Bank & Minchin GMC, the highly anticipated 6th annual event with a focus on food and community and will feature a Food Truck Frenzy, featuring close to 50 food trucks & vendors each weekend! Pizzapalooza; CT’s Ultimate Pizza Party, Taylor Made; a Taylor Swift Dance Party, Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Teresa Giudice and more!
Tickets are now on sale at www.heystamfordfoodfest.com.
A few months ago, a friend whose taste I trust asked me if I had tried Grumpy Dumplings? I said I had seen the account on Instagram, and recognized them from the local farmers’ markets, but had yet to try these so called “grumpy” dumplings. I was however already somewhat obsessed with their Japanese anime style branding, so why not give it a go? A few days later, I was able to procure some of their small batch dumplings ordered through their Instagram account (they since have launched a web site with online ordering), and as a bonus…they even delivered within 20 miles of Norwalk. Dinner was saved.
Sometimes when it comes to food, simple is smart. Doing one thing and doing it well defines the menu at Gai-Ja Chicken Rice in Fairfield CT. Owner, Putthabut Rungsri, said he opened Gai-Ja Chicken Rice because he realized that no one in Connecticut was serving the type of Thai street food he grew up with in his birthplace of Thailand. His Thai style chicken rice, or,“ Khao Man Gai “ (ข้าวมันไก่), for which the restaurant is named, is quite simply, the ultimate comfort food. The dish consists of poached, grilled or fried chicken, resting on top of steamed jasmine rice, cooked in chicken broth and seasoned with ginger, garlic, and chicken oil. The dish is served with a ginger soybean sauce and clear chicken broth on the side. It’s a little slice of street food heaven, and priced at $12 Gai-Ja has become a fixture in our weekly dinner rotation.
What a full circle moment. I first met our editor Stephanie Webster, affectionately known as Boss Lady, almost two years ago at El Segundo in SONO before I started eating myself silly for ctbites. So, I’d say it’s fitting that I get to bring you the news that the segundo El Segundo is opening in New Haven THIS TUESDAY, August 25th. It makes PERFECT sense that a place that consistently delivers super friggin delish-us Global Street Food, land in a town like New Haven, which is a gorgeous microcosm of what our bruised little world has to offer.
It’s all about the broth, North Shutsharawan told me when I met him at Nit Noi Provision’s pop-up location at Bar Bucha in Westport last week. Inspired by the Thai street food scene and the healthy foods available for lunch, North had the idea to replicate his grandmother’s recipe with the hopes of selling it both in Connecticut and in Colorado. Nit Noi which literally means “a little bit” is based on a simple soup he ate as a child purchased from vendors at the market called Guay Tiew Kwa Gay. At the market each vendor had his own specialty dish, just one, North explained to me.
The passage of time is strange. The distant past and the very recent can bend back on each other and almost touch, and what was once long ago can feel as real now as the blossoming of first love, as the comforting aroma of mom’s home cooking… Lately when I’m in the mood to go back up the river of time to that place in Southeast Asia that destiny would see us go just once, I visit Thai Kit on the Post Road in Fairfield. It's a brand new Thai restaurant with a couple of advantages over some other places I have tried. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, or if you live in the neighborhood, just past the McDonalds at the circle in Fairfield heading toward Black Rock on the left-hand side, Thai Kit is a delicious destination well worth exploring.
If you’re in the mood for simple, kid-friendly, tasty Thai, then hop in your tuk tuk and head over to WHOOPI for authentic, Thai cuisine on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield. Owners Tom and Helen Chaimahavong opened their latest haunt (named for their son whose nickname is Whoopi) mid 2015 and are the former owners of THAISAB in New Haven. Natives of Bangkok, Tom and Helen have mastered the ins and outs of their native cuisine while keeping dishes simple and novice-friendly. WHOOPI is not fancy Thai, and it’s not for the super adventurous; it is simply yummy Thai fare that is great for lunch with the kids, a laid back dinner with friends or a great take-out/delivery option. The space is small but cozy and we enjoyed our meal! Here is how it went down…
“That’s it,” I overheard a man say with a smile, holding his takeout order as he joked about having come in four days in a row. The word is out downtown...Pho 170, M’town’s newest/latest, is busy. The service is friendly and attentive, showing this new kid on the block is already in the groove, cranking out fresh and delicious dishes—both Vietnamese and Thai.
It’s not been quite three weeks since Viengthong Charonesuk opened the doors to her newest restaurant. And, unlike so many other spots when they first get started, everything’s well under control. Even on a night when they were one person short on the waitstaff, they pulled everything off without a hitch. Vieng hails most recently from Bann Thai in Cheshire, and she’s run restaurants in other locations across the state as well. Little things, like making sure you have extra plates when you share a dish, aren’t overlooked. And it’s always a nice touch when your water glass is refilled before you even need to ask.
Blink and you can easily miss the little white house as you drive down Park Street in Hartford’s Parkville section. So keep an eye out, because it’s home to a fine family business specializing in Thai and Lao dishes—generous portions, reasonably priced. And if you head east of the river, you’ll find the exact same menu and great food in Manchester.
There are many choices closer to home when it comes to Thai, but when the craving hits, I make tracks for King & I. It’s changed management over time, but the food remains just as delicious as it ever was. In fact, it’s amazingly consistent. How is that even possible?
The secret to their success starts in a tiny kitchen with their cook. Behind the scenes, the same woman has been busy stirring up deliciousness for the past 10 years. When the previous owner sold the restaurant four and a half years ago, Hongkham Munesaleum was already part of the kitchen. But now, with her husband, Lam, washing dishes, and his daughter Lilly, serving the front of the house (literally!), it’s all in the family.
Word’s out. There’s a new Thai place in Bridgeport worth traveling for. Ruuthai is a little family-run restaurant making authentic Thai dishes. Even better, Ruuthai offers dishes rarely seen in these parts, like mussel pancakes, boat noodles and steamed red curry fish custard. And then there are the desserts. Thai desserts are decidedly weird to Americans. Pork in a dessert? What?! Yes, and it’s good.
Ruuthai has been open almost five months. It’s in a residential neighborhood off North Avenue. The storefront is cheerfully decorated with orange and lime accents, and pink and purple swirly, girly flower stencils. The effect is simple and charming. They’ve added a few more tables recently (they’re getting busier), and they do a lot of take-out, but I believe in eating food when it’s at its best – moments after Def Ruangsikul, head chef, has prepared it.
If you sit down to eat you will probably meet Chef Ruangsikul’s daughter Dif. Dif McGeough is the manager and waitress. She was born in Thailand and raised in the United States, and she’s a knowledgeable and gently humorous guide.
Over the course of several visits, here’s what we’ve tried:
Yes, Virginia, there IS a great Thai food to be found in Fairfield County. The new RAINBOW THAI at 5 Bridge Street in Westport is just what Virginia (and all the rest of us who feared that a great, local Tom Yum Gung soup might not really exist) ordered. RAINBOW THAI is tiny and, not to its advantage, finds itself in that ill fated location in the Bridge Market complex that hasn't to date been a lucky spot for restaurants. Many an eatery has peaked and faded faster than a shooting star in this locale but I think Rainbow Thai has staying power. Why? The food is just so damn good.
If you Google or Bing the word "Wafu" it translates to "Japanese-style," but when I asked Elaine Chen, the proprietor of the new WAFU Asian Bistro in Southport, her definition was "peace and harmony." The new Wafu, located at 3671 Post Road (formerly Friendly's) seems to be a little bit of both. Chen, from the FUJIAN PROVINCE of China, and her husband (the restaurant's lead sushi chef), have created an ASIAN establishment where Japanese, Chinese and Thai food mesh perfectly in a serene and sophisticated environment. Although it's difficult to telll from the exterior, the decor once inside is New York chic (and perhaps a tiny bit over the top with Swarski Chandeliers and neon-blue lighting). Menus are presented on ipads and you sit comfortably at your glossy tables on your white-leathered booth. Sure, it's a bit shi shi, but shi shi works at WAFU. The food is good for a "multi-culture" menu, the decor is funky and, though it looks fancy, it turns out to be a very kid-friendly establishment.
Occasionally, we like to get a few opinions on a restaurant. Here are two shorts from Cathy Siroka and James Gribbon on Shanghai Bistro.
If you’re in South Norwalk and want a simple, easy place to go before a movie or out with the kids – try Shanghai Asian Bistro. They recently opened a second location at 124 Washington St., with their first one in Westport at 1715 Post Rd East. Owner, John Jiang, had been carefully looking for a second location for years, and has seen such a huge change in the traffic and excitement in downtown Norwalk, and finally felt that “now was the right time.”
While the menu has the Chinese classics like shrimp with duck sauce and General Tsao’s chicken, the restaurant also offers an array of other Asian inspired dishes and many ways to customize your order according to your tastes and dietary preferences. Jiang explains his menu as “all-Asian, not just Chinese, a sampling of the flavors of China, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan.”
I made these Thai Meatballs with Dipping Sauce last week for my family and they were devoured in record time. Served in a lettuce leaf or over rice, they are big on flavor, but are not overly adventurous for little palates. These are perfect for busy families as the prep time is minimal. Try them in your house, and let us know what you think. 
Why TEN? The new TEN China Bistro in Wilton had a lot to live up to, giving itself a number like that. We would be the ones to decide if TEN was indeed an appropriate rating. We were diners on a mission. Chef/Owner Eric Xie would have a lot of "splainin" to do if the food at TEN ended up as anything less. There was only one way to find out...EAT! So eat we did. There are many reasons to try this new Asian fusion restaurant, (in the same plaza as SOUP ALLEY). Would we give it a 10? Well, here's the verdict:
Jeanette Chen is a resident of New Canaan. Her Healthy Living Blog is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition.
Lately, I've been craving both Thai coconut curry soup and lentil soup. Perhaps, it's because I wanted to relive the heady bowl of Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup I had for lunch last week when it was wet and dank outside. There is something warming and completely comforting about spicy Asian noodle soups. Thick lentil soups have also been on my mind, as it's getting cooler out, calling for heartier fare. These two comfort foods inspired me to come up with a recipe for Thai Coconut Curry Lentil soup.
If you're looking to give your brown bag a break or if you just can't face another sandwich, you'd be hard pressed to find a better and more affordable lunch alternative than Thai Pearl in Ridgefield. With a prix fixe lunch menu featuring ten traditional Thai dishes and three courses starting at just $8.95, I'd say it's easily one of the most affordable and most satisfying lunches in town.
On a recent snowy afternoon, I began with the shumai as a warm and savory amuse bouche to start the meal. A combination of shrimp, tofu and vegetables fill three wonton wrappers. I presume these are steamed and then pan fried given their chewy exterior and crisp edges, and then finished with a chili and soy sauce. The other lunch appetizer options include soup, salad or spring roll. One course down, two more to go.
