Uncle Boons: Cant Deny Authentic Thai
Welcome back!!! Today, were going to talk about Uncle Boons. I came here as per Jason's, one of my work friends, influential recommendation. Also, at the time, I had just heard about Uncle Boons earning its first Michelin star. (Congrats, by the way!) These factors along with my intense craving for good Thai food contributed to us making our journey down to the magical land of food and drink, i.e. the Lower East Side in NYC.
Before we start, I just need to say that Uncle Boons is the real deal. The flavor levels at this place are unbelievable. I came here with my parents and minus the undisclosed spiciness of some of the dishes, they enjoyed the meal. We shared everything family-style.
Address: 7 Spring St., New York, NY 10012
Recommended:
Mee Krob: Sweetbreads with Crispy Noodle Salad, Peanuts, Dried Shrimp, Egg, Sawtooth Herb, and Tamarind Sauce at Uncle Boons
Massaman Neuh: Boneless Beef Ribs with Massaman Curry, Potato, Red Onion, Peanut, and Green Peppercorn at Uncle Boons
Khao Soi Kaa Gai: Northern Style Golden Curry with Homemade Egg Noodles, Chicken Leg, Pickled Mustard Greens, and Fresh Tumeric at Uncle Boons
Kao Pat Puu: Traditional Crab Fried Rice with Egg, Cilantro, and Lime at Uncle Boons
Puk Boong Fai Dang: Water Spinach with Garlic, Chilies, and Yellow Soybeans at Uncle Boons
Toasted Brioche with Condensed Milk at Uncle Boons
Coconut Ice Cream Sundae at Uncle Boons
For 4 people, we got 4 dishes, 1 side, and 2 desserts. I particularly enjoyed the Massaman Neuh (pictured above), which was made with Boneless Beef Ribs with Massaman Curry, Potato, Red Onion, Peanut, and Green Peppercorn. Yo. This meat was so soft and beautiful, I almost cried. It just fell apart as you tried to cut it. I didn't even need a knife. I just used the side of my spoon. The curry is pretty spicy but it's amazingly rich and savory. I kind of just wanted to pour it all over my body... I mean... my rice. Speaking of the rice...
We got the Kao Pat Puu, which was Traditional Crab Fried Rice with Egg, Cilantro, and Lime. I got a bit too much pleasure out of drenching my rice with that Massaman curry. With the spiciness, I needed to drink several glasses of water that night. But, I loved it!
We also got some Puk Boong Fai Dang, which was Water Spinach with Garlic, Chilies, and Yellow Soybeans. This dish was so simple but based on all our other dishes, this was perfect for our needs as it was just a giant plate of delicious water spinach. It had a good level of garlic but an intense amount of chili flavor.
The other hot dish was the Khao Soi Kaa Gaa, which was Northern-Style Golden Curry with Homemade Egg Noodles, Chicken Leg, Pickled Mustard Greens, and Fresh Turmeric. I adore egg noodles. Whether it's in Mok's Noodle House's shrimp wonton soup in HK or in just a good old Chinese lo mein, I can eat so much of this stuff. It's slightly wheaty but more rich in taste especially when it's soaked in a majestic pool of curry.
FUN FACT: Turmeric, a popular ingredient in many curries, is full of health benefits. It contains curcumin, which assists the liver in creating more LDL-cholesterol receptors. This causes the liver to break down more LDL-cholesterol helping you lower your LDL-cholesterol levels. High LDL-cholesterol levels are associated with higher risk of heart disease.
Lastly, for dessert, we got the Toasted Brioche with Condensed Milk and the Coconut Ice Cream Sundae. Both of them were glorious. The Toasted Brioche was my favorite because it kind of reminds me of Hong Kong Style French Toast. It's basically crispy, sticky carbs soaked in sweet condensed milk. It's the best! Who can deny that?