Hot v. heat: Spicy food for a steamy day
Tasty dishes at SriPraPhai in Williston Park include the crispy watercress salad with shrimp, chicken and squid, shown here. (Nov. 14, 2009) Credit: Kirsten Luce
So, how miserable are your feeling? When it gets soupy out there, when glasses turn foggy, when you want some relief beyond the air conditioner and ice cream, go Thai.
Southeast Asian cooking combats the weather miseries of this sort of day. Maybe it's all those peppers or the smack of lime juice. But it works. Here are three spots to the rescue.
Siam Lotus in Bay Shore is a veteran eatery near the railroad station. Try the pad nor-mai, with either chicken or pork, sparked by chiles and scallions; pla lad prik, or fried red snapper with garlic and chiles; larb, the refreshing ground-beef salad with lime and mint; and, for a mellow aside, shrimp massaman, finished with coconut milk. Siam Lotus is at 1664 Union Blvd., Bay Shore; 631-968-8196.
Sarin in Greenvale offers a bright dining room and food to match: shredded papaya salad, Bangkok duck with chile-pineapple curry; invigorating, clear shrimp soup with lemongrass and lime; satisfying satays. Sarin is at 43 Glen Cove Rd., Greenvale, on the west side, north of Route 25A; 516-484-5873.
The Williston Park branch of SriPraPhai brings the lively flavors from the Woodside original. Good choices include sour-and-spicy soup with pork; massaman shrimp; marinated and fried pork chops; shredded and fried taro; and pretty much anything designated spicy. SriPraPhai is at 280 Hillside Ave., Williston Park; 516-280-3779.
Otherwise: Ben & Jerry's, in a hurry.
Dig in at SriPraPhai...
