Mini Restaurant Reviews September 2008

The Noodle House (2313 Commerce Center, North Brunswick, NJ 08902)
Curiously enough we recently found ourselves in Princeton, NJ, accompanying Jen Lazzaro on a puppy recognizance mission (think elusive, bi-polar dog breeder; think eerily empty house save for pups of all varieties; think gloomy skies and constant downpour; think well-intentioned but clueless neighbors). Even odder, Cafe Drake lunched at a Thai buffet in a North Brunswick strip mall - and loved it! The ubiquitous Asian Modern decor misstep aside, The Noodle House serves up a most impressive mid-day congo line of startlingly tasty Thai classic variants: a subtle(!) chicken and coconut soup and another spicy with dried chiles and wild mushrooms; Bangkok-style home fries (!); basil chicken; non-sticky and non-sweet pad thai noodles; roasted corn-studded rice; chive and peanut dumplings; tofu skewers with cilantro sauce; cashew and scallion fritters and a half-dozen puddings and sorbets we were too replete to sample. All for $10!

La Bonne Soupe (48 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019)

Cafe Drake and Susan McKeever-Duys found ourselves under the gun, with just shy of an hour, to grab a bite prior to City Center's Fall for Dance 2008 program of international modern and classical troupes. [Especially great was The National Canadian Ballet Company's majestic 16-man performance of Soldiers' Mass.] Half a block away from the venue we tore into crusty bread and good butter, washed down with a half-carafe of house red ($14) at La Bonne Soupe, one of the last of Midtown's family-owned, reasonably priced independent eateries. Warmly decorated in a country French style that is far more rustic farmhouse than the more typical urban bistro variety so overwhelming NYC at the moment, gingham upholstered walls, dark oak and dried flowers make La Bonne Soupe the coziest of destinations. Unfortunately the coziness may be too intense for some, given the terribly cramped seating arrangement - tables so close you'll know if the patron next to you ordered the Garlic Soup as a starter. A complimentary green salad was well dressed and a simple palette cleanser and appetizer. The Hamburgers (all $13.95) arrive in casserole dishes (no buns of familiar trimmings) and are sided with silver pails of perfect fries; the chopped sirloin patties themselves are moist and rich beyond belief, ours especially as we chose the cognac, black pepper and butter sauced version.


Shangri-La (74-15 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights, Queens, NY 11372)Still on our vision quest to indulge in every Indian buffet amongst the dozens of Jackson Heights, Queens, Cafe Drake skipped breakfast to plow through unimpeded the substantial steam table at Shangri-La. While mushy eggplant and greasy cabbage were humdrum, SL distinguished itself on an entirely different plain - that of unexpected spice profiles and seasoning intensity. A tossed salad dressed simply with yogurt is littered with scorching green chiles . . . DOZENS of them. Ginger, an important background component of most Indian flavor profiles, rises to the forefront here in a dish of ripe tomatoes and cold green peas. Neglected veggies like the lowly turnip and overlooked winter squash appear in a combination curry. Hard-boiled egg curry - a staple of poor Indian students living abroad in bed-sitters with a hotplate - is a welcome and homespun addition to the buffet. Vegetable dumplings floating in a buttermilk and fenugreek seed gravy were superb. Note to non-carnivores: although Shangri-La advertises itself as 100% vegetarian, Cafe Drake gnawed on several tiny chicken lollipops and a luscious and tender (and hot!) goat vindaloo.