#21 – CRISPY CHINESE WATERCRESS SALAD at SRIPRAPHAI

For the third year in a row, I’m going to attempt to eat every single item on Time Out New York’s annual 100 Best Dishes list. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100. Let the gluttony continue…

I know one way of getting kids to eat their green vegetables: fry them! I can’t believe McDonald’s hasn’t thought of that yet. Well, the Thai certainly have. Fried watercress is a staple of Thai street food. And while other restaurants in the city serve the dish, SriPraPhai in Woodside, Queens is known for having the best version.

I had been here a few years back when I first heard them referred to as the best Thai restaurant in New York. I’ve had some great meals and even one or two take out orders. But my latest trip was probably the best.

Many people will claim that SriPraPhai has slipped in quality in the last few years, but I can’t say that I agree. The place was jam packed on a Saturday night and we were lucky enough to get a tight table in the center of the room.

We ordered a number of things to share, including the best hot and spicy Tom Yum soup I’ve ever had and a generous plate of tender drunken noodles oozing flavors of Thai basil, chiles, and garlic.

But the crispy chinese watercress salad really is the standout – as it has been on all of my previous encounters with SraPraPhai. The watercress leaves are in fact lightly battered and fried so they look like crispy green crackers. These might have been the original fried kale chips. Then for good measure and some extra texture, they’re topped with crunchy cashews and dried red chiles.

But the refreshing part of the salad is really served on the side: a bowl of shrimp, squid, and chicken dunked in a healthy dose of garlic and fish sauce. And when mixed together with the fried greens, this makes for one sweet, spicy, and tart experience with a pleasurable crunch. McDonald’s has nothing on that, I guarantee it!

One other note: SriPraPhai is closed on Wednesdays; we learned that the hard way. It just means you’ll need an extra order of the fried salad to get you through the hump day.

Would SriPraPhai’s Crispy Chinese Watercress make my Top 100 of the year? If I had started making my lists a few years earlier, it most certainly would have. And now that I have tasted it again and been reminded of its deliciousness, I imagine you’ll see it on this year’s. 9 out of 10.