#26 – KAI TOD at ZABB ELEE

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…

After a wonderfully spicy and authentic Thai meal at SriPraPhai in Queens, my expectations were set for that kind of flavor experience on my next visit to a Thai restaurant. Zabb Elee, a spinoff of a popular Queens restaurant, opened in the East Village last year with a favorable review in the Times. They serve northern Isan Thai food, which is quite different from most of the usual sugary Thai spots in the city.

And that’s why we couldn’t find Pad Thai or Pad See Ew anywhere on the menu. That was a bit of a disappointment to the guests I brought, but a few of us were brave and excited to try things like Yang, Tod, and Larb. What were these new categories of food?

Well, the list item happened to be the Kai Tod, which was ordered by most at the table. I’m not sure if it was because it met the approval of a respectable magazine or if fried chicken was something safe for most people. A few of us also shared the catfish and beef larb (they were out of duck) and the grilled squid yang.

Larb is like a meaty, spicy salad. I’ve had these before and quite enjoyed them. Ours ended up being a little hotter than expected (I asked for medium), but I enjoyed the strong sweet/spicy/sour flavors and the crunchy, refreshing textures. The grilled squid was also very good – tender and meaty – with two different sweet and spicy sauces for dipping.

But I have to admit that the Kai Tod ended up being the least exciting dish on the table. And I wish I had picked some other more exotic option instead. It was basically Thai-style fried chicken. It was incredibly moist and tender (I’ll give it that) without too much grease and the seasonings were garlicky and slightly sweet. Yet it didn’t pack quite the punch of the other offerings. And in fact, the more conservative eaters at the table who had ordered this (they played it safe) were rather underwhelmed.

We had a pretty good meal, but I’m sure there are more surprising flavors and unusual dishes to be had at Zabb Elee. And perhaps one day when I try the right dishes, it will be as delicious as SriPraPhai, but for now I’ll make the trek out to Queens to get my authentic Thai fix.

Would Zabb Elee’s Kai Tod make my Top 100 of the year? It’s a decent fried chicken with some nice flavors so it gets a 7 out of 10, but it’s nothing too special compared to the other more unusual dishes.