Better Room Service Would Be Nice
by Jeff Harris
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Room Service 166 Eighth Ave, 212-691-0299
Price Range: $15-20
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Room Service — a new, self-described “Bangkok Contemporary Kitchen” — provides exactly what you’d expect from any self-respecting boutique hotel: acceptable food, ludicrous décor, and perfect service — perfectly inept yet condescending service, that is.
Entering through an opalescent mosaic portal set into a huge glass wall, I was transported. To where? A Kubrick bordello perhaps. However you want to describe it, the architectural pastiche within incorporates crimson leather set into Victorian frames on the walls and ceiling, molded purple plastic chairs, Thai-patterned silk wallpaper, and wood-veneered doors-cum-backrests. After 20 minutes of observing the décor, our party was given menus. We started with some drinks. My Thai iced tea was tooth-achingly yummy, my girlfriend’s draft Sapporo intriguingly came in a bottle, and our friend’s water just didn’t come.
Our appetizers were up quickly thereafter. A bargain at $3, both the corn Spring Rolls and Deep Fried Tofu were excessively saccharine, though pleasant. Fifteen minutes after finishing our appetizers, the molded white plates were cleared and two entrees appeared. Ten minutes later, the third came along with that tap water we had forgotten about, delivered to the wrong person.
First up was Room Service Pad Thai ($14). The sweet, tart, hot, and nutty vermicelli, paired with squid, clam, shrimp, and tofu was stained to match the chairs with beet juice, wrapped in an omelet, creating a surprisingly tasty dish. The Lotus Seed Masaman ($12) didn’t fare as well. The chunks of beef suspended in yummy masaman curry were overstewed while the accompanying sweet potato and lotus seeds were pleasant on their own, but clashed with the curry, begging for some bitter note to achieve a Thai balance.
Last up was one of the most unforgettable dishes I’ve ever tried. Called Zabb ($16), it is composed of perfectly seared catfish, sticky rice, and bamboo salad. Sounds innocuous, but the menu warns that it “can’t be adjusted to suit American tastes” and the waiter stridently advised against it. Well, I can’t say I enjoyed it, but it did introduce me to the durian smell I’ve heard so much about (I’m not sure it was durian, though. None of the English-speaking waitstaff knew what was in it.) To be blunt, it smelled like raw sewage with a touch of fennel left to rot in the jungle... yet tasted surprisingly nice. A complex and pungent acquired taste that I don’t plan on acquiring; as exciting as the décor is odd. Still, I recommend Room Service for delivery. The curries can’t be beat for speed and you needn’t deal with the infuriating service. Alex is still waiting for that water
Room Service 166 Eighth Ave, 212-691-0299
Price Range: $15-20
……………………………………………………………………………
Room Service — a new, self-described “Bangkok Contemporary Kitchen” — provides exactly what you’d expect from any self-respecting boutique hotel: acceptable food, ludicrous décor, and perfect service — perfectly inept yet condescending service, that is.
Entering through an opalescent mosaic portal set into a huge glass wall, I was transported. To where? A Kubrick bordello perhaps. However you want to describe it, the architectural pastiche within incorporates crimson leather set into Victorian frames on the walls and ceiling, molded purple plastic chairs, Thai-patterned silk wallpaper, and wood-veneered doors-cum-backrests. After 20 minutes of observing the décor, our party was given menus. We started with some drinks. My Thai iced tea was tooth-achingly yummy, my girlfriend’s draft Sapporo intriguingly came in a bottle, and our friend’s water just didn’t come.
Our appetizers were up quickly thereafter. A bargain at $3, both the corn Spring Rolls and Deep Fried Tofu were excessively saccharine, though pleasant. Fifteen minutes after finishing our appetizers, the molded white plates were cleared and two entrees appeared. Ten minutes later, the third came along with that tap water we had forgotten about, delivered to the wrong person.
First up was Room Service Pad Thai ($14). The sweet, tart, hot, and nutty vermicelli, paired with squid, clam, shrimp, and tofu was stained to match the chairs with beet juice, wrapped in an omelet, creating a surprisingly tasty dish. The Lotus Seed Masaman ($12) didn’t fare as well. The chunks of beef suspended in yummy masaman curry were overstewed while the accompanying sweet potato and lotus seeds were pleasant on their own, but clashed with the curry, begging for some bitter note to achieve a Thai balance.
Last up was one of the most unforgettable dishes I’ve ever tried. Called Zabb ($16), it is composed of perfectly seared catfish, sticky rice, and bamboo salad. Sounds innocuous, but the menu warns that it “can’t be adjusted to suit American tastes” and the waiter stridently advised against it. Well, I can’t say I enjoyed it, but it did introduce me to the durian smell I’ve heard so much about (I’m not sure it was durian, though. None of the English-speaking waitstaff knew what was in it.) To be blunt, it smelled like raw sewage with a touch of fennel left to rot in the jungle... yet tasted surprisingly nice. A complex and pungent acquired taste that I don’t plan on acquiring; as exciting as the décor is odd. Still, I recommend Room Service for delivery. The curries can’t be beat for speed and you needn’t deal with the infuriating service. Alex is still waiting for that water
