Chada Street
Blue Pea Limenade
Sai Oua – Northern Style Spicy Herb Sausage
Moo Ping – Garlic Pork Skewers
Kao Pad Mun Pu – Crab Fried Rice
Sen Mee Kang Pou – Crab Curry with Rice Noodles
Duck Panang – Crispy Roasted Duck with Panang Curry
Kang Kua Supparos – Pork and Pineapple Curry
Ka Moo Tod – Crispy Pork Hock
Peak Kai Saap – Spicy Tangy Chicken Wings
Pad Ped Pla Duk – Crispy Catfish with Chili Paste and Green Bean
Larb Moo – Ground Pork, Chili, Onion, Lime Juice, Fish Sauce
Moo Tod Nam Pla – Fried Pork Belly with Nam Prik Noom
O-Aew – Shaved Ice, Coconut Jelly, Palm Seed, Red Bean, Black Jelly
Kanom-Pung Sung Kaya – Warm Bread with Pandan Custard
Honey Toast – Chocolate
Honey Toast – Vanilla
In some ways taking a ”casual” detour from the more traditional cuisine of Chada Thai and Wine on Jones, Bank Atcharawan’s recently launched Chada Street sees the acclaimed chef take on an aggressive menu of items commonly consumed from the vendors of Thailand’s street markets, the results oftentimes resoundingly successful though service still has a long way to go.
Elegantly decorated in a stripmall on Spring Mountain, the bustling plaza unfortunately falling short of parking on Saturday at 7:30pm, Chada Street occupies a footprint nearly threefold the size of Bank’s original restaurant and with a well-appointed bar beneath a photographic mural stretching the length of the dining room the seating options offered are multiple, the leather-clad lounge up front perfect for relaxation while a more proper meal is offered amongst low-lit tables or a private room extending back behind all-glass wine storage.
Prominently featuring Rieslings, though certainly not lacking for well-priced spirits sourced from around the globe, it was with menus presented beneath lightly playing tunes from Chvrches that our party of seven made selections, a total of twelve plates complimented by three more at the chef’s discretion proving an adequate amount of food for all persons present with some actually leaving quite stuffed.
Noting up front that waitresses undoubtedly speak better English than I do Thai, suffice it to say that language barriers played a big part in service issues almost from the moment seats were taken and despite repeated requests to have items paced out it was not once but twice that items were returned to the kitchen, drink refills clearly not on the list of priorities despite the menu’s bold spice profile while other oysters and pandan custard were forgotten until staff was reminded.
Speaking next to the quality of the kitchen it should seem obvious that such a broad menu is bound to occasionally miss the mark, but setting aside pork belly that was surprisingly devoid of flavor and O-Aew that was more snow-cone than shaved ice the rest of the cuisine was well crafted and occasionally quite stunning without once drifting too spicy to be appealing.
Doing our best to experience a wide swath of Chada Street’s cuisine it was perhaps with good fortune that opening plates showed most strongly, and with blue tea that turned purple with the addition of citrus adequately refreshing palates between bites both the housemade pork sausage and duo of crabs were each boldly flavored and nicely presented, a requested side of rice helping sop up the Sen Mee Kang Pou’s sauce while skewers of grilled pork would have better ordered in double to allow for more sharing.
Already seeing the 8-top’s capacity likely to be challenged by sizable service plates and portions defying the low costs it was mere moments after round one that two more curries presented, the slightly overcooked pork shank also allowed to be delivered while four more plates were refused, then sent back once more to be reprepared just ten minutes later so that the crispy skinned fowl and pork in a pool of spicy pineapple broth could properly be savored.
No doubt attuned to his recipes, Atcharawan’s spicier plates saved until later in the meal, it was with a light tingle from the crab and duck sill lingering on the lips that the oft-raved larb was presented, and ‘hot’ to some even though requested medium both the flavor and texture were indeed excellent, the catfish in chili paste equally praiseworthy while the crisp chicken wings got a little lost in a flavor I presume was a numbing spice mixed with tamarind.
Passing on durian based desserts and modestly amused by the mix-ins beneath the aforementioned ‘shaved ice,’ it was perhaps ‘lucky’ that a double order of warm bread beneath sweet custard reminiscing of Ghostbusters was brought forth singular since several in the group were already topped off, the duo of honey toasts forgivingly smaller than those at Hachi or Izakaya and undoubtedly benefited by more honey and creamier ice cream.
THREE AND A HALF STARS: Still finding its footing, the front of house lagging behind the skills of those at the stoves, Chada Street is a welcome addition to a genre that has seen great growth since Lotus of Siam became a destination, the comfortable modern layout and favorable pricepoint more than enough reason for both neophytes and fans of the original to stop in for anything from a small bite to a multi-course feast with wine.
RECOMMENDED: Larb Moo, Sai Oua, Pad Ped Pla Duk, Sen Mee Kang Pou, Kanom-Pung Sung Kaya.
AVOID: Moo Tod Nam Pla, O-Aew.
TIP: Open for lunch as well as dinner on weekdays, dinner only on Saturday and Sunday, the online menu currently only represents a fraction of the plates offered, those interested in specifics are encouraged to call and inquire.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.chadastreet.com/
