by C. von Arte

Sticky Rice

he hodgepodge of reclaimed décor is Far East meets LES: Blue chandelier, Ikea-ish shades on hanging glass light fixtures, bold flowers painted on exposed brick walls, Crate-and-Barrel-ish multicolored checked cotton napkins.

The vast menu worried us – pages and pages of carnivore, vegetarian or heart healthy options, and a Prix Fixe option ($14.95). But we were very hungry and overcame our trepidation. Good choice.

To start, we were given a plate of crispy noodles – compliments to the kitchen, our appetites were whetted. We graduated to fried Duck Rolls ($5.50) crispy and flavorful with a great light dipping sauce. In a fresh contrast, we also had the Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls ($4.95). They were filling, like a tightly wrapped crunchy salad with a tamarind dipping sauce. The Portobello & Smoked Tofu Satay ($5.50) with peanut dipping sauce was likewise tasty and filling, but smoked (almost BBQ) tofu is an acquired taste. The "Tom-Yum-Gai" Soup ($4.95) was a classic, with tender chunks of chicken in a fragrant lemongrass/ginger/chili broth.

My companion went for the Bar-B-Q section’s Grilled Salmon wrapped in banana leaf ($15.95). The presentation was great, and the portion was huge. It came with a trio of dipping sauces (sweet, spicy, and thick), sautéed baby bok choy, fragrant herbed sticky rice, kimchee and a slice of Guss’s pickle from next door.

The waiter suggested the Massaman Curry and I chose chicken ($10.95), which turned out to be a full bowl of potato, chicken, and peanut goodness. On a smaller, egg-shaped plate came an extra large scoop of sticky rice. Filling and lovely. The pickled pearl onions were a bit weird, but they added an interesting contrast to the curry.

The dessert menu is brief. We chose the Potato Flan ($5.50), which was a concentrated homage to Thanksgiving, a thick spoonful of intense flavor, like pumpkin pie spice in dense potato flan. We alternated with bites of Fried Won Ton Napoleon ($5.50), crispy wontons layered with Thai custard. The custard is a light, airy, curd like mixture that blends really well with the mango and raspberry reduction it is served with.

I was surprised to discover that Sticky Rice is part of a chain of NYC Thai Restaurants – with four siblings including, Open The Sesame just up the street, at 198A Orchard.

Sticky Rice, 85 Orchard St (between Broome St & Grand St), Lunch, Dinner, 212.274.8208, www.padthaibox.com