Kao Soy

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Kao Soy

Photo: Cititour.com

Contact Info:

Address: 283 Van Brunt St (Pioneer St)
City: Brooklyn, NY
Zip: 11231
map: View the Map
Phone: (718) 875-1155

Food Info:

Cuisine: Thai
2nd Cuisine: Family Friendly
Takeout: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Payment: Accepts Credit Cards

Cititour Review:

Thai comes alive at Kao Soy.  Located on Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, the restaurant draws a mix of hipsters and young families able to eat well on a budget.  Most apps are under seven bucks with most entrees in the $15-$20 range.  Best of all, everything we tried was fresh and prepared with care.

Juicy shrimp blankets come wrapped in crispy shells with a sweet chili dipping sauce.  Steamed chicken dumplings packed with mushroom, egg and water chestnuts are sadly gone too soon. Fried calamari that look like mini inner tubes offer a big burst of flavor. Nam Prik Ong, a dip made with pork and tomatoes, is slathered on romaine lettuce with cauliflower and puffed up pork rinds for crunch, while "pork poppers" put chicken nuggets to shame with a sriracha sauce.  Banana blossom fritters are another popular dishes, offered with two sauces; spicy garlic-lime and a sweet peanut chili. 

Som Tum is perfect mid-meal.  The green papaya salad is made with tomatoes, string beans and peanuts with steamed shrimps dancing on top.  It's sweet, spicy and special. 

We did manage to squeeze in a few entrees.  Crispy duck lives up to its name smothered in tasty tamarind sauce.  The duck, deboned and cooked just right, is big enough to feed a small army (or in this case, three hungry foodies).  If you like your beef rare, you will like Steak Jim Jaew.  It's a butcher's cut with a Northern Thai chili-lime dipping sauce. Grilled asparagus, brussels sprouts and sugar snap peas, along with a large dollop of sticky rice wrapped in a banana leaf, round out the dish.  A bowl of chicken with a yellow curry sauce is fragrant and flavorful.  Soft shell crab is also available in a green curry.

We never did get to try the signature dish, Kao Soy.  It's made with fried egg noodles in a Chiang Mai curry soup with chicken, pickles and potato fritters.  But that just gives us one more reason to return.

Kao Say is a pretty small restaurant and fills up quickly during peak hours.  We arrived late afternoon (about 5:30pm) on a Sunday and had no trouble landing a table.  Service is polite but can feel a bit rushed at times.

 

Review By: Thomas Rafael

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