Jea K.
Google
High-quality Thai meat dishes worth the trip from Boston.
Heard endless hype about this new spot, so I finally made the trek out to Malden on a late Monday evening. It’s not exactly the neighborhood I associate with polished, atmospheric dining, so walking in was a surprise. Everything from the lighting to the service felt calibrated and thoughtful.
Aside from a few A5 wagyu splurges, the menu felt like a refinement of traditional Thai flavors rather than a confused fusion experiment. We stuck to the items highlighted in darker shades on the menu, and most things we tried were excellent. Their kitchen seemed to focus heavily on a combination of marinated, sous-vide, and grilled techniques, and they were some of the best Thai-inspired meat dishes I’ve had in the GBA.
Golden Fried Pork Belly – High-quality pork belly with just the right amount of fat. Fried until crisp but still juicy inside, and not greasy. Solid start.
Massaman Pot Pie – Essentially a buttery curry puff in pot pie form. Pleasant, but nothing to write home about.
Sous-Vide Beef Tongue – Initially skeptical because of the theatrical juniper smoke, but the dish lived up to the hype. The smoke added very little flavor, but the tongue itself (after 18 hours sous-vide) was impeccably tender. Loved that they served it as thick cubes rather than thin slices (made the fattiness more satisfying). Best of all was the roasted tomato relish, which reminded me of Korean ssamjang, but maybe even better: deep umami with a clean, acidic finish. Best dish of the night.
A5 Wagyu Krapow Glazed Rice – Wagyu portion was small, and even torched to medium-rare, there wasn’t quite enough rendered fat to make the flavors pop. Still, the Krakow sauce had a nice gentle heat, and the crispy basil was a nice touch. Liked that it was less MSG-forward than most Thai fried rice, which allowed the basil and garlic to stand out more naturally.
Berkshire Pork Cheek – One of the best pork jowls I’ve had. Usually I’m used to grilled versions, but here the marinade and sous-vide technique brought out even more richness. The subtle sweetness of the marinade paired beautifully with the pork fat. Only minor note: the Brussels sprouts, while well-prepared, overlapped a little too much in sweetness with the pork marinade.
Roasted Curry with Flat Iron – Expected this to be a favorite, but unfortunately, no… The flat iron steak itself was cooked flawlessly, so it was tender without feeling dry. However, the Thai spinach curry lacked intensity. A good dish if you’re just looking for a clean, well-cooked steak.
Mango Sticky Rice – Triple coconut (ice cream, milk, sauce) paired with slightly underripe mango and flawless sticky rice. The rice was served perfectly warm, cohesive, and just sticky enough. Only my second time trying mango sticky rice, but the best version I’ve had so far.