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Ian Hunter's Guide to Manhattan and Bergen County, NJ's Best Restaurants, Bars, and Gourmet Markets

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THAI / KOREAN / VIETNAMESE / PAN ASIAN 
 
BLOOMFIELD
 

Brookside Thai: Thai; Bloomfield; 380 Broad St @ Pitt; 23/19/$27; 973-566-0057; What a long, mouthwatering menu; BYO; All of your favorite Thai selections; Try the Pad Thai and Panang Curry; Delightful spices; Very large portions. $6.95 lunch specials; Dirt cheap even for dinner.

 

Pandan Asian Cuisine: Filipino / Asian Fusion; Bloomfield; 406 Broad St @ Baldwin; 24/17/$37; 973-748-9997; Focus on Filipino cuisine; Huge portions in an intimate, cozy setting; Try the various Dumplings; Soups are a meal in themselves; Pork and Chicken dishes stand. Leftovers for sure. BYO; Delicious Thai selections as well.

 
EMERSON
 

Pimaan Thai Restaurant: Thai; Emerson; 79 Kinderkamack Rd; 21/17/$35; 201-967-0440;  Consistent quality and service; Noodles and curries stand out; Excellent lunch specials; Soft Shell crab available; BYO; Will accommodate any plate; Pleasant experience though more of a spot for locals. Serviceable restaurant with well presented dishes.

 
ENGLEWOOD
 

Kratiem: Thai; Englewood; 4 E Palisade Av @ Van Brunt; 20/14/$32; 201-894-0343; Large menu and overall great Thai cuisine; Has tasty versions of all the usual curried and Pad Thai; Also, a great selection of juices; Roasted Duck curry is amazing. BYO.  Issue here is the cramp feel and mixed bag quality.

 

Pawana: Thai; Englewood;  63 Nathaniel Place; 22/19/$35; 201-227-7484; Super friendly service; Homemade food; Extremely attentive and flexible; Menu features incredibly tasty soups and curries; Frogs Legs; Pad Thai is very well made. Located in Shop Rite complex. Owner/ chef cares for her customers. BYO.     

 
FORT LEE
 

Dong Bang Grill: Korean; Fort Lee; 1616 Palisade Ave @ Main St; 23/16/$42; 201-242-4485; Excellent steaks and other Galbi (Korean BBQ);  Sushi as well; Amazing short ribs; Miso soup is tasty; Two level location with a large menu of individual items besides BBQ; Great service and it rivals NYC’s Korean town.

 

Gam Mee Ok: Korean; Fort Lee; 485 Main St @ Fletcher; 22/15/$39; 201-242-1333; Noted for outstanding Kimchi; Large Galbi menu of BBQ meats; Considered to have the best Ox Tail soup in the state (Sul Long Tang); Beef short ribs and soups are super tasty. Service friend and environment welcoming.

 

Mo Pho: Vietnamese; Fort Lee; 212 Main St @ Lemoine Av; 24/12/$27; 201-363-8886; Flat out incredible Pho soups; Some of the most tasty broths you’ll ever have; Unique selections including a BBQ Rib Pho Soup; Also serves cooked main fare from Duck, to Shrimp to Chicken dishes; Pad Thai and excellent dumpling appetizers. See Englewood location as well. BYO. Not fancy…. but perfect f’in Mo Pho. Check out this article with pictures.  

 

Pho 32: Vietnamese; Fort Lee; 1645 Lemoine Av @ Main St; 21/14/$28; 201-363-8900; Very inexpensive, fabulous large Pho soup; Have some Korean selections; Pineapple fried rice stands out as well; Have Dim Sum items & Dumplings; They sell beer & wine. Décor is less than desirable, however, and service mixed.

 

HACKENSACK 
 

Bangkok Garden: Thai; Hackensack; 261 Main St @ Camden-Salem; 22/14/$28; 201-487-2620; Nothing fancy but the food is what you come here for; Endlessly long menu of everything Thai- from the curries to the Pad Thai and variations thereof; Top notch soups; Food for sharing.

 

Thai Chef: Thai; Hackensack; 169 Hackensack Av @ Rt 4; 21/17/$35; 201-342-7257; Upscale Thai cuisine; Formal setting for the genre; Excellent food- well prepared and tabled; Great martini list; Sea Bass, Lobster au Gratin, New Zealand Lamb and rack of Veal and Venison all on menu in addition to Pad Thai and other usual selections; French infused menu. Riverside Square Mall location.

 

HOBOKEN
 

Sri Thai: Thai; Hoboken; 234 Bloomfield St @ 2nd-3rd St; 22/10/$21; 201-798-4822; Small place, with almost no décor; However, one of the better Thai joints around with a huge menu begging you to try multiple selections, for a tour of Thai cuisine; Perfect for lunch or a quick bite out. BYO. Friendly decent service. Might be better for lunch – certainly not a great date spot.  

 
LODI
 

Thai Chef: Thai; Montclair; 664 Bloomfield Av @ Orange; 23/19/$35; 973-783-4994; Upscale Thai cuisine; Formal setting for the genre; Excellent food- well prepared and tabled; BYO; Soft Shell crab, roasted duck, striped bass, rack of lamb, frogs legs all on menu in addition to Pad Thai and other usual selections; French infused menu.  Outdoor dining available.

 

PALISADES PARK
 

Baden Baden: Korean; Palisades Park; 329 Bergen Blvd @ Central; 21/15/$32; 201-592-0815; Restaurant and bar specializing in incredible fried/ roasted chicken dishes; Order the Baden Baden house special; Bar is great for a pitcher of beer; Very affordable and large portions; One of the better Korean restaurants in the area; 25+ other menu items including Kim Chi.

  

So Moon Nan Jip: Korean; Palisades Park; 238 Broad St @ Brinkerhoff; 24/12/$32; 201-944-3998; First of all- enter by the entrance with the Korean lettering (hard to find); Seafood Pancake is notoriously good; Kalbi – Korean BBQ is outstanding and so flavorful; Need two orders for them to let you cook it ($20 a pop); Service is fast and excellent; The place is very popular and authentic; New York Koreans flock here even. Sushi on menu.

 
RIDGEWOOD
 

Ridge Thai: Thai; Ridgewood; 50 Chestnut St @ Franklin; 24/19/$42; 201-493-9929; Delicately made traditional Thai dishes; Stylish, relaxing décor; Excellent menu with a large assortment of curries, duck, chicken and noodle dishes; BYO; Won 2009 Best of Bergen award for Thai food. The usual huge menu for a Thai restaurant. Small place – 10 or so tables so come early.

 
TENAFLY
 

Simply Vietnamese: Vietnamese; Tenafly; 1 Highwood Ave; 24/15/$32; 201-568-7770; Master chef Khanh “KT” Tran of Mo Pho fame has done it again with this new Tenafly masterpiece; Creative, unique and most important delicious takes on Vietnamese dishes; The Pho soup, Curry Coconut shrimp, Chicken dumplings, Chili Garlic Shrimp, and Vietnamese spring rolls stand out; Smallish place but already popular; Just a delightful change of pace;    

 
UNION CITY
 
Five Star Thai: Thai; Union City; 324 29th St @ Palisade; 24/16/$32; 201-583-1800; Authentic, wildly flavorful dishes; Try the Thai dumplings, Spicy Shrimp Soup & Drunken Noodles; Pineapple fried rice; BYO; Large portions; Tons of options on the menu; Specials galore; Worth a try for sure. Excellent website with  pictures of the dishes.

 
WEEHAWKEN
 

Hi-So Thai: Thai; Weehawken; 1903 Willow Av @ 19th St; 22/15/$27; 201-902-0991; Very popular local Thai restaurant with large menu and fairly priced cuisine; Pad Thai and the various noodle dishes stand out; Right near the Lincoln Tunnel and it is BYO. Nothing overly unique about the place except for its consistency.