Arrived at 7 pm on a Saturday, without a reservation, and we snagged a table for five right away. Brookside Thai is a bustling, nicely decorated, storefront space with a mix of families and couples.
Fresh and flavorful food. Very good spring rolls and curry puff appetizers. The sauces are not too heavy and the spice is under control, but I’m sure you can ask for spicier. My wife loved the Gang Ped Yang, sliced duck in a red curry – coconut milk broth with tomatoes, pineapple and grapes. The Mus Munn Curry (coconut milk with cashew nuts) is also good. The sauce on my son’s sweet and sour beef was light, not cloyingly heavy. My spicy beef noodles were very good, even a bit sweet. The engaging hostess suggested tasty BBQ pork for our 6-year-old.
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Until I have a lot more Indian food under my belt, literally, my criteria are simple: hit me with intense spicy flavors; let me taste something delicious I’ve never had before; and make the garlic Naan hot and fluffy. Montclair’s Aroma Palace does all of this. The large triangular Mysore Masala Dosa (rice and lentil crepe filled with hot chutney, onions, potatoes and nuts) packs a fiery spice. My wife ordered Uthappam, something we had never tried before, a rice and lentil pancake served with a cooling fresh coconut chutney and a small bowl of Sambar, the South Indian vegetable stew. The puffy garlic Naan is fresh and hot. More common dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala (my wife’s favorite) are also very good.
Aroma Palace’s food is better than most suburban New Jersey Indian restaurants outside of the Iselin-Edison-North Brunswick corridor, the service is friendly, and prices are reasonable. My only concern is that the dining room was empty on a Friday evening. C’mon people, support exceptional Indian food in Montclair.
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Jersey Bites
Yelp
After reading the New Jersey Monthly review, we visited Topaz Thai on a Friday night at 8 pm. Good thing we called a half hour ahead, because Topaz is a small, bustling spot. The friendly staff seemed to know most of the diners – a mix of families and couples – by name. “Mama,” the chef, makes a point of visiting tables in the dining room. Even though our main dishes were delayed because of a “large take out order,” we didn’t mind because our server was so friendly and apologetic.
Strong, fresh flavors make Topaz Thai’s food stand out. Our waitress asked, “Regular spicy or extra spicy?” when I ordered the Spicy Basil Noodle with beef. Glad I said regular. I love spicy, but that dish made me sweat, in a good way. I couldn’t stop eating it. My wife was the big winner. She ordered a dinner special with vermicelli noodles, crispy pork that reminded us of Central American chicharrones, cashews and pineapple, all permeated by a wonderful lime and chili sauce. The spring rolls and salads are tasty. My Fish Cakes appetizer was fresh, but overcooked.
Links
New Jersey Monthly
Munchmobile Blog
The New York Times
Homemade, inexpensive Central American (Salvadoran) comfort food – tasty tacos, Pupusas, and Sopa de Res (beef soup) – with friendly service and a relaxed neighborhood vibe. Spanish helps, but not necessary.
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West Orange Patch
Charred Thin Crust Pie
Star Tavern makes a seriously good thin crust pie. The Regular Pizza has a tasty, not-too-sweet, sauce, just the right amount of cheese, and arrives with a nicely charred crust – black in spots – that has good flavor and is thin but not floppy, as long as you don’t pile on the toppings. My favorites are fresh garlic and anchovies. (The latter causing extreme discord in many families, I know.) We’ve also had the Three Cheese (very good) and the Everything (tastes great but triggers the dreaded crust flop). Star Tavern’s pizza is the closest I’ve tasted in NJ to Frank Pepe’s New Haven-style pizza: oblong thin crust pies sliced in rectangles and without mozzarella, unless you ask for it. We’ve also tried Star Tavern’s fried calamari and mussels marinara appetizers, both worth having, as long as you’ll still have room for pizza.
Star Tavern occupies a corner lot in a predominantly residential Orange neighborhood. It has a sports bar feel, but the wooden booths reminded me more of the college pizza place where we used to bounce quarters off the tables. (Kids, you’ll understand the reference soon enough.) Plenty of families fill the booths and tables every night. Service is fast and the servers know what they’re doing. Regulars have been coming here for years, and the secret is out thanks to glowing reviews like “Best Thin-Crust Pizza” in NJ, according to Peter Genovese’s “Pizza Patrol.” That means you might have to wait for a table at peak times.
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