Whole Red Snapper with Sweet Chili Sauce
Who ever said travel has to take you far and away? Maybe, travel just means starting the car and seeing where you turn at the end of the block. Maybe, it’s a simple Sunday drive through four New York Burroughs.
Sunday afternoon 4pm, my family lounges in the living room, watching the Yankees and Mets play an inter-league game. The humidity is thick outside. Glum. “What are we eating for dinner?” My nephew asks.
My brother volunteers to grill. My dad says let’s eat what’s in the house. My sister casts a vote to eat out. The ideas fly about and no one commits to cooking. So we decide to go out. When I said that I could really go for sticky rice, my niece chimes in: Sripraphai.
The room barrels into debate.
Should we? Shouldn’t we? It’s an hour drive over two bridges. It’s July 4th weekend, could be traffic. Yankees and Mets are playing. Traffic congestion may be tough.
Our justifications are interrupted by exclamatory bursts of dishes off the menu: Chicken and Rice, satay, curry, Thai ice tea, Kanom Chun dessert, and stir-fries.
With a clap of decisiveness, my family moves into action. All 7 of us grabbed our coats and checked our wallets for cash (the restaurant doesn’t take credit cards). We use the bathroom and switch off the house lights. In ten minutes, we’d rallied and run to the car. In twenty minutes, my brother guided our car up the New Jersey Turnpike, over the George Washington Bridge, over the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, and into Woodside, Queens. When the Yankees and Mets go into extra innings, we’re confident that traffic should remain light.
At Sripraphai Restaurant, we’ve beaten the rush and have our choice of tables. Off to the right, the new room with stonewall is almost empty. Sitting at a table by the windows, we peruse the menu as the final seconds of the baseball game came feeds in from the flatscreens.
The staff knows our ordering habits. We do a copious cross of family-style sharing and individual dishes. Appetizers and Thai iced tea arrive promptly. Then our shared entrees, followed by noodles and rice, dipping sauces and vegetable garnishes.
Meanwhile, the dinner crowd begins to mill about Sripraphai’s entrance.
While we dive in with forks, spoons, and chopsticks, I’m thinking this would make a great story. I even manage to snap a few pictures before eating, a testament to self-control. Our Sunday drive pays off with interest.
For restaurant history and menu suggestions, see my article at Weekend Notes.
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