On a recent heat-wave evening, residents
on the block of Fifth Avenue between Union and Berkeley streets
were hanging out on front stoops and porches to escape the oppressive
heat indoors.
Enter the recently opened Thai restaurant Long Tan.
Cool. Clean. Fresh. Sleek. Elegant yet relaxed. Ultra modern
yet fun. Sophisticated yet young. The entrance to Long Tan takes
you into the smaller of two rooms where there are a few tables
and a bar.
The main room, where we dined, is painted white, very large and
open with high ceilings. A large banquette with plump, comfy
cushions in bright orange, red and pink wraps itself around one
wall.
Jazzy, multicolored paper decorations hang down one wall and
there are paper lanterns all around the room. An open kitchen
underscores the vibrancy of this friendly, relaxed atmosphere,
and a large window looks out onto a charming little garden area
with flamingo-pink plastic chairs and tables for fair-weather
dining.
Rory Dwyer from Ireland and Jamie Webb from Australia are co-owners
of Long Tan.
"It might sound a little funny for an Irishman and an Aussie
to be opening a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn, but it made sense
to us," Dwyer said. "We’ve both been in the food industry
for a while and we love Thai food."
Both Dwyer and Webb worked for many years at Raoul’s in Manhattan
and, while they loved the fun, relaxed atmosphere there, when
it came to opening a restaurant of their own, they opted for
Thai cuisine over any other.
"I just love the fresh, simple flavors of Thai," said
Dwyer.
Webb, who is a self-taught wine connoisseur, has traveled in
Thailand and also loves Thai flavors.
"All the wines on our wine list come from Australia and
New Zealand," said Webb. There are also two sparkling French
wines. "They have been carefully chosen to complement our
food and enhance the flavors and spices used in Thai cuisine."
In fact, the wine and cocktails menu at Long Tan is more extensive
than the selection of dishes, which makes it a particularly attractive
spot for wine enthusiasts. Webb directed us to the Tim Adams
Riesling 1998 from the Clare Valley in South Australia, a very
crisp, dry wine with lime overtones.
While we didn’t try any of the special house cocktails, they
sounded intriguing and somewhat mysterious, like the Long Tan
(a mixture of citrus vodka and loomi, a Middle Eastern citrus
drink made from dried oranges, limes and lemons), the Dark &
Stormy (dark rum and ginger beer) and the Most Excellent Cosmopolitan
(citrus vodka, triple sec, cranberry and fresh lime juices).
We sampled the restaurant’s signature dishes. From the appetizers
– crab and mango summer roll, fish cakes with kaffir lime, vegetarian
spring rolls and shrimp and lychee spring rolls. My favorite,
the crab-mango summer roll, was particularly light with lots
of very fresh cilantro and crab meat and a wrap that was more
delicate than most.
The shrimp and lychee spring rolls consisted of a large shrimp
with a spicy mango mixture inside a crisp fried wrap – tender
shrimp, well blended flavors – warm, crisp and satisfying overall.
The fish cakes, a delectable and intriguing mixture of monkfish
and skate, had a firmer consistency than the average crab cake.
They were small and dense and served with a sweet, light dipping
sauce of rice vinegar, onion and carrot.
Individual flavors were lost in the vegetarian roll, which tasted
rather bland even though it was served with a sweet, carrot-based
sauce that was rather interesting.
My favorite dish of the evening was the shredded duck with frisee
and anise (this was one of four from the "Salads" section
of the menu). The duck, tender as could be, was sliced very thin
and tossed with crispy, fresh bean sprouts on a bed of frisee
(endive). Each flavor stood out on its own as well as melding
harmoniously together, and the combination of the textures was
particularly satisfying. The dressing made from star anise, mango
and lemon provided a smooth, sweet finish to the dish.
From the "Mains" portion of the menu, yellow curry
of butternut squash, sweet corn and red potatoes earned high
marks. The vegetables were tender and fresh in a creamy coconut-based
sauce with just enough turmeric to give the dish a little kick.
Both the three-flavored snapper and the duck with tamarind sauce
were served on beautiful beds of tasty mixed greens – baby mustard
greens, bok choy and Chinese broccoli – all brilliantly green
and flavorful.
The restaurant’s chef, Jeff Hardinger, explained that the wok
at Long Tan is very different from regular cookers.
"The heat is so intense, you throw ingredients in the pan
in the order of cooking as fast as you can. This sears the food
on the outside and makes it cook in its own juices inside."
Hardinger, a native of Oregon, has also cooked French and Italian
cuisine. Most recently, his interest has leaned toward Pan-Asian
and fusion styles, and now he’s happy to be focusing on Thai.
For dessert, we had the caramelized bananas with coconut ice
cream, which was sheer heaven. Not too sweet, it was a subtle
blend of melted brown sugar, gently braised bananas and delicately
flavored ice cream with just the right amount of coconut flavor.
We also sampled Selaks ice wine from New Zealand, described on
the menu as "a very sexy dessert wine – honey and lemon
zest finishing long and lush; the hair on the back of your neck
will tingle." It was light, too, and a perfect way to end
a wonderful dinner.
Long Tan [196 Fifth Ave. at Berkeley
Place, (718) 622-8444] is open daily for dinner . Entrees range
from $8 to $13. Long Tan accepts Visa and MasterCard.
