Upon my friends’ insistence that I took a trip from Manhattan to Woodside in Queens, New York in order to experience Sipraphai, and I did not regret it. It was established in 1999 by a very generous, friendly, and now middle aged, lady who built her menu based on her diners approval: if it is not on the menu and if you describe the taste and ingredients she will make it for you on the spot. The menu has an array of seemingly unlimited dishes from appetizers, noodles, soups, rice over, poultry fish and meat as well as exotic desserts. This is what one will find at this eatery.
Born in the Southern part of Thailand, the owner, Mrs. Sripraphai Tipmanee, said that the menu is comprised of dishes all from different regions of Thailand. According to Mrs. Tipmanee, Thai cuisine consists mainly of a balance between the five flavors of hot, sour, salty, bitter and sweet. She also told me that although there are four distinct regional cuisines: North, North-Eastern, Southern, Central regions, in general, one can find all regional foods in one place.. The South is known for the yellow curry containing turmeric and coconut milk, limes can be found in the northeast.
From the seemingly endless list of appetizers, one can enjoy a full meal by selecting a few of the mouth watering, exotic and flavorful dishes that come in generous portions. My friend and I tried some of the favorite dishes on the menu. We started with Crispy Chinese watercress salad ($9.50) prepared with a combination of shrimp, squid and chicken and smothered with a sauce made out of 17 ingredients including lime juice, chilies, fish sauce, fried garlic, scallions and mint to name a few. I could not have enough of this dish, along with a common Thai street food dish, the Kao-Soy, ($8.00) crispy egg noodles topped with shrimp, chicken and bamboo shoot: this dish is like a soup made with coconut milk. It was very rich and creamy with very subtle spice that sneaks in but not in an overpowering way.
Both my friend and I thought that the fried soft shell crab ($14.00) with shredded green mango sauce was very good as well. You could tell how fresh the crabs were and very tender. They were crispy on the outside while tender inside – just perfect. However, his favorite was, which is not on the menu, the fried rice topped with crab meat. It is cooked with old rice, since it is fluffy. As you might well know, young rice is the sticky, whereas the old rice is fluffy. The dish had an unusual and very good nutty taste. We ordered it because, a local, Thai lady ordered it for take-out and said that this is the best fried rice in the world and that you get the real stuff here. Indeed, we thought so as well.
For those who like very strong seafood flavors and very hot dishes, a favorite for the Thai and Burmese is the Saute Sa-tor bean ($9.00) in spicy sauce with shrimp and the Saute seafood ($9.50) made with shrimp, squid, trout fillet, mussels, garlic chilli, rhizome, green pepper and basil leaves. The rhizome is there to absorb and balance the fish taste. With this food, I highly recommend the young, fresh coconut water, the Thai tea or coffee.
To calm your palate and to sooth it from the heat try the Coconut Ice Cream ($4.50) and the Lychee Ice Cream ($4.00). The Coconut Ice Cream has a tropical look since it comes in a small coconut shell. This is a special coconut tree only found in Thailand, shipped from Thailand topped with translucent palm seed that has a nutty flavor. This is the usual way of serving ice cream in Thailand.
If you are in the mood for something that is not on the menu, just ask Mrs. Tipmanee and she will make it for you with a smile. There is plenty for all, even for vegetarians. She caters to all in a loving and motherly fashion.
Closed on Wednesdays
64-13 39th Avenue, Near 64th Street
Queens, NY 11277
(718) 899-9599
Born in the Southern part of Thailand, the owner, Mrs. Sripraphai Tipmanee, said that the menu is comprised of dishes all from different regions of Thailand. According to Mrs. Tipmanee, Thai cuisine consists mainly of a balance between the five flavors of hot, sour, salty, bitter and sweet. She also told me that although there are four distinct regional cuisines: North, North-Eastern, Southern, Central regions, in general, one can find all regional foods in one place.. The South is known for the yellow curry containing turmeric and coconut milk, limes can be found in the northeast.
From the seemingly endless list of appetizers, one can enjoy a full meal by selecting a few of the mouth watering, exotic and flavorful dishes that come in generous portions. My friend and I tried some of the favorite dishes on the menu. We started with Crispy Chinese watercress salad ($9.50) prepared with a combination of shrimp, squid and chicken and smothered with a sauce made out of 17 ingredients including lime juice, chilies, fish sauce, fried garlic, scallions and mint to name a few. I could not have enough of this dish, along with a common Thai street food dish, the Kao-Soy, ($8.00) crispy egg noodles topped with shrimp, chicken and bamboo shoot: this dish is like a soup made with coconut milk. It was very rich and creamy with very subtle spice that sneaks in but not in an overpowering way.
Both my friend and I thought that the fried soft shell crab ($14.00) with shredded green mango sauce was very good as well. You could tell how fresh the crabs were and very tender. They were crispy on the outside while tender inside – just perfect. However, his favorite was, which is not on the menu, the fried rice topped with crab meat. It is cooked with old rice, since it is fluffy. As you might well know, young rice is the sticky, whereas the old rice is fluffy. The dish had an unusual and very good nutty taste. We ordered it because, a local, Thai lady ordered it for take-out and said that this is the best fried rice in the world and that you get the real stuff here. Indeed, we thought so as well.
For those who like very strong seafood flavors and very hot dishes, a favorite for the Thai and Burmese is the Saute Sa-tor bean ($9.00) in spicy sauce with shrimp and the Saute seafood ($9.50) made with shrimp, squid, trout fillet, mussels, garlic chilli, rhizome, green pepper and basil leaves. The rhizome is there to absorb and balance the fish taste. With this food, I highly recommend the young, fresh coconut water, the Thai tea or coffee.
To calm your palate and to sooth it from the heat try the Coconut Ice Cream ($4.50) and the Lychee Ice Cream ($4.00). The Coconut Ice Cream has a tropical look since it comes in a small coconut shell. This is a special coconut tree only found in Thailand, shipped from Thailand topped with translucent palm seed that has a nutty flavor. This is the usual way of serving ice cream in Thailand.
If you are in the mood for something that is not on the menu, just ask Mrs. Tipmanee and she will make it for you with a smile. There is plenty for all, even for vegetarians. She caters to all in a loving and motherly fashion.
Closed on Wednesdays
64-13 39th Avenue, Near 64th Street
Queens, NY 11277
(718) 899-9599
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