New York is a brew of brilliant cuisines and cultures and recently, I was lucky enough to visit a Malaysian restaurant in Soho called the Franklin Station Café.
This cute boite located just in front of the Franklin Street subway station in Soho (Red lines 1, 2, 3) has the classic French bistro look with tall mirrors, bench seating and iron ceiling but serving enchanting spicy Malaysian food with a few French classics thrown in.
Run for 14 years by owners from Kuala Lumpur, the menu features starters such as Rosemary Quail, Jicama Salad, Asparagus & Beets and Mango Squid Salad.
Soups and Noodles include Seafood Laksa, Tom Yum Shrimp, Noodles in Peanut Sauce, four types of Udon and a Vegetable Soba. Moving onto mains: Satay Chicken, Mango Curry Shrimp, Rainbow Trout, Curry Squid and Curry Chicken and Mint Shrimp.
Specialties include marinated Rainbow Trout in Banana Leaf, gingery Terrenganu Shrimp, Bouillabaisse and Rendang Lamb.
Incomparable Curry Puffs
My compatriots and I arrived at Franklin Station Café in a tense, sweaty mood – the airline had lost our luggage and the moist weather was drenching us in our own cloak of humidity.
Determined to make the day a winner, we were ready for good grub and the Café did not disappoint. We immediately ordered starters of chicken curry puffs and the duck roll.
The puffs were flaky and hot, chili-hot, and they were divine. Tasting just as my mother would have made them – layers of flavours with ginger, cumin and everything else making a jig in my mouth. The duck roll was cut into four pieces (hey for about $10 you'd think we'd get more!) and were a balm to the spicy puffs: stringy bits of duck taking a ride with taro and dipped in an orange sauce.
Next came the noodles: Spicy Shrimp and Shitake Chicken Noodle. The savoury shrimp was very, very hot while the salty chicken swimming with spinach and udon were terrific opposites.
Our delicious-smelling Lemongrass Fish (rock cod in galangal and lemongrass broth) filled both our sinuses and tummies with lemony goodness. Great broth to soak your steamed rice in, by the way.
As we were starving before arriving at the café, we had ordered one dish too many because by this time, along with a helping of beer, we were quite sated and full to the brim.
Spicy Delicious Rendang
Alas, came two more dishes: Chicken Rendang and Chinese Broccoli (gai lan). Never ones to let food go to waste, we gave pause and dove right in.
The rendang, simmered in roasted coconut, galangal and curry spices, melted in our mouths and meshed flawlessly with the skillfully wok-fried gai lan – crisp, slightly burnt and garlicky. I was home.
Service was efficient and friendly. The restaurant, with outside seating, was partially full when we got there at 8 pm on Thursday night. You can walk off your meal by heading north on West Broadway, passing by shops and other wonderful boites.
Dinner for three with drinks came to about $90.
FYI, we just could not fit in dessert but were told they were made daily: tart of the day, coconut rice pudding, crème caramel, banana bread and various sorbets.
Franklin Station Cafe: 222 West Broadway, New York City. 212 274 8214.
A parting note: We managed to squeeze in the most amazing dumplings ever in Chinatown – a teeny dive called Dumpling House at 118 Eldridge Street. The pork and chive dumplings ($1 for five fried ones or $2 for 10 boiled ones!) are simply beyond description here. I have heard from foodies that the sesame pancakes are also to-die-for – fluffy rounds, cut into wedges and filled with peas, smoked beef, carrots or tuna.
