I’ve honestly tried to get into Thursday Kitchen three separate times.
I saw it first on The Infatuation, which is my favorite website for unique places to try that aren’t totally out-of-control expensive. They’ve even got an app, which works wonders in a pinch (I will admit to using it when restaurants I chose fall through, which happens more than I’d like to admit…)
They reviewed it, it took one read of the post for my one-track mind to become entirely enthralled by the Korean fushion menu, and then I failed to make a visit work each time until my third try – a rainy Thursday evening. We’ve really redefined “third times the charm” here, people.
You must start with the alcoholic Capri suns. Thursday Kitchen has gained a lot of press for these, and they’re positively sinful. Like, sinful to the point of absolutely do not leave without ordering one but once you do, probably just stay seated for a while. The lemon one wins the gold medal.
The staff suggests 4-6 of their plates for two people; we ended up with 6. The Angry Potatoes are a great start. They aren’t too heavy and will cushion the punch from the drinks. I’d also recommend the Korean fried chicken. It’s a classic done right. You really cannot go wrong with it: a sweet, sticky sauce, sesame seeds, fried popcorn-sized chicken. Honestly, I’m already reminiscing.
The Hwe Soba came highly recommended. I wasn’t in love with the raw tuna, as I’m still learning to conquer the sashimi-ish food group. It was also very spicy, with a big hit off the back end of every bite, even the noodles. It’s a bit of a struggle unless you’re really into that sort of thing. I had to abort mission. My friend was a huge fan though.
On the other hand, the salmon was one of the best things we tried. The salmon is cooked with beets, making it appear raw. It’s fully cooked so perfectly that it isn’t even fishy. Only four pieces per dish though, so share nicely if you can.
The Korean gnocchi was my personal favorite. A lot of other reviews gave this dish a thumbs down. Understandably, after some heat from the other dishes, the sauce will end up tasting the same. The fix is to take the garlic aioli and spread it out over the gnocchi, which takes the dish from “meh” to marvelous. It’s very garlicky, but it doesn’t burn. The texturized pieces are cauliflower, and those little suckers will run from your chopsticks like nobody’s business. Chase them down and eat those too.
And of course for dessert, the Popcorn Ice Cream was a unanimous, immediate decision. In addition to all of its caramel corn glory, it really takes the heat off after the soba and the gnocchi.
I promise that even if you end up waiting outside on East 9th St., it is a stellar place to try (Forewarning: Thursday Kitchen is a snuggly, small place, but they do not take reservations!) Just make one of those drinks the first thing you order as your well-deserved reward.
Thursday Kitchen
424 E 9th St
New York, NY 10009
https://thursdaykitchennyc.com/
Ilana Imagines 