eating at kin shop (2nd of 12)

Last week we took the kids to kin shop. Going out with them often devolves into something like less than ideal. Anyhow we went with an open mind and weren't disappointed (hey, the kids even got along.).

And the food was very good. I think this was my favorite Thai food outside of the three meals at Lotus of Siam in Las Vegas. The restaurant space and design are not great, not even very good. The chair backs are marked up. The bar looks a little dusty. The floors have a cafeteria feel to them. The space and design remind me of a high-end restaurant in Flushing.

The food and service were excellent. We had the following:

1. Miang of fluke - 5 lovely bits of fluke, each on a shiso leaf (do they have shiso in Thailand?)
2. Stir fry of aquatic vegetables - delicious stir fry with a very light touch with the oil and salt
3. Stir fry rice flakes - the most unusual dish, these were wide rice noodles shattered into pieces and stir fried with tremendous shrimp (and I usually dislike shrimp intensely)
4. Massaman: braised goat - the curry was delightful with enough peanut taste (not heavy), great texture and an aroma of, well, everything it seemed (fish sauce, cardamom, star anise...). The goat was bland. I sold the goat pretty hard and the kids ate it saying it "Daddy, isn't it just lamb?" I was hoping for gamy.
5. Crispy roti - I always associate this with Malaysia. We're glad to have seen it. The kids rejoiced in eating it and we ordered a second (nearly a third). It was perfect: crisp, aromatic, slightly oily. 

The cocktails and wine didn't really jump out at us so we stayed with water. And with tax and tip the bill came to ~ $105. We would definitely go back.

Five favorite spirits of 2012

We tried a few new (to us) spirits in 2012. One or two were awful, many were simply fine, and five were favorites.

1. Carpano Antica Formula - You can't find a bar that doesn't feature Carpano (well, unless you're in New Jersey) now. And rightfully so, this is delicious any way you use it.
2. Banks Island 5 Rum - Never has a 750 mL bottle been finished as fast as this one. We couldn't make enough daiquiris and mojitos with this rum. Delicious in every way.
3. Pierre Fernand Dry Curacao - In small doses, this made every drink better. We added it often to Daiquiris and even to an occasional Brandy Crusta.
4. Brooklyn Gin - So far this is my favorite all-purpose gin. I use it most often for a Negroni or Gin & Tonic. Really delicious in that it's not too much heat nor are the botanicals so strong in any direction that all you taste is a specific flavor.
5. Luxardo Cherries - Not a spirit. But this redefines the garnish to me. Going through some domestic and German competitors, nothing is even close to this cherry.