Sri Thai - Restaurant Review

I read in Montclair Watercooler that a favorite restaurant of ours in Montclair, Deja Vu, had a new name, Sri Thai. We wanted to see what changed so we stopped by Friday night.

We had a nice dinner, with some exceptions, and enjoyed an excellent Riesling thanks to Diana and a very good Silvaner.

Unfortunately this restaurant is closed, in Montclair you can try Tuptim Thai.

Had dinner at Sri Thai last night and had a deja vu.

Sorry for the play on words but I could not resist.

There is a new specials list, and there are a couple of new items on the menu, but other than that the restaurant that was Deja Vu, now Sri Thai, is little changed.

The food was delicious as always. Well there have been times over the last 7-8 years since Deja Vu opened when the food was not as good. We have dined there on and off since it opened. We started going again after the recent renovation and found the food, service and space were all very good.

With the change in ownership we were anxious to see if these qualities remained.

Wines for the night were both German, a Riesling and a Silvaner. These are described below.

We started with an appetizer called Crying Tiger of very tender nicely seared beef with a vinegar, sesame, basil dipping sauce. My son had his usual chicken sate which was also tender and delicious.

For entrees we had Pad Thai, of course, which was average. I had a red snapper in a red curry which was very nice, Diana had the grilled shrimp with the three dipping sauces, this dish has always been a reliable standard at Deja Vu. The preparation, however, was a little different, this time the shrimp was basted in a chili sauce, usually they are plain allowing you to pick the sauce you like. Pierce had the tamarind duck which was very good as well. 

For wine I asked Diana, my wife, to just pick a Riesling out of the fridge, she happened to pick one that I was saving for a special occasion so I was very happy to have the opportunity to enjoy it today. Joh. Jos. Prum is one of the greats of Germany his Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is exceptional. It is a much more expensive wine than I usually buy but while ordering a case on-line from Gary's a few months ago I figured with the case discount, why not.

It was absolutely delicious. There are many regulations that govern how German wines are produced and sold. I will write a detailed article one of these days, but one of the key rules concerns the classification of Kabinett, Spatlese & Auslese. These are among other categories that indicate the time grapes are picked, how ripe they are, and as a result the level of sugar. I like them all. Auslese is sometimes a little to sweet but in the case of this wine it was just perfect. It also had a very delicate effervescence that I love in Riesling.

A great primer on Riesling can be found here. Dr. Zenzen's German Wine Primer. You'll soon notice that many winemakers in Germany are called Dr. Not sure why that is but often a good Riesling is just what the doctor ordered.

Riesling has a low alcohol level and can be polished off quickly, I had brought another German wine that is less well known called Silvaner. I bought this wine, 2004 Gysler Silvaner Hölle Halbtrocken, with an order from Crush in New York. Silvaner is a nice round wine, the Halbtroken means it is not very sweet, it has a gentle floral flavor that often does not stand up to spicy food, but in the case of this wine which was very flavorfull it went very well with the red curry.

Some people stopped going to Deja Vu because of spotty and sometimes just awful service. I recall the days of poor service at Deja vu and sadly I must report that the service under the new name of Sri Thai still leaves something to be desired.

The staff was friendly and initially attentive. There were two and a little later three people waiting tables.

Appetizers arrived appropriately but then the entrees arrived for my wife and son, but my mine did not come for another few minutes. I hate that. Then as the restaurant started to fill the attention to our table waned. I hope the "new" management sees the need for improvement.

We will return because I still think it is the best Thai in the area, considering Thai Chef, Tuptim and Bangkok Kitchen in Caldwell. I plan to try Brookside Thai in Bloomfield next. I hear that is good.