Eating At Chabaa
This week's Craig LaBan review takes us to the frat boy-filled corridors of Manayunk for a look at Chabaa Thai Bistro. LaBan is all about it:
Homemade sai grog sausages are among the more unusual items, the garlicky pork links sparked with lemongrass and a touch of jasmine rice in the northeast Thai style. Krapugthong has resisted the urge to give them the racier kick of fermented fish typical of her northern Thai heritage. But she may indulge what she calls her "wacky" side with more cutting-edge items (like pig-ear sausages) at a new Thai lounge, Mango Moon, planned for next year nearby at 4161 Main Street. Chabaa's focus, meanwhile, remains on producing more familiar Thai favorites with good ingredients, including spot-on skewers of chicken satay, and one of the best pad Thais in town.
Now will someone finally open an Isaan-style restaurant in Philly? For a city with a southeastern Asian population of our size, we deserve one.
Chabaa Thai Bistro [Inquirer]
Chabaa [MenuPages]
Chabaa [Official Site]
[Image via Inquirer]
