So much for Manow's tonite
under new management and now closed for the time being due to renovations.
JustJake
Nov 05, 2009 11:49AM
14 Replies so Far
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under new management and now closed for the time being due to renovations.
JustJake
Nov 05, 2009 11:49AM
Again? That would make it three management changes.
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That's not good news.
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A shame, we had been there twice and enjoyed our meals both times.
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:-(
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Oh crap.
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Second that.
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Seems to me that a bit of a makeover shouldn't hurt the place at all. Moreover, the food was ok, but certainly had room for improvement. Maybe the new folks will be able to afford to use fresh chiles.
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MGZ, last time I joined friends for lunch @ Manow, the dining room had been given a makeover. Including some of the menu items. And further, the new management was related to the original management. So....I hope change is a good thing. I find the location, food and service convenient and comfortable during the work week, but biz. is slow everywhere.
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What can I say, we were there for a late lunch quite recently and I found the place to be pretty drab and dim. The food was quite average, lacking the crisp freshness of spice and herb that one associates with better Thai food. Moreover, my request for "as hot as they will make it - don't be afraid!" was met merely with te addition of a great deal of red pepper flakes.
We had pretty much decided that it wasn't worth the Parkway time to return. Now, however, post-retooling, I might give it another chance.
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Just curious MGZ. You seem to be hitting the road in order to visit Manow's which is a 'local spot' for many of us.
What are your "go to" Thai restaurants as anyone who will travel a bit for Thai, obviously loves the 'cuisine' as I do? Thanks in advance.
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I know of none in the area worthy of recommendation. I lived close to Ban Thai in Baltimore for a few years and they spoiled me.
I am afraid that 'hound-hype has gotten the better of me on more than one occassion (Daniel's, Drew's). I suppose that was part of my dissapointment with Manow. In fact, I had pretty much decided to simply stop posting negative reviews for places that seem to make others happy. I broke that to write of Manow as I saw some potential and thought optomistic regarding it's improvement.
That being said, if you're going to travel. There's Nan in Philly and I'm sure there must be good examples in NY as well. Otherwise, rather than settle for mediocre Thai, we'll travel for better examples of other Asian cuisines. Say, Wonder Seafood or Dragon Pheonix in Edison, or perhaps, Little Saigon in A.C.
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"I am afraid that 'hound-hype has gotten the better of me on more than one occassion"
Oh so true.I'm begining to believe that a good pinch of salt is required with many reviews or at least a decent understanding of the commentors tastes and standards.
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Nan appears to be French Thai fusion, which is no different than Origin (the original spot) in Somerville, which also serves excellent fusion dishes. And while folks give me heat when I mention Origin (the purists), Origin remains one fine Thai restaurant.
I had a favorite that a friend from So. Jersey would take me to, (right across the street from the Civic Center) which is now gone, some 10 years. It was one of the best Thai restaurants that I've ever had the pleasure of dining at.
Some favorites of mine: Pam Real Thai on the west side of Manhattan remains 'my go to' which I can easily reach in less than an hour.
In SF, try Marnee Thai, in the Inner Sunset neighborhood. Love this place and we do always find the time to dine there, especially when we visit GGP, as it's but a 2 block walk south on 9th St. In Seattle (we will again visit next summer), try Mim Thai which I believe is still in operation and also a terrific restaurant.
Here in NJ, my standby is 4 Seasons on Stelton Rd. Authentic Thai that is but 10 minutes from my office. And really quite good. Roast pork in black pepper sauce. Just thinking of this dish tells me, I'm there this coming week.
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Totally bummed Manow is gone. LOVED their red chicken curry and the golden curry puffs for an appetizer. My husand and I tried out Thai Chili in Eatontown last night and thought it was pretty good. My only complaint is that the curry didn't have any zucchini and instead had eggplant. I'm not a huge fan of eggplant being in curry.
My husband ordered his spicy. Ask and ye shall receive! Hahaha It was so hot he only ended up eating about 1/2 of it. We got the rest to go.
I really wish Manow would have picked a better location. Everything was superb, but the location was horrible. The past owner's reputation probably didn't help either. I think a lot of people just thought it was the same guy cooking Thai food instead of crappy Chinese takeout.
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