Nothing to pooh-pooh

The first time I went to San Francisco (the first time I wasn't a toddler, at least), I passed by a Thai restaurant named Phuket, and had no idea how to properly pronounce its name. So when my curiosity got the better of me, I asked a waitress inside for some help.

"It's poo-ket," she said. "Like 'We need to poo.'"
"What?"
"We need to poo?"

And then I realized: she meant "Winnie the Pooh."

So my digression was pretty pointless, except that it's tangentially related to the fact that I'm happy to report that, since then, I've been able to experience a lot more Thai foods, including the food of Thailand's northeastern Isaan region.

Isaan food, on a very general level, is a bit more intense than its central counterpart, with more heat and sourness. If you're a fan of larb, you owe it to yourself to try a place that specializes in Isaan fare. Zabb, in the Woodside/Jackson Heights border, is a pretty good bet, and has a near-legendary catfish salad that's easily worth the hype. Relative newcomer Poodam's, on the eastern half of Astoria, makes a seafood papaya salad ($13) that, though simple, should be proud to compete against the likes of Zabb or even the venerated Sripraphai's best dishes. Crisp and well balanced, it features a generous portion of assorted crustaceans and cephalopods that are almost miraculously tender. Of course, they didn't go easy on the sourness or the spice, but the heat balanced the sourness just enough to bring out the dish's sweet undertone; definitely an example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

Not as thrilling was the basil duck ($13), which was so overcooked that it was almost dry (which is a hard thing to do with duck). The pla som (preserved fish, $9), though good and salty, wasn't as pungent as I had hoped it would be. Still, my companion and I both got the sense that the Isaan side of Poodam's menu was definitely the better bet; it certainly had the more intriguing options. I think that, next time, I might go for the fried morning glory.

Poodam's Thai (website)
44-19 Broadway, Queens (map)
(718) 278-3010

Textbook pasta for a college neighborhood

For nearly a year, I've avoided writing about Pisticci because I liked not having to wait more than five minutes for a table at this cozy, no-frills neighborhood Italian joint near the northern tip of Morningside Heights. But the secret seems to already be out as of late, so there's no reason to deny you my favorite pasta in Manhattan.

I know I'm not immune from a little bit of neighborhood chauvinism, but that's not to say that Piscticci doesn't make a classic, toothy pasta sauced with a simple, light touch. I'm not so thrilled about their main courses, or their desserts, but their spaghetti pomodoro ($8) is exactly what spaghetti should be (don't spring for the meatballs, either). Sure, the tomatoes probably came out of a can, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better at this price, and certainly at this time of year. The same goes for the penne Pisticci ($11), which includes marble-sized chunks of fresh mozzarella, and the somewhat meatier (in feel, if not in actual meatiness) fettuccine with wild mushrooms ($12). You can get truffle oil added for an extra $2.50--I'm into it, but it is a little pricey. Not quite the highway robbery that is the $4 basil at Patsy's, but a bit ridiculous nonetheless. I suppose it depends on how you feel about truffles--my old roommate said it tasted like a mushroom farted in the woods.

Pisticci (map)
125 La Salle Street (Between Broadway & Claremont)
1/9 to 125th Street