The Cheesecake Factory

Update Review, May 2025

One lucky day, I was sitting at my desk in the afternoon, when a co-worker sent out a message saying they had tons of extra food from The Cheesecake Factory.  I reviewed the desserts I snagged already last week in the Cheesecake Factory Dessert master post, so now it is time to focus on the savory.  

The host had a slew of untouched flatbreads, but I didn't try those.  Instead, I grabbed some of many of the small plates (and, the aforementioned dessert, which was my #1 priority of course).  I was again relatively impressed with the Cheesecake Factory.  The food, even leftovers, was mostly quite good.

Small Plates & Snacks

Asian Cucumber Salad. $11.95.

"Crispy Cucumbers, Sesame, Soy, Garlic and Mild Red Chiles."

This is a new menu item, added in March 2025.  I wouldn't have ordered it myself, but, hey, it was leftover and there to try, so I tried it.

I have a strange relationship with cucumbers.  I love pickled cucumbers.  Eat them daily.  Sometimes several times a day.  But fresh cucumbers?  Eh.  I hoped this would trend more in the direction of a quick pickle at least.  It didn't.  These were, well, Asian style cucumbers, just as the dish is named.

It was ... hmm.  The cucumber was fresh style, which for me, was a deterrent - it tasted, strongly, like fresh cucumber.  Big juicy slices.  However, not refreshing as you'd expect from a fresh vegetable and a salad, as it was really quite oily.  Just, smothered in (sesame) oil.  I didn't really taste the soy, just very strong sesame oil.  It seems like it wouldn't fit in all that well with the rest of their menu, just given how traditional Chinese it is, and the rest of the Cheesecake Factory menu, while vast, doesn't lean that way. 

And like many things at Cheesecake Factory, the nutrition facts are ... fascinating.  I don't generally look these things up, but they have it dominantly displayed on the menu, and this caught my eye.  I wondered at first how a small cucumber salad could be 480 calories, but, now I know: all that oil.  I wouldn't get this again. *+.

Crispy Crab Bites. $13.95.

"Bite-Sized Little Crab Cakes Served with Mustard Sauce."

I love crab, so I was happy to see one last crab bite remaining.

This was a pretty enjoyable little crab ball-cake.  Shredded crab, not lump, but not much filler, only little bits of red pepper for a bit of zing.  Fairly strong crab flavor.  Super crispy, flavorful coating.  If these were larger size, and served at a seafood restaurant, I'd be happy with them as an entree, so actually pretty impressive for Cheesecake Factory.  **** crab ball.

The "mustard sauce" was more of a mayo with a tiny amount of zing to it, which is fine, it went really well with the crab cakes, but it seemed a bit odd to call it a mustard sauce when I had to really search for the mustard flavor.  *** sauce.

Overall, a dish I was pretty happy with, and would happily eat again.  These come 6 to an order.

Street Corn. $11.50.

"Fire Roasted Corn “Ribs” with Cotija, Chile-Lime Mayonnaise and Cilantro."

I had this dish once a few years ago, when I ordered it without the cheese (which, at the time was parmesan, glad to see they changed it to a more appropriate cheese for Mexican street corn style), and with the mayo on the side.  I thought the ribs were kinda eh then, and really just wanted them to be more like the ones you can get at Trader Joe's (frozen).  This time, since I didn't order the food, they came as intended, with the toppings and garnishes.  

It was ok.  I mean, I love corn on the cob, and it was nicely roasted with a char, so that I really appreciated.  But it tasted really oily, and once I tried air frying one piece and grilling another to heat them back up, lots of oil came pouring out.  It just ate really heavy.  And of course, smothered in the chile-lime mayo and cotija, so very street corn style, which I'd prefer it not have (even though I love mayo, just, not on my corn!).

So, overall, eh.  I enjoyed it because it was corn, but not really because of how it was prepared. Very low ***.  (And for the curious, since I've included the details for other dishes, 710 Calories for the small plate, which usually includes 10 little cob pieces like this).

Original Review, 2024

Do you really need an intro the Cheesecake Factory?  If you are from the US, and have visited any US city ever, you likely have heard of it.  Notorious for many things, including having an epically huge menu (250 items!), insanely high calorie counts on their dishes (not just cheesecake, many, many entrees over 2,000 calories each), and, of course, a slew of cheesecakes.

I've sort of reviewed the Cheesecake Factory before, when I tried several of their "At Home" branded products (bread, ice cream), and of course I've reviewed some of their cheesecake (both from the restaurant and wholesale), but, uh, I haven't actually ever reviewed a proper meal at The Cheesecake Factory.

Partially, I haven't reviewed the restaurant dining as, well, I haven't been in many, many, many years, despite there being a location not that far from my house.  In fact, I think I've only actually been to a Cheesecake Factory maybe ... 3?  4? times.  I remember being overwhelmed by the menu length, surprised at how seemingly expensive it was, and not being particularly enamored by the food.  That said, I did have one very fond memory of the Cheesecake Factory, my first visit ever, and, as much as I've wanted, I just haven't been able to get this one dish out of my mind.  And thus, when I was recently in Orlando for a conference, and I needed an easy option for dinner, delivery from the Cheesecake Factory it was.  A year later, in the DC area, same thing.  I needed easy hotel delivery, and Cheesecake Factory was close by and reliable.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

Ordering online is easy, and the Cheesecake Factory is clearly accustomed to lots of takeout, everything packaged in appropriate sized containers (include, some *mega* ones!).  Of course they have the largest takeout containers I've ever seen.  Very on brand.

I'll admit, that yes, the menu is insanely large (really, how can they possibly make all those dishes? I can't imagine being a line cook there, so, so many dishes to know), and yes, the prices are kinda high for a chain, but, I think the food is fairly consistent, and while you won't be blown away by anything, you likely won't hate it either.  And, there really is something for everyone there (Asian? Italian? Mexican? Burgers? Salads? Classic American comfort food?  They've got it all.)  If you want an easy, reliable option, particularly one that will suit ~everyone, it is not a bad pick.

Food

I'm not going to enumerate the menu, nor even the categories, to you here.  There is just too much.  250 items.  Yes, for real, 250 items.  More categories than I care to count.  Every mainstream cuisine is represented.  Some locations even serve brunch.  Zomg, the menu.  And, a few times a year, they introduce new things too.  It is mind-boggling really.

Small Plates & Snacks / Appetizers / Appetizer Salads

The menu has multiple categories of dishes that you may consider starters, including I truly don't understand how they pick which category to put dishes under, as there are smaller salads under the "Small Plates & Snacks" menu along with those in the "Appetizer Salads" menu, and other items on that same first section seem no different from appetizers, e.g. crab wontons are "Small Plates & Snacks", yet chicken pot stickers are appetizers .... cheeseburger spring rolls are "Small Plates & Snacks" yet Tex Mex or Avocado Eggrolls are appetizers (and all three are fried and look to be the same size portions ...), etc.  

I'll just call all those categories, along with the complimentary bread, "Starters".

Bread (complimentary).
Sourdough & Whole Wheat. (October 2022).

I wasn't expecting bread to be included in my order, but, I got a baguette bag with half each of the two house breads: sourdough and whole wheat.  I also received two pats of generic butter.  You can also purchase these by the full baguette for $3.50.

I have had the "At Home" version of their brown (whole wheat) bread, and did like it (but not love it, as you may recall from my review), so I was curious how the restaurant version would compare.  

The brown bread was ... ok.  I did like the slight sweetness/maltiness to it, and the oats covering it.  But it didn't taste particularly fresh, didn't have that great of a crumb structure, didn't have that great of a crust or chew.  Better once warmed up, but, yeah, not particularly great.  I'm not sure why people rave about this bread so much. ***.

The other half a baguette was sourdough.  I still tried it, even though I don't like sourdough.  It was soft, didn't have a good crust, didn't have a great chew either, and, was slightly sourdough.  Meh for me. **.

The generic butter pats were not interesting either, I'm not sure if they serve something better in the restaurant.

I didn't really care for this bread, but its nice that they include for takeout, as many places do not.

Bread (Complimentary).
(October 2023).

A year later when I ordered, my order again came with small portions of each of The Cheesecake Factory's famous breads, and two pats of butter.  

Both of the breads were served at room temperature, and both were fairly hard and a touch stale.  I used to really like the Cheesecake Factory brown bread, but this was really a letdown.  It still had a decent malty flavor, and I liked the oats coating, but, it was just too dry.  The baguette was similarly dry, the crust was very hard, and difficult to break into.  They just didn't seem fresh.  *+.

Appetizer: Thai Lettuce Wraps. $17.95.
(October 2022).

"Create Your Own Thai Lettuce Rolls! Satay Chicken Strips, Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Coconut Curry Noodles and Lettuce Leaves with Three Delicious Spicy Thai Sauces – Peanut, Sweet Red Chili and Tamarind-Cashew."

Ok, story time!  This is the first dish I ever had at the Cheesecake Factory. I also think it was the first thai (or, Thai inspired) food I ever had.  I most certainly didn't order it myself, but, when I tried it, my very sheltered mind was blown.

So how did this come about?  Well, my family lives in rural New Hampshire.  We didn't even take day trips to cities like Boston that were just 2.5 hours away.  I had zero exposure to dining out besides our regular lineup of Subway, Pizza Hut or Papa Ginos, and Taco Bell.  I certainly didn't know Thai food, I certainly didn't know big flashy places like The Cheesecake Factory.  The same was true for most of extended family, except for one aunt and cousin, who had, gasp, moved to California.  California!  The other side of the country!  To me, they were an enigma, and I thought they were so hip and cultured.  And one time, said cousin came to visit, and we had to pick her up in Boston.  She wanted to actually spend time in Boston, at least a few hours, before heading to the countryside.  And she wanted to take us to the Cheesecake Factory.  I remember being in awe of the place, the sheer size, the marble poles, the menu ... and being totally overwhelmed.  My cousin took to ordering for us when she saw my mom and I as deer in headlights, and I think she enjoyed showing us her ways.  And one thing she ordered for the table was the Thai Lettuce Wraps.  I had never had anything like them before.  A create-your-own dish?  Food you eat with your hands in a restaurant?  And, zomg, the the sauces!  The curry noodles!  Such flavors!  So unlikely anything my rural taste buds had ever experienced before.

And that was my memory.  Sure, some of the memory is certainly just being in awe that such a fantastical place existed in the first place, and some of it was thinking my older, urban cousin was super cool, but, I also remember genuinely liking the dish.  And yet, I never had the dish again.  I was probably 13? 14? when I had it, and, although I visited the Cheesecake Factory at least one other time with my mom (I think when we were touring colleges) and one time when I moved out to California, I didn't get it then.  And yet, the memory came back to me, suddenly, when I was browsing menus on Door Dash a few months ago, and, well, I just couldn't stop thinking about the dish.  It also seemed perfect for takeout, as it is a cold dish.

There is one problem though - um, I don't like chicken.  These are the Thai *Chicken* Lettuce Wraps.  And I don't like chicken.  At all. The dish does have a vegetarian version too - but it is made with grilled avocado in place of the chicken, and I'm allergic to avocado.  My chicken aversion is likely why I didn't try it again when I did visit Cheesecake Factory after that initial time, or perhaps because no one else wanted it, and this dish, like all appetizers there, is meant to share between 3-4 people.  So what was I doing, alone, ordering it?  Yeah, it didn't make sense, but, I really wanted to see if it lived up to my memories.

And so I ordered it online, putting in the special requests "no chicken, just add extra veggies?".  The restaurant called me to follow up, making sure I really didn't want chicken, suggesting that I get the avocado version instead, but when I explained I was allergic to avocado, and just really wanted all the goodies and sauces, they went along with my plan.  I asked about subbing shrimp, but I was told I'd need to just order shrimp a la carte.  And thus, I asked for just extra veggies.

I gasped when I opened my takeout bag.  Well, I gasped when I saw the bag itself, as it was like a comically large shopping bag people have at Christmastime, not like any food takeout bag I've ever seen before.  Yes, I know Cheesecake Factory portions are jumbo sized.  Yes, I know I asked for extra veggies, but, um, I had two platters, legit *platters*, full of the makings for my wraps.  I have no idea what this looks like when ordered normally for takeout, I suspect it is just one container like this, and one with chicken and the lettuce to wrap?  But for me, I had two, identical, platters loaded up with all the fillings: fresh crisp carrots and bean sprouts, sliced cucumber salad, and the curry noodles.  And two each of the trio of sauces.  I was pretty excited to dive in.

The veggies were all good - I liked how crunchy and fresh the carrots and bean sprouts were, they were quite refreshing.  The knife skills on the carrots could definitely use some work, all different sizes, some not cut all the way through, but, I didn't really mind.  The large hunks of red cabbage that were sorta used as bowls for each component were equally fresh and crunchy.  Freshness seemed legit. ***+ all fresh veggies.

The cucumber salad was lightly marinated, with a bit of acidity from red onion too, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.  Slightly mushy, sorta half-pickled it seemed, in a way that kinda worked.  The other veggies were so fresh and crisp, these served as a bit of a softer textural balance.  A good compliment to the other veggies.  I quite liked it, I think my favorite component.  ****.

And then, the coconut curry noodles.  Here we start to get in to the Thai flavors that were so new to me back when I first had it.  Curry.  Coconut milk.  I remember really loving those noodles.  These are things I know now, and I wondered what I would think, particularly as I've had actually legit Thai food (mostly in Sydney, not as Americanized as in the US).  Like the cucumber salad, it came sprinkled with sesame seeds.   The noodles were good - not mushy, slight chew to them, lightly coated in coconut curry.  The coconut curry flavor was good, although I'd love even more of it.  These were good chilled as served, but I also tried heating some up just for fun, and they worked well as a warm noodle dish too.   And even better? Thrown into my panini press to make them crispy.  ***+.

And lastly, the thing I remember the most, the sauces.  Three of them: Peanut, Sweet Red Chili, and Tamarind-Cashew.  Every one of those was so very new to me back then.  Would they still be as magical?  Actually, yes!  I loved every one of them, but, I do realize they are pretty far from authentic Thai flavors, really lacking the heat, lacking the complexity that often comes from sour components and fish sauce, and are, um, heavily sweetened and tuned to appeal to the palettes of the masses.  But I still quite liked each of them.

The peanut sauce was the easiest to pick out, very thick, with bits of peanut.  Slightly sweet, but good peanut flavor.  Basically, American-ized peanut sauce.  Good enough with the wraps, likely good to use with any spring rolls, or as I discovered later, pretty good just on shrimp too.  I think this one was the most boring, the most pedestrian, but, it was good, and a rich sauce if you were looking for that.  ***.

Next up, the darker brown one, which turned out to be the sweet red chili.  Emphasis on sweet.  It looked like a slightly thicker soy sauce, but, when you tasted it, it was clear it was more like a reduction, and definitely a sweet one at that.  I didn't really taste any heat to it, but, there was some complexity, it did seem to have some soy, and it was tasty to dunk into as well.  A little of this went a long way though, due to the sweetness.  I used some leftover on Asian style pancakes, and it worked great for that too.  ***+.

And finally, "the green one", the tamarind-cashew, definitely the most interesting.  It was kinda herby, kinda funky, actually some depth to this one, and far less sweet than the others, although, still really quite sweet.  It too went well with the wraps, and I think would be good with any dumplings or spring rolls.  I think my favorite of the sauces, but, really, they all were tasty, in their own ways, and combined together well too.  ***+.

Lettuce Wraps.

Those previous platters though were just the fillings.  While you could just eat them sorta as a salad, or a bunch of sides, you were supposed to make your own lettuce wraps.

I had to laugh at the giant container used to house the lettuce wraps themselves.  I think there was 6 (maybe 8?) large pieces of lettuce, all quite fresh.  Another huge platter-container.  The lettuce was also quite fresh and crisp, although fairly wet.  They did work well to wrap up whatever I wanted.

So, overall, very fresh components, and I liked all the elements.  The sauces were all enjoyable, and I was happy to have leftover for other Asian food I had later that week.  Yes, my wraps likely would have been better with some kind of protein (shrimp would be a nice option), but I still enjoyed them without, and would get this again if I were ever back at the Cheesecake Factory with a group.  It was a bit much for one person though, again, designed to share with 2-4.

Appetizer: Thai Lettuce Wraps with Chicken. $13.95.
(Smaller Portion. No Chicken). (October 2023).

"A Smaller Version of Our Create Your Own Thai Lettuce Rolls! Satay Chicken Strips, Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Coconut Curry Noodles and Lettuce Leaves with Three Delicious Spicy Thai Sauces – Peanut, Sweet Red Chili and Tamarind-Cashew."

As you read about last year, I have very fond memories of this dish from the Cheesecake Factory, and I really just sometimes really crave the sauces.  They are all so excellent.  Sometime in the past year, Cheesecake Factory introduced a new version of the dish, dubbed the "Smaller Portion", which I love, as normally it comes as a huge appetizer platter designed for sharing.  While still on the menu in the appetizers portion for sharing, the small portion would be great for a meal for one, or to share with just one other person as an app.  I'm thrilled they added this option, although it does come with only one each of the trio of delicious sauces, and the large version comes with two of each.

As always, it came plated on hunks of red cabbage, with shredded carrots and bean sprouts, cucumber salad, and the noodles.  The veggies were all as expected, fresh, crisp, vibrant.  The cucumber salad was lightly pickled, good acidity, refreshing.  The letdown for me was the noodle, which are supposed to be coconut curry noodles, but mine seemed plain.  They didn't have any visible coating, nor flavor.  This was unfortunate, as the flavorful curry noodles are a key element.  ***+ veggies, ** noodles.

Of course, plenty of flavor was to be had in the trio of sauces.  My review of these is unchanged from past reviews: I like them all, although all trend a bit sweeter than you'd expect.

Overall, still a good dish, but a slight letdown due to missing curry.  I'll continue to get it, and I'm glad they added the new portion size.  ***+.

The larger portion is available for $19.50.

No Chicken -> Extra Veg! (October 2023).

Since I don't like chicken, and I'm allergic to avocado (the other version of this dish), I asked for just extra veggies instead, and was provided what I assume was the extra in a second container.  When I had done this at another Cheesecake Factory location, they called me to talk about it, and it took some convincing to do, but this one did with no problems.

The fresh crisp butter lettuce for the wraps was also included in this container.

Small Plates & Snacks: Street Corn (No cheese, Mayo on the side). $9.95.
(October 2023).

"Fire Roasted Corn “Ribs” with Parmesan, Chile-Lime Mayonnaise and Cilantro."

In the summer of 2023, I discovered Trader Joe's frozen corn ribs, and immediately became addicted to them, and to the concept in general.  I knew the Cheesecake Factory version wasn't the same at all, in particular, as they take a sorta-Mexican street corn spin on it, and use regular size corn cobs, but, I was still quite curious.  For context, the Trader Joe's version is smaller cobs, and coated in vegan butter and insanely delicious seasoning.  The Cheesecake Factory version attempts to channel Mexican street corn vibes, but, they oddly use Parmesan instead of a cheese like cojita (Italian street corn)?.

I don't actually like Mexican street corn though - I love cheese and mayo, don't get me wrong, but I don't like it on my corn.  So I asked for no cheese (easy to do when ordering online, it is an option to leave off basically any ingredient in any dish there), and for the mayo on the side.  Both requests were honors.

The corn was ... interesting.  Well cooked, nice char on it.  But it really was just normal corn on the cob, with some cob left on.  You would eat it with your hands, and discard the cobs, not consume them.  Like, well, ribs.  The Trader Joe's ones I love you can actually eat the cobs, as they are more petite.  Anyway, the corn was fine, not too mushy, decent corn flavor.

It was aggressively buttered/oiled however, far more than I was expecting.  Even not smothered in cheese and mayo as intended, it was a very heavy dish.  It lacked any real seasoning besides the oil, but I think that makes sense given that it usually has the other toppings.  I wanted to add copious amount of pepper and a touch of salt.

And finally, the "chile-lime mayonnaise" ... tasted like regular mayo.  I detected no hints of chile, nor of lime.  Just mayo.  Creamy, fine mayo, but just mayo.  Not really what I wanted on my corn anyway, but I was surprised by this lack of flavor.  I wonder if they gave me plain mayo confused by my request for mayo on side?

Overall, I'm glad I tried it, and it was well cooked, but, I wouldn't get it again as it was just too greasy for me.  ***.

Side Dishes

Both times I ordered, I skipped the pages and pages of entrees, broken down into flatbread pizzas, "Glamburgers", sandwiches, entree salads, Specialities, pastas, fish & seafood, steaks, and Factory Combinations, and moved straight to the sides, where the more simple veggies and carbs (fries, sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes, rice, mac and cheese) were.

Side: Green Beans.  $6.95.
(October 2022).

I also got a side of green beans.  Let me explain.

I had some leftover bolognese in my hotel room, and one thing I always like with my lasagna, bolognese, etc, is a side of green beans.  I rarely eat green beans otherwise, but with bolognese, or other red sauce based dishes, I'm all in.  I threw I side order of them on to use with my dinner later, even though I can't say I've ever seen nor heard of anyone actually ordering side dishes at the Cheesecake Factory before (why would you, with the massive portions?).

The green beans were absolutely fine.  Not mushy, not amazingly snappy, but cooked fine.  A few did have stems still on them though.  The portion was reasonable for a side for 1 person, or 2 if you were sharing other things, but looked a bit small just due to the container size, that was Cheesecake Factory sized (and likely their smallest container?). I can't say it was an amazingly $6.95 spent, but, the beans were absolutely acceptable, and did go with my other leftovers quite well.  So, if you want green beans, they are fine.

***. 

Side: Grilled Asparagus. $7.95.
(October 2023).

I can safely say I've never thought to order a side of vegetables at Cheesecake Factory given how massive their dishes are, and how all the entrees already come with sides, but, when I wasn't ordering an entree, and was really craving asparagus, I was quite curious to see how this would be.  It was October, so certainly not asparagus season, so I didn't have particularly high hopes.

It was decent.  Well prepared, not too soft, slight a slight snap to it.  Nice grill marks.  A touch oily/buttery, but that is somewhat to be expected from the factory of decadence.  Reasonable amount of seasoning, although I wanted more salt and pepper.  It wasn't the most flavorful asparagus, or remarkable in any way, but, no issues with the execution, and it really met my cravings.  ***+.

The portion of 10 spears for $7.95 was fairly reasonable.

Drinks

The Cheesecake Factory has an extensive cocktail menu (like all parts of their menu), with a fair number of them available to go as well.  Cocktails that are available to-go come in sealed containers, so I think they are packaged elsewhere, not freshly made cocktails?

Red Sangria.  $20.
(October 2022).

"Serves 2. 11% ABV. Our Signature Recipe Featuring Cabernet Sauvignon Marinated for 12 Hours with Lots of Fresh Pineapple, Orange & Granny Smith Apples."

I'm not really sure why I picked the sangria.  I think I wanted wine, but only cocktails were an option, and this was the closest thing to wine.  After all, it did have wine in it ...

But, um, it tasted like fruity grape juice.  The pineapple made it kinda tropical, the rest just made it, well, fruity.  Like I said, fruity grape juice.  Easy drinking if you wanted fruit juice, but really no taste of alcohol that I could detect.

A poor order on my part, but fine sangria.  ***.

Read More...

Fish Cheeks, NYC

Update Review, August 2024 Visit

Another August visit to NY, and another chance to get to eat some great Thai food.  First on my agenda was Fish Cheeks, which I had enjoyed previously.  Sadly, this order was not a success.

Grilled Cuttlefish. $23.

"Marinated grilled cuttlefish sliced with hand crush nam jim seafood. Extra spicy."

This ... was just not very good.  It made me extremely sad, as I read good reviews of it, I was really craving something like this, and I had liked Fish Cheeks previously.  But alas.

The cuttlefish pieces lacked any actual grill marks or char.  I really was hoping for some of that great grill flavor.  The pieces were also fairly chewy, in a spongy way.  The texture just wasn't enjoyable.  The pieces were also marinated in some kind of spicing that I mostly didn't care for.  I'm not quite sure what aspect of the marinade I didn't care for was, as I couldn't identify the flavors exactly.  So really, quite a letdown.  * maybe ...

The sauce on the side though, now THAT was something.  When they say "extra spicy", yes, they mean it.  It stuff had some serious heat.  It also just had great depth of flavor, acidity, heat, everything.  A tiny bit went a loooong way, but really a powerhouse that I enjoyed experiencing.  **** sauce.

Original Review, September 2023

I wasn't particularly craving, nor seeking out, Thai food, when I learned about Fish Cheeks, a Thai restaurant in New York.  I was actually drooling over epic pastries, eying more sushi, and pondering classic NY pizza, but, Fish Cheeks kept leaping to the top of my list in Door Dash one day when I was looking for an easy delivery option near my office where I was working late.  The menu *did* sound appealing, and, wow, the online reviews are all pretty glowing.

Fish Cheeks is not a generic Thai restaurant, and that much was clear the moment I started looking at the menu.  It is higher end, seafood focused, modern, innovative Thai food.  If you are looking for papaya salad, pad thai, and mango sticky rice, look elsewhere.  But if you can stand a little heat, enjoy a variety of seafoods, and want to try something different, this really is a gem.

And thus, fairly randomly, I deemed it Thai food night, and ordered from Fish Cheeks.  My order was prepared quickly, but didn't get assigned a Dasher for a long time, and then my Dasher went to the wrong place, etc, etc, so it took quite a while to reach me, and the food was certainly no longer the appropriate temperature.

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• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
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• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
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• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
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• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

I haven't visited in person, so I can't comment on the restaurant itself.

Food

Fish Cheeks specializes in seafood (no wonder the menu kept jumping out!), and is all served family style, or, as their menu says "We recommend sharing for a better dining experience."  The menu is broken down into 3 areas: "plates to snack", "plates to share", and sides.  All are marked with the appropriate number of chili peppers to indicate spice.

Since I was alone, and getting takeout, I opted for just the snacks and sides, although the larger plates to share make up the majority of the menu.  If I was ordering with others, I likely would have gotten the well regarded coconut crab curry, and if I was dining in, any of the whole seafood preparations, or the skate wing, definitely would have been my top choice.  

Kiin Len - Plates to Snack

The "Plates to Snack" are mostly dishes that would traditionally be called appetizers, some chilled dishes, salads, and others.  Setting Fish Cheeks apart from your standard Thai restaurant is the fact that the first item on the menu is oysters.  The rest of the lineup continues mostly down the seafood route, although wings and pork cheeks round out the menu.

Corn Salad. $12.

"Steamed corn, cherry tomato, long beans, fish sauce, garlic, lime, Thai bird's eye chili. Moderately spicy."

My first pick was a corn salad.  Yes, a corn salad.  Because, summer corn is amazing at its peak, and at its peak it was that week in August.

I was thrilled to see this on the menu.  Even more thrilled when I opened my box to see how fresh and vibrant the corn was, and the unique preparation of served cut off the cob in big pieces.  

The corn was very good.  Fresh, seasonal corn, allowed to shine.  The long beans were lightly crisp, and fairly tasty too.  The tomato however was a letdown.  While they were bright red and juicy, they weren't particularly flavorful, and were a touch mealy.  Very average cherry tomatoes, like you'd find in any garden salad in the middle of winter.  

Then, the dressing, a key element.  I appreciated that it came on the side, so as not to soggy the salad, but also, so one could add as much or little spice as they wanted.  It was moderately spicy as advertised, and so full of complex flavors.  Funkiness from the fish sauce, acid and sour notes from the lime, spice (obviously) from the Thai bird's eye chilis.  All balanced by the natural sweetness in the fresh corn.  Definitely a skilled culinary team behind this seemingly simple dish.

This was very good, and, save the mediocre tomatoes, ****.

Crispy Rice Salad. $15.

"Crushed crispy rice tossed with shredded coconut meat, sour pork, mint, chili, saw leaves, lime and ginger. Served with peanuts. Moderately spicy."

Last year, at Mumu in Sydney, I had my first crispy rice salad.  I really loved it, and have been wanting something similar ever since.  Now, that version was considerably different, with jellyfish rather than pork, and served entirely cold, and without anything like the wedge of cabbage, but, still, it inspired me to order this (as did all the rave reviews).

Because of the snafu with my delivery, when this finally made its way to me, it was cold, or, I guess, room temperature.  It is served hot at the restaurant (besides the cabbage), so, clearly not ideal.  Luckily, I had a toaster oven, and could heat it up, and crisp it back up a bit.  But it definitely didn't have quite the crispy element it likely does in the restaurant.

Anyway, it was very good.  The base is clumps of fried rice, loaded with lots of herbs, with a very flavorful sauce that was really infused throughout.  It was complex in all the right ways - sweet, sour, spicy ... very authentic Thai.  I'm not usually a rice girl, but, this was really good rice (particularly when crispy!).

The pork was little bits of Thai pork sausage.  Flavorful on its own, but it added an additional flavorful element to the overall dish.  Great crunch from all the peanuts too.  Lightly spicy, although it did have full red chilis in it, so, if you accidentally bit into one of those, it was very spicy.  The wedge of cabbage added more crunch, freshness, and a cooling element.  

Basically, great textures, incredible flavor, and fun to eat.  Overall, very good, although I think to really evaluate it, I'd want to try it fresh in the restaurant.  Not a great choice for takeout, but, I still am glad I had it.  ***+.

Sides

The sides portion of the menu is only 4 items: rice, sauteed cabbage, fried morning glory, or shrimp chips.  I got the chips so I'd have a snack to nibble on later that evening.

Shrimp Chips. $5.

"Fried shrimp chips served with chili paste."

The shrimp chips were pretty standard, several colors, fresh, airy, crunchy, some fishy flavor to them.  Not too greasy.  They were a fairly big size, and none came crushed, which made them excellent for scooping some of the rice salad into as well.  Would be great to much on before a meal while waiting for your food too.  ****.

The chile paste was thick, essentially like sambal, and nicely spicy and funky.  Certainly good to spread a little on the chips, but my meal had so much other flavor, it wasn't needed.  I gladly saved it for future use.  ****.

Overall, a nice starter/side, reasonable portion for the price.

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Thai Diner, NYC

Update Review, August 2024

When I returned to NY this summer, Thai Diner was high on my list of places to repeat order from.  I was very tempted by their newest brunch offerings too (think: Thai tea French toast!), and by their lunchtime Thai style philly cheese steak that gets all the raves, but, in the end, my eating agenda wound up too packed, and I was only able to sneak in a small order my second to last day in town.

Snacks: Boiled Octopus. $17.

"Broiled Octopus served with Spicy Seafood Nam Prik."

I opted for just a dish from the "snacks" (e.g. appetizers) menu, as I had other food at home to finish up.  I was really craving octopus, so was quite excited when I saw this was still on the menu.

The octopus was really nicely prepared.  It was broiled I guess, but I think it was finished on the grill, as it was nicely crisp and a bit smoky.  The pieces were chopped up to perfect bite size, and were remarkably tender.  So simple, but some of the best octopus I've had in the past few years.

It came with a lime to drizzle over it, perhaps the first element that actually screamed out "Thai" rather than Mediterranean/Italian/etc, which did add a hit of acidity and brightness.  The spicy seafood Nam Prik I had the first time I ordered from Thai Diner when I just got extra sauces to play with, so I knew what to expect from that.  It was indeed spicy, and it had all the signature elements of Thai cuisine you'd expect: heat, sour notes, acidity, a touch of sweetness, some funk from fish sauce ... it had a ton going on, and was a flavorful (and spicy) powerhouse.  I gladly used the leftovers drizzled on other dishes, and it added instant next level flavor.  I think I almost liked it more on other things than on the octopus, as the octopus was so good I kinda didn't want anything to mask it.

Loved this, highly recommend, and would get again no question. ****+.

Original Review, March 2024

New York has no shortage of great options for dining, no matter what cuisine you are interested in.  When I visited this past summer, I was craving good thai food, as we just don't really have great thai in San Francisco.  I had numerous options of course My first thai craving lead me to order from the well regarded Fish Cheeks, which I did enjoy, and would gladly get again, but, I wanted to try something different.  Somehow my searched lead me to Thai Diner, a concept that sounded great to me - thai food, served all day (including breakfast), in a diner-like setting. The menu sounded fairly authentic, had some great sounding dishes, and used proteins I enjoy like octopus, liver, and skate.  It has a Michelin bib gourmand too, so, some credibility.

Packaging.

I ordered for delivery on DoorDash, so I didn't get to see the diner decor, but, reviews I read all really do laud the decorations and vibe.  

My items all came nicely labeled with the contents, and a vibrant Thai Diner sticker was used to seal for both security and practicality.  My items came in a variety of containers: this cardboard box for the salad, an aluminum tray with plastic lid for another, and a cardboard bowl for another.  All disposable, no re-usable.

Food

So, the menu.   I wanted much of it.  If I was there at breakfast or brunch, I'd certainly be tempted by the thai tea babka french toast (think: thai tea butter, salty condensed milk, babka base!!!) or even the well lauded breakfast sandwiches (wrapped in roti of course).  But I wanted dinner food, and was alone, so, I couldn't order too much.  I went for a salad, a "snack", and a dessert, so I skipped the main dishes entirely, including the sandwiches & platters section (diner inspired here, but, thai), the "House specilaities" (everything from curries to lobster omelettes to one of my favorites, khao soi), and the "From our woks" (noodle dishes, which can be made with standard tofu, chicken, or vegetarian, but also fried chicken (!), beef shortrib, or large prawns).  I also skipped the sides and the raw bar, so I could order two dishes (salad and snack) and not have too much leftover.

They also have an extensive drink menu, with tons of teas, espresso drinks, wine, and fun sounding cocktails or herbal elixir shots.

Soup & Salad

Soup & Salad Menu.

To start, I got a salad.  Not what I'd ever normally order from a Thai restaurant, but I read so many rave reviews of their baan salad (and also, I have had some fantastic crispy rice salads in the past).  They also had a standard papaya salad.  To the salads you can add a variety of proteins: a fried egg ($2), fried tofu ($5), chicken ($7), fried chicken ($8), beef ($9), prawns ($10), snow crab claw ($13), or even a half chilled lobster ($15).

Baan Salad (No Avocado). $15.

"House salad with Crispy Red Curry Rice, Romaine, Watercress, Avocado, Red Onion & Thai Herbs.  Served with Sweet Chili Dressing."

I was ordering it as a light side salad, so I did not add any protein, although I did ask to have the avocado omitted as I'm allergic. Luckily, it was a built-in option when ordering online to have no avocado (same with red onion).

I was fairly underwhelmed by the salad.  The base was as promised, romaine and watercress, both quite fresh and crisp, along with some herbs mixed in.  There were also some slices of watermelon radish, which along with the thinly sliced red onion, added a pop of color.  But besides the crispy rice, there wasn't anything else to this.  The crispy rice added great texture, but it was more like the crispy rice topping from Sweetgreen (which I do adore), than the mind blowing creation that was the crispy rice salad at Mumu in Sydney.  Just individual bits of dry crispy rice.  A garnish, not a focal point.  I had to leave off the avocado that is normally included due to my allergy.

So, a kinda boring salad.  That said, my salad was also missing the dressing.  They had an option to have the dressing on the side, rather than pre-dressed, which I selected.  However, my dressing was nowhere to be found.  The sweet chili dressing sounded unique, but, alas, I had none.  And thus, no dressing, and no avocado (that part was my choice), and an interesting salad it was not.  *** as it was all fresh. 

This also happens to be vegan.

Snacks

Snack Menu

The next dish I got was from the "Snacks" portion of the menu, essentially the appetizers.   This section had so many heavy hitters, like spicy stuffed clams, octopus with seafood nam prik that people rave about (and I do love octopus!), betal leaf wraps (always something I enjoy), Thai "disco fries" with massaman curry and other toppings, and so on.  Picking just one was very, very hard.  If I were to return, I'd love to try more from here.

Snack: Spicy Chopped Chicken Liver. $16.

"with Pineapple, Thai Herbs & 2 Rotis."

I settled on just one, the spicy chicken liver, as it definitely sounded the most unique, and is one of the most well regarded items on the menu.  Plus, I love chicken liver!

It was just as fascinating, and delicious, as people had said it would be.  It hit all the notes of great Thai cuisine: spicy, sour, sweet, salty, bitter.  The chopped chicken liver mix was well seasoned, and properly funky.  It reminded me a bit of some fermented pork Thai dishes I've had, with all that umami in it.  Very good chicken liver.  The crispy fried onion bits on top added crunch and salt, the cubes of pineapple added a balancing sweetness, the thin sliced red onion and lime to squeeze over provided the acid and sour notes, and the fresh herbs brightened it all up.  They really nailed the balance of all the things, in a very unexpected dish.  I've had various types of liver or pate with a fruit component many times, but this was hands down the most unique prep I've had in years.  ****, unique, and very well thought out.

It came with 2 fresh roti, each packaged in a metallic bag to keep warm.  The roti was very good - flaky, buttery/oily, lightly decadent.  As good of roti as I've had, particularly as I wasn't having it quite fresh.  ****.  Additional roti can be added to any order for $3.

Making wraps with the liver and other ingredients made for really quite taste bites, particularly when I drizzled the spicy sauce in as well.  Speaking of that sauce, it was definitely spicy, and full of unique flavor.  Again, properly funky, nice umami and spice, just, everything.   **** sauce too.

So, overall, a unique dish, very tasty, and fun to eat as well.  **** all around, and I highly recommend.

Roasted Chili Nam Jim / Spicy Seafood Nam Prik. $1.75 each.

I couldn't resist adding extra sauces to my order, as I'm a sauce girl through and through.

First up was the roasted chili nam jim. It was fairly similar to the sauce that came with the liver, capturing all the classic Thai goodness of sweet, sour, spicy, and pungent.  Funky yet balanced, and would be fabulous on just about anythin.  ****.

And lastly, the spicy seafood nam prik, which normally comes with the octopus appetizer, and gets rave reviews.  This truly was spicy as advertised, and overall very flavorful.  I detected lime juice and fish sauce, which both gave it a balanced complexity.  I absolutely see how it would make for a great dip for grilled octopus or calamari, or really, any seafood.  Or even something like yucca fries.  ****.

Dessert

Dessert Menu.

And then of course, dessert.  The entire dessert lineup was tempting too, with a "thai coffee monster" (a monster shaped thai coffee cake with condensed milk frosting) that I would have ordered if it was earlier in the day for caffeine, or a play on the signature New York black & white cookie with a "green & white", featuring pandan and salty coconut (!), and, for dine-in, an epic sundae.  But, if I had to pick one, the banana rum pudding it was, as I adore puddings.   

Banana Rum Pudding. $10.

"Banana Pudding with Uncle Boons Rum topped with Whipped Cream, Caramelized Bananas & Thai Lotus Sesame Tuile. "

I love all pudding, but I really love banana pudding, and I certainly bought in to the idea of adding both rum and a tuile on top.  I was so excited for this.

When you dine-in, the tuile is a topper on the big pudding bowl.  I asked to have it on the side so it would stay crispy.  I'm not sure if they normally stuff it in with the pudding.

The pudding base was ... fine.  It had a strong banana flavor.  This wasn't just vanilla pudding layered with sliced bananas, it was actually banana pudding.  I did not taste any rum.  It was however really quite sweet, and a fairly thin style, not a rich and creamy pudding.  ***.

On top was whipped cream, thicker.  It helped balanced the sweet pudding a bit.  ***.

Then, the caramelized bananas, which were a notch above standard just plain sliced bananas for sure.  They were lightly bruleed on the top.

And finally, the beautiful crispy sesame tuile.  This was not only awesome to eat (so crunchy!), it was loaded with sesame flavor.  Such intense sesame.  Sweet too, as it was glazed in some way.  Delightful.  You could definitely just eat these as a snack and be quite happy.  ****+.

Overall, this was good, but not amazing.  The pudding a bit too thin and too sweet, but the other elements somewhat made up for it.  In a city of such great banana pudding though (I'm looking at you Magnolia!), this didn't really measure up.  ***+.

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Rooster & Rice

Update Review, 2023 Visits

In the time since my original review of Rooster & Rice in early 2022 (below), I've since returned many times to try essentially their entire menu.

I've found some surprise hits - I really enjoy their simple steamed veggies side, the cucumber salad, and even the chicken rice (when I throw it onto my griddle to make it crispy).  But I've also experienced rather high variance in quality between visits, which makes it hard to rely on.

Entrees

The menu at Rooster & Rice really is not very large.  The main entrees are still the basic chicken or tofu/rice/veg plates, although they've tried a few others that didn't seem to last long the menu.  I've tried basically everything, including finally getting to try the pork (that is always sold out). 

The Riceless. Mixed. $15.95.

"Chicken breast or thigh served over seasonal veggies, garnished with cucumber and cilantro. Served with a fresh chili, ginger, garlic, and soybean sauce with a side of chicken broth."

My order was nicely packaged, and garnished with cilantro on top of the generous portion of chicken.  The included sauce came in the packaging, and I was asked if I'd also like hot sauce.  I said yes, and the server offered their housemade habanero or Thai sriracha.  I asked for his recommendation, and he said the habanero, but then gave me both.  

The chicken broth on the side was very rich, sorta oily.  I found it quite heavy, which is not what I'd expect to say about a broth.  I think if you ordered the dish with the rice base, and poured it over that, it would soak in well and not be so rich, but just as a sipping broth, it was too much for me. **+.

The Riceless.

All of the chicken entrees are available with breast only, thigh only, or mixed.  I opted for mixed.  Normally this comes with rice, but, the "riceless" comes over mixed veggies, which are hard to see here, but are under all the chicken.

The chicken was, well, chicken.  Really a substantial portion.  Even if I really liked chicken, I can't imagine eating all of this in one sitting.  It was just poached, and so very bland, although reasonably moist.  The included sauce, and broth, were needed to jazz it up in any way.  I liked the thigh a bit more, as it had a little flavor.

Under the chicken was the veggies, the same as I'd had on the side before, a mix of carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli, all reasonably well cooked, not to mushy.  Just steamed, so also fairly bland, quite healthy, and benefited from the sauce too.

The cucumber was freshly sliced, not mushy nor slimy, crisp and refreshing. My brain still doesn't quite know how to think of warm veggies and warm chicken and then random cucumber together as a cohesive dish, but I know this is a thing.

Overall, bland, healthy, and exactly what I expected.  *** chicken, ****+ veggies.  

The Vegetarian. $15.95.

"Organic tofu served with brown rice and veggies. Served with a fresh chili, ginger, garlic and soybean sauce and a side of vegetarian broth."

Another visit, another attempt to get the pork, but alas, they were sold out. I settled for the vegetarian again, even though I hadn't really liked it before (but it was better than chicken).

The brown rice portion was generous, the rice moist, not clumped together, very clean and healthy tasting.  Not really what I like, but, decent rice.

The tofu was as bland and boring as can be, but it had a good bounce to it, and seemed fresh.

The veggies were just steamed, not mushy, and my favorite part.  The mix was primarily broccoli, with a few cauliflower and carrots.  They were quite tasty with the included sauce.  There was also sliced fresh cucumber hiding under here, for a bit of crispness.

I liked the vegetarian broth considerably more than the chicken broth that always felt a bit heavy and greasy.   It was warm and comforting, nicely salty.  

Overall, this was all well prepared, and very healthy, just, bland and plain.  The sauce definitely added the necessary umami, and I also added plenty of their housemade Thai sriracha.  For healthy eaters, I think this is a nice meal, for me, it is a bit too ho-hum, but I do quite like the veggies.  ***.

Khao Ka Moo. $14.95.

"Pork braised in a soy marinade with steamed Chinese broccoli, a soft boiled egg, and a side of chili vinegar sauce, over jasmine chicken rice. Served with a side of chicken broth soup."

I finally got the pork entree!!!  After ... 8? visits, they finally had it.  It has been sold out every other time I have visited.  I was thrilled to finally get to try it, although it seemed to take much longer to prepare than my previous meals.  

I knew to expect pork instead of chicken (or tofu) but I didn't realize that the dish was really quite different in all other ways too - different rice (this one uses regular white jasmine instead of brown), different veggies (gai lan or something similar rather than broccoli/cauliflower/carrot or fresh cucumber), different sauce (spicy thai chili sauce!), and a different style of egg (a jammy soy marinaded egg rather than poached).  The only part that was like the other entrees is the side of chicken broth.

This was far more successful for me than the other entrees.  The base, simple white jasmine rice, was well cooked.  Moist, no clumps.  I know the brown rice is a healthier choice, but, I liked this more (but I'm not a rice person generally, unless fried or in rice pudding!).  It was a generous portion. ***.

Speaking of a generous portion, the pork!  Soooo much pork.  I was able to make two meals out of this.  The pork was mostly quite tender, although had a few chewy bits.  Cooked well, medium, no pink.  The preparation style is one that doesn't really render the fat though, so the pieces with fat were a bit slimy (I threw it in my toaster oven at home, and that worked well to crisp it up for my second serving).  ***+.

I really liked the juicy vibrant Chinese broccoli.  The portion was appropriate, but I would gladly take more.  It was healthy, fresh, succulent, and just really good.  It would be great to see that offered as an option with other dishes (or as a side, like the other mixed vegetables).  I dunked it in the ginger/garlic/soy sauce (not included with this dish), and loved it.  ****.

The egg had a lovely jammy yolk, although it didn't look great ... someone clearly struggled peeling it.  The half on the bottom left was pretty mangled and missing entire chunks (see photo).  I didn't taste the soy marinade, but I could see it.  ***+.

And finally, the spicy chili sauce, which was different from any of the sauces previously offered.  This had real heat to it!  I liked it, but I also used some of the soy/ginger sauce with my meal too to add a bit more complex flavor.  ***.

Overall, a good dish, well prepared, extremely generous portion, and great value for the price.  I'd gladly get it again, although I'd ask for the veggie broth, since I don't care for the heavier chicken broth.

Khao Ka Moo. $14.95.

"Pork braised in a soy marinade with steamed Chinese broccoli, a soft boiled egg, and a side of chili vinegar sauce, over jasmine chicken rice. Served with a side of chicken broth soup."

Another successful visit with the pork actually available.  The cashier wasn't sure if they had it that day, clearly not a top seller, but, I was pleased they did.  Again my order took longer, which I attribute to ordering this dish.

It wasn't quite the same as my previous order.  The egg was fully cooked, not jammy inside, and not marinated, just a regular hard boiled egg.  That was a slight let down, as I did like the marinade and slightly jammy yolk before.  The pork was all much darker meat.

But it was all still quite tasty.  The rice was far above average, particularly for me as someone who doesn't really eat much rice (in non-dessert form).  I liked that it was lightly al dente, and reminded me of sticky rice even though not really truly sticky rice.  Very aromatic and flavorful.  The pork was tender.  I really liked the simple greens, and flavorful chili vinegar sauce.

I forgot my own advice to get the veggie broth instead of chicken broth, so that didn't work out as I just don't care for the chicken broth.

***.

Chicken Salad Sando. $9.25.

"Ciabatta from Acme Bread, Shredded Organic Chicken, Celery, Cilantro, Kewpie Mayo".

A brand new item!  I was drawn in by the chance to try something new, only offered at two of their stores as a test, even though I don't really care for chicken, nor sandwiches.  I do love Acme bread, and I knew this used Acme bread.  The label said "Sweet petite roll", but actually, it uses the Sweet Deli Roll (Ciabatta roll).  The label also did not mention carrot, which was inside.

It came packaged up nicely, but I do wonder if they were made in advance, as the label also had a "use by" date on it (that was two days in the future).

Chicken Salad Sando. $9.25.

As I mentioned, the label said "Sweet petite roll", but actually, it uses the Acme Bread Sweet Deli Roll (Ciabatta roll).  This is a rustic style roll, with a bit of flour dusting on the outside.  

The bread was a bit soft, rather than crispy, on the outside, as it normally is when I buy it fresh from Acme, and didn't taste particularly fresh.  Not stale exactly, but, the softness threw me off.  I think the sandwich may have been pre-made and refrigerated?  That might explain it.  Acme bread usually shines more than this.

Chicken Salad Sando: Inside.

"Ciabatta from Acme Bread, Shredded Organic Chicken, Celery, Cilantro, Kewpie Mayo".

Inside was the chicken salad filling, made with what seemed to be mostly white meat.  The chicken was a bit chewy, which was a little odd.  The mix had a great amount of herbs, and was super creamy, heavy in the mayo, but I loved that.  They use Japanese Kewpie mayo, and you could really taste the difference.  That mayo is just so so good.  There was also four slices of rather soggy cucumber (another indicator that maybe this was pre-made?) and shredded (I think pickled?) carrot.  The carrot added a nice crunch, but was absent from the ingredient label on the sandwich.

The Kewpie mayo was the star here, and I really loved it.  I think the sandwich could be improved with perhaps some fresh lettuce to add a bit of juiciness and cut the heavy carbs/mayo, or perhaps tomato or just more cucumber.

****+ mayo, but everything else eh **.

Hat Yai Fried Chicken. $14.95.

Rooster & Rice added this as a new dish in June, replacing the pork dish: fried chicken.  This was not prepared fresh, rather, it was taken from the grab n go area at the counter.  I would not have ordered it if I had known it would not be fresh ... fried chicken really doesn't do well sitting in a container like that.  It was lukewarm at best.  

The chicken was soggy, not crispy.  The skin was greasy and shriveled, and pretty dark, approaching over cooked.  The chicken rice with it was good, although it too was barely warm, and the crispy fried onion garnish was soggy.  This also seems to be the only entree that doesn't include a vegetable component (the chicken rice has fresh cucumber, the pork dish had steamed asian greens, etc), which made it feel a bit incomplete.  

I enjoyed the rice, but did not care to finish the chicken.  I think this dish has potential, but it needs to be fresher, and the price was too high for just rice and two pieces of chicken.

**.

Sides

The sides are my favorite part of the Rooster & Rice menu, although they too are not extensive.  

Spicy Cucumber Salad. $3.95.
(Seasonal)

The cucumber salad was just as spicy as I was hoping it would be, and the cucumbers, although marinated in sauce, were not too soggy nor mushy, indicating that it hadn't been sitting around too long.  I found it quite refreshing, and loved the heat.  Garnished with kinda too much cilantro this time.  ***+.

Spicy Cucumber Salad. $3.95.

When I got it again a few weeks later, it looked pretty radically different.  No cilantro garnish, and far far more red pepper paste.  It was spicier, but also mushier.  Good, but a bit different, and didn't give off the same "fresh" appearance.  Note that this was a different location, so perhaps that is the cause of variance.  ***.

Spicy Cucumber Salad. $3.95.

A few weeks later, and it looked much like the previous time - TONS of red pepper paste, no cilantro.  I really liked how spicy it was, and yet, refreshing too.  Not too mushy this time, and it actually held up fine a few days (I got extra for lunch the next day). I like to throw this on top of salads. ****.

Spicy Cucumber Salad. $3.95.

Another visit, and ... back to a version much like my first time.

I think the different locations make the spicy cucumber salad differently.  I was back at the Kearny Street location this time, and ... loaded up with cilantro garnish, and significantly less red pepper paste.  I didn't like the cilantro, and certainly prefer it spicier.  This was fine, still flavorful, the cucumber still juicy, but the other versions are much better. ***.

Spicy Cucumber Salad. $3.95.

I often love the spicy cucumber salad from Rooster & Rice, but this batch was less good that previous visits.  In particular, it was very soft and mushy. It was also more watery, less spicy, and had a lot of cucumber seeds. I suspect it had been made further back in the past.  As always with this location, it had no additional garnish (the Fidi location garnishes with an herb).

**+.

Spicy Cucumber Salad. $3.95.

Nice and fresh this time, lightly crisp, good amount of spice.  No garnish.  ***+.

Spicy Cucumber Salad.

This batch of cucumber salad was less successful.  It did not look very fresh, with lots of residue around the edges as if it had been sitting in the container a long time.  It was not garnished with an herb on top as they sometimes do to make it more attractive.  Each container was only half full, a smaller portion than usual.  The taste was good, but the cucumber seemed soggier than usual.  This was a letdown, and not up to the quality standards it usually is.  Fair rating all around.

***.

Veggies Side. $2.95.

I knew what to expect from the veggies, as I'd ordered them before, and knew they'd be perhaps boring, but, were exactly what I wanted.  The veggies were exactly what my body needed after an indulgent holiday season.  Simple steamed veggies, no oils, no heaviness, just, healthy veggies.  

My mix was well distributed between carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower.  The veggies were nicely cooked, none mushy.  These were clearly fresh and vibrant veggies, not pale elementary school cafeteria mushy veggies.  There is nothing I would improve here, besides to suggest some cabbage in the mix.  ****.

Veggies Side. $2.95.

The next time I got the veggies, the mix was dominated by broccoli, with less of the cauliflower and carrots than previous times.  Given that the steamed broccoli is my favorite part, this was not an issue for me.

The veggies were again well cooked, not too soft, nice and vibrant.  They are just steamed veggies, but, good ones.  ****.

Veggie Side. $2.95.

This batch of veggies was a good mix of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.  Still slightly more broccoli than other vegetables, but that is my favorite part anyway, so I didn't mind.  The veggies were a little softer than normal, I prefer more al dente.  The broccoli also had a lot of black spots on the stems.  I'm not sure what it was, as more than half the pieces were like that.  It looked, well, old and rotten, and I hope it wasn't.  Since the veggies are just plain and steamed though, I'm not sure what it could have been there is no sauce included here.

By far the least good version of veggies I've had from Rooster & Rice.  **+.

Veggie Side. $2.95.

Another order, another batch of veggies.  The extra steamed veggies were great - more broccoli than other veggies, and only one piece of carrot in each container, but the broccoli is my favorite, so this was a great match for me.  The veggies were cooked exactly as I like them, not too soft and mushy, lightly al dente.  Highlight of the meal, and something I order every time.  ****.

Veggie Side. $2.95.

Well, usually the mix is broccoli dominant, but this time, it was entirely broccoli.  Both orders of it.  The broccoli was good though, as usual, nicely al dente, not soft and mushy. It seemed fresh, no brown spots.  Good broccoli, but I did wish for a least a little of the usual cauliflower/carrots.  ***+.

Veggie Side.

The side of steamed veggies was fresh and vibrant looking.  The veggies were served hot.  The mix was broccoli and cauliflower this time (no carrot, which is sometimes included), and both were perfectly cooked, lightly al dente.  The container was full. This continues to be a favorite for me.  ****.

Side Egg. $2.
(No Maggi sauce).

I asked for my egg without the Maggi sauce, as I hadn't liked it on my last visit.  I wish I had acquired the taste for Maggi sauce, but alas, I haven't, and prefer it plain.  My request was easily accommodated, noted on my receipt, and properly done.  The egg was a textbook sous vide egg, perfectly runny yolk, well set whites.  Again, simple, but executed correctly.  The fact that it fits perfectly into a little condiment container makes it look rather charming.

It is still just an American egg, which I never find as flavorful as those in other countries, but, this was nicely done.  ***+.

Side Egg (No Sauce). $2 each.

The eggs were also different my next visit.  No "egg" label as they had before.  I again asked for no Maggi sauce, and that was easily accommodated.  The egg had a lot of bits of white all around, and looked rather messy.  It was nicely poached and runny inside, but, just didn't look very appealing. ***.

Side Egg (No Sauce). $2 each.

Same same.  Just like my last visit, no "egg" label, and easy to get without the Maggi sauce.  And just like my last visit, lots of egg white bits all around, making them a bit slimy. But nicely poached.  ***.

Side Egg (no sauce) $2.

I again got my egg without the sauce, and it again came with lots of egg white bits all over the place.  Otherwise nicely poached, but, so much bits.  ***.

Fried Chicken Skins. $5.

It had been a while since I last got the fried chicken skins.  While I didn't love them before, I *wanted* to love them, and thus wanted to give them another try.

They were well fried, crispy, and a nice assortment of twisted shapes and sizes.  Greasy, oily, and heavy, and made me feel pretty gross after eating several at a time.  They really aren't like regular chips where you can just eat a bag full, these are best as a garnish, not a real side.  I suspect they'd be good crumbled on top of things too, like crispy fried onions, just for a little crunch.

I don't think I'll get these again.  **+.

KMG Sauce. $1.95.
Habanero Sauce, Thai Sriracha (Complimentary).

I've grown quite fond of the Rooster & Rice sauces.

The KMG sauce I use on whatever veggies I have on hand, the I love to drunk raw baby carrots in the Thai sriracha.  ***+.

Dessert

I somehow hadn't tried the single dessert (mango pudding) from Rooster & Rice before, even though I'm such a dessert girl, and pudding fan in general.  They were sold out of it the prior few times I had visited, in multiple locations, so it had been elusive to me until now.  

Mango Pudding. $5.95.

I was thrilled to finally be able to order the mango pudding, 

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, as mango pudding can take different styles, such as what you find in most Thai restaurants that is fresh mango with coconut milk sticky rice, or more like Chinese dim sum style where it is a more thickly set gelatin that is mango flavored.  This was something else entirely, and was a mixed bag for me.

The base of the cup, about 65% of the volume, was the mango pudding element.  This was a well set gelatin based pudding, in the style of a panna cotta.  It had lovely mango flavor, really quite fruity, and it didn't taste fake, nor sickly sweet.  But the texture was quite odd - it looked smooth, but it wasn't, and rather, it was quite grainy.  I loved the mango flavor, but I couldn't get past the texture.  It seemed like it had just not set properly, or had curdled, or something.  It was fairly off putting. **.

On top was a rice pudding layer, another 25% of the cup, and this was great.  Very creamy, grains of rice well cooked, soft but not mush.  It was lightly sweetened, and honestly, I would have been thrilled with just a cup of that rice pudding.  It was quite good. ****.

And finally, a strawberry compote.  This was quite unexpected.  I liked that it had bits of seeds in it, and soft hunks of fruit, along with some more reduced down goo.  Very strong fruity flavor, and it went really well with the rice pudding.  It was very very sweet however, and a little went a long way.  ***+. 

Menu item suggestion?  Offer rice pudding!  With strawberry compote on top.  I'd buy it in a heartbeat.  But the mango pudding itself was a fail for me, and I'm not sure if something was wrong with this batch, or if it is just a style that doesn't appeal to me.

Update: I got this another time, and this time, the mango pudding was smooth and not grainy.  Still a set panna cotta style, not a creamy pudding, but the texture was considerably better.  It was still nicely fruity.  I topped it with fresh kiwi and whipped cream too, and enjoyed it.  ***+.

Mango Pudding. $5.95.

A few weeks later, I tried again, from the other location.

I saw the staff member prepare this, fetching a container of mango pudding from the fridge behind the counter, and then adding Kozy Shack brand rice pudding on top (!).  I was fairly disappointed that they didn't make their own rice pudding, but, I'll admit, it was creamy and the right level of sweet and enjoyable.  

I again really like the fruit component on top too.  

The mango pudding itself had a film on top, that was a bit off-putting, but the mango flavor was great. 

Overall, I did like the toppings, but those are definitely not made in house, and $5.95 for this was a bit steep.  ***.

Mango Pudding. $5.95.

What can I say, even if I don't love the dessert, if it is the only one on the menu, I keep getting it.

It was much like the previous times.  The mango pudding had a skin-like top, that I've come to expect, and no longer mind.  The mango pudding had great mango flavor, but not particularly smooth consistency.  And on top, yup, Kozy Shack rice pudding (that isn't bad!) and delicious sweet berry compote.  I add my own whipped cream and fresh fruit, and quite enjoy it.  I appreciated the generous amount of berry on this one.

The price still seems high for not a particularly fancy item, but, I still got it, so obviously the price isn't that bad. ***.

Mango Pudding. $5.95.

This batch wasn't quite as good, the mango pudding really had a very grainy texture, and mango flavor wasn't great.  The rice pudding was as expected from Kozy Shack, and the berry stuff was good, but this just didn't seem very fresh.

**+.

Mango Pudding.  $5.95.

At first glance, this didn't look like a very good version of the mango pudding, as it was quite watery on top, but it actually may have been the best version I've had thus far from Rooster & Rice.

The mango pudding still was a thick set pudding, so not smooth and creamy, but, it wasn't as grainy as past times.  Mango flavor was good.  The rice pudding on top was standard Kozy Shack, and I adored the sweet fruity strawberries.  I'm not sure what made it so watery on top, but it wasn't really a problem.  

I added whipped cream and truly enjoyed this one.  ***+.

Original Review, October 2022

Rooster & Rice is a small chain of fast-casual Thai restaurants, with locations in California and Texas.  While I do like Thai food, and often lament the lack of what I consider great Thai food in San Francisco, Rooster & Rice is still a bit of an odd destination for me. You see, as the name implies, the concept focuses nearly entirely on, well, chicken and rice.  Two ingredients you frequently see me mention as things I don't particularly care for (although rice in desserts I'm totally on board with).  Rooster & Rice specializes in a single, particular dish: khao mun gai, basically, Thai chicken rice.

Not only is the focus on items I'm not a huge fan of, the aforementioned chicken and rice, the concept is also simple, healthy clean, cuisine.  If you know me, you know that those aren't really what I aim for.  That said, of course I do like to nourish my body well from time to time, and I was drawn in by the accolades for the sauces (ok, now we are talking!) and the fact that even though the concept sounds so, frankly, boring, it does get very strong Yelp reviews.

And thus, I set out, not once, but twice, to Rooster & Rice.

Setting

Rooster & Rice has several locations in San Francisco, I visited two of them, the ones nearest to my house.  Both have similar interior design, but one seemed more modern.

Soma / 2nd Street Location.

The first store I visited was the Soma location, on 2nd Street, inside an office park.  This one is only open during the week, and closes fairly early in the evenings, clearly catering to the office crowd.

The storefront was well marked, and the courtyard outside was clean.

2nd Street Dining.

Inside is a communal table with 3 chairs and 3 stools, and some benches along the side.  None looked particularly comfortable for sitting.  Clearly, most people take their food to go (likely back to their desks, out to the courtyard on a nice day, or, home at the end of the day).  The tables and inside were glistening clean, and it was clear the place is well maintained, with succulents on the table as a nice homey touch.

2nd Street Menu.

The digital menu board clearly lists the standard menu, add-ons, and specials.  The staff member also let me know that the ordering kiosks had photos available of the dishes, which helped as well.  You could order in person at the front, or via the kiosk.

Craft Tea/Lemonade.

I didn't get any of them, but the store had self-serve fancy ice teas and lemonades, along with a soda dispenser with a local brand of assorted sodas.  The other location only had bottled beverages.

Kearny Street Storefront.

The Kearny Street store is located right along busy Kearny Street, no outdoor seating here.

Kearny Street Dining.

Inside has more seating than the smaller 2nd Street location, with lots of little tables for 2-4, with a bench along the wall, and chairs placed orderly on the other side.

The store has a similar industrial feel with concrete floor, and vibrant street art inspired mural.  The music playing was hard rock, which kinda matched the decor well, although it wasn't really the most pleasant waiting/dining music.

Kearny Street Menu.

This store has a fixed chalkboard menu with only the basics on it, unlike the digital one at 2nd Street.  Some specials were on signs on the counter, but others, that were available, I didn't see signs for anywhere, but when I asked about them, I was told they were available.

Food

The concept at Rooster & Rice is fairly simple and basic.  Clean healthy food.  Mostly rice and chicken.  As in, there are essentially three options: chicken breast and thigh, just chicken breast, or tofu.  Served with or without rice.  Those are the entrees.  Some locations have an additional side or two.  I knew not to expect to be wowed by any of it. 

Bag.

My order was ready at the 2nd Street location within 4 minutes of placing the order.  I don't think anything was made fresh, just, assembled in the kitchen area off to the side.  It was all nicely packaged, and served warm enough.  It came in a branded bag.

Interestingly, my order from Kearny Street came in a plain, unbranded, bag.  It also took longer to be prepared.

The Vegetarian. $14.95.

"Organic tofu, purple rice berry, cucumber, cilantro, seasonal veggies, KMG sauce, and a side of vegetarian broth."

Since I don't like chicken, there was exactly one other entree available, dubbed "The Vegetarian".  Rather than chicken, it had tofu, rather than chicken rice, it had purple rice (or plain jasmine at some locations), and it had some additional veggies.

The dish was very bland looking - lots of white tofu, white cauliflower, and then green broccoli, cucumbers, and a bit of parsley garnish.  It didn't look bad, it looked fresh and healthy, but definitely not all that vibrant.  It wasn't the kind of dish that is made for Instagram.

The base of the dish was purple rice, a very generous portion.  The rice was well prepared, it had a nice chew, no clumps stuck together.  It didn't seem to have much flavor, but the purple rice was a bit more interesting than regular white rice.  Equally generous was the tofu.  Really, tons of tofu.  Triangle shaped pieces, slippery soft tofu.  It seemed reasonable quality, tasted soy-like.  Like the rice, fairly bland.  And really, it is just tofu.  Not sure how exciting non-fried, not seasoned tofu can be.

The other side of the container housed the veggies.  There was mostly cauliflower, but also a few smaller bits of broccoli, and one single slice of carrot.  The veggies seemed like they were just steamed, again, lacking any real flavor, but were well prepared, not mushy, slight bite to them.  Finally, a few slices of fresh cucumber, and a sprig of parsley completed the bowl.  The cucumber felt a bit odd alongside the warm cooked veggies.

Without any sauces, this was a very, very bland, but healthy, dish.  I liked the veggies, and did actually end up using some of the rice with leftover curry I had at home, but, I certainly wouldn't get this again.  At $14.95 it felt a bit pricey as well, given that I think it was just assembled, but not cooked, to order, and didn't use any real cooking skill.  ***, but, a very very boring ***.

Vegetarian Broth (included).

Since I had the vegetarian dish, it came with vegetarian broth rather than the chicken broth the others come with.

The veggie broth was also fairly bland, although salty at least.  I wished I had subbed in the chicken broth instead, as I'm not vegetarian.  I suspect it would have been more flavorful.  It was nice to have the warm broth to pour over the bowl though, adding some moisture.

**+.

Seasonal: Bowl Khao Tom Gai. $7.95.

"Chicken Rice Congee w/Egg."

My second visit, since I wasn't really all that into the vegetarian entree, and still didn't want chicken, I opted for what I think was considered a side, a seasonal offering of chicken congee.  While I knew this would still have chicken, it would be minimal, compared to the chicken entree that is literally just a big pile of chicken.  Plus, even though I don't like rice outside of desserts usually, I really do love congee.  That said, I normally have it when I'm traveling, I'm horribly jetlagged, and at a breakfast buffet that has an Asian setup with it (and, critical piece, toppings galore).  I was very curious what I'd think of it outside of that context, and with far less embellishments.  It does normally come with the egg and crispy chicken skin bits on top, but I asked for them on the side so I could heat it up better at home, and not have the crispy bits get soggy.  This was easily accommodated.

The congee was, well, congee.  Totally and completely comfort food.  The rice wasn't too soft, and the porridge was incredibly aromatic and flavorful.  It was served warm, but not hot.  The chicken was shredded and a minimal component, which, given that I don't care all that much for chicken, was a good thing.  It was more of an accent than the main attraction.  There were generous herbs on top as well.  The crispy chicken skins added a lovely crunch.

This really did eat well, and felt quite nourishing.  It was easy to jazz up with sauces, but if you are in the mood for something simple, or perhaps aren't feeling well, I think it was really pretty good just as it was.  Yes, of course, I'd like to have fried dough bits, fresh bean sprouts, fried garlic, etc to throw on, but, that wasn't necessary.

If I was in the mood for this, I'd get it again.  ***.

Sauces: Ginger Scallion, Thai Sriracha, Habanero, KMG. $1.95 each.

The sauces are where Rooster & Rice clearly shines, and I opted for all of them, given the rave reviews.    

The Thai sriracha seemed like any other sriracha.  I'm not really sure what was special about it.  That said, sriracha is a good thing, and I gladly used it later at home on other things.  The habanero hot sauce was a bit more spicy, it certainly had some kick.  

The included sauce, "KMG", was quite flavorful, and I'm not sure what KMG stands for, but it seemed to be a soy sauce of sorts, with chunks of soybean in it too.  A savory, salty sauce.  It definitely helped add flavor to the bowl.

The Ginger Scallion Sauce, is their newest addition.  It was a bit more fresh tasting and vibrant, although I didn't taste ginger quite as strong as I expected.

All together they definitely helped jazz up the bowl, and I gladly kept and used the leftovers for other purposes.  That said, none of these are sauces I'd go out of my way for, they weren't that memorable. ***.

My vegetarian bowl came with their signature KMG sauce by default, but you can sub any other sauce in instead, or, as I did, get them all for $1.95 each.  They also sell bottles of these to take home.

Crispy Chicken Skins.  $5.

And finally, the chicken skins!  Basically the only not healthy thing you can get at Rooster & Rice, and only available at some locations.

A friend had told me about these, and I'm glad I added them on.  They were crunchy, fried, horrible for you, and definitely packed with flavor.  They reminded me a bit of salted egg fish skins that I loved in Singapore, although they didn't have any of those components.  They were great to crumble on top for texture and flavor, but also just to munch on, although they were clearly not a light item and only a few at a time was necessary.

$5 for the fairly large side portion was quite reasonable.  These I'd get again, but wouldn't go out of my way for.  ***.  

Crispy Chicken Skins #2. $5.

I got the chicken skins at the other location as well, and they came packaged differently, in a more narrow, but taller, container. They were more fried tasting, more oily, darker.  Still good, but I think I preferred the first ones, and I think the portions were about the same, even though the containers were different. **+.

Egg. $2.

"Sous vide Egg w/ splash of maggi sauce."

I added on a side of egg, intentionally asking for it on the side rather than in the bowl, which was easily accommodated.  It looked pretty perfect, with a little drizzle of maggi sauce around it.

The maggi sauce added an umami and salty element, which was nice, but it is certainly a flavor you need to like.  The egg was nicely poached, but, I know this sounds odd, I didn't care for the taste of the egg itself.  I rarely like eggs in the US though, they really just don't taste as good to me as in other countries, so this wasn't a big surprise.  Kudos to them on proper poaching and not breaking the egg when packaging, but I wouldn't get another. **+.

Seasonal Side: Spicy Cucumber Salad. $3.95.

"Gochujang, onion, red peper flake."

Rooster & Rice doesn't normally have any sides, other than the fried chicken skins, but seasonally (fall?) they added spicy cucumber salad to the menu.  I got it to go along with my khao tom gai, thinking a spicy side would be great alongside the very simple savory bland porridge.

The cucumber was sliced in halves, thin slices.  It wasn't nearly as fresh and crisp as the cucumber that came in the bowl, and was fairly soggy/mushy really, I suspect as it had been made earlier in the day (or even the previous day?).  I did like the heat that came on the finish from the gochujang, but the mushy nature was just a bit too off putting.  I think if it was fresher, I would have liked it considerably more.  I never found the onion the menu listed, although it did have a piece of cilantro on top.

*** flavor, but **+ because of how mushy it was.

Side: Veggies. $2.95.

My second visit, I also opted for just a side of veggies to go with my khao tom gai.  The veggies were the same as I had in my vegetarian bowl from the other location, although with more carrots this time, and bigger pieces of broccoli.  The veggies were simply steamed, not too mushy, and healthy and fresh tasting.  They were nice to have alongside my porridge.

***+.

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