Brunch is that persistent staple of any good millennial weekend that refuses to go gently into the night.
Chinese food in America has never had a fair shake. It’s been relegated to conjure up the household names of General Tso’s and Orange Chicken, both of which are good but far from the truth of what Chinese cuisine can be.
Thai food has become something of a staple in New York City. Everyone’s got their favorite local place or lunch spot. In some facets, it’s encroached on the territory that Americanized Chinese food had held strong for nearly a decade as a solid lunch option or a good order-in dinner. At least for me, that’s what it has become. Sabai Thai is one of those Thai places that are on the other end of the spectrum. It comes from owner Karan Daryanani and is a Central-Thai-inspired restaurant nestled in the heart of the trendy Flatiron District. The kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Mingmitr Amnuaypanich, renowned for his work at PONGsri and the celebrated Kelly & Ping, the restaurant unveils a menu where cherished Thai dishes are infused with a sophisticated Western twist.
I am rarely if ever surprised by Thai food as most places love to dwell in the realm of simple mediocrity. But Sabai Thai does not. I went recently with my girlfriend and we started off with the Sabai Sampler in order to get a proper tasting of what these folks can do. This came with spring rolls, curry puffs, calamari, chicken satay, and thung thong (chicken dumplings). The spring rolls were straight forwad, along with the chicken satay and thunh thong, however the curry puffs and calamari were something else. The former was flaky, crunchy, soft, and perfectly packaged for a wonderful tasting experience. The latter, being the calamari, was strangely enough some of the best calamari I’ve ever had. The texture of the batter was crispy yet semi-uniform in a way only great tempura is, while the calamari itself was tender, soft, and thick.
As for the main courses, I had the Pineapple Duck curry while my girlfriend had the Prawn Pad Thai. The pineapple duck curry was one of the more interesting Thai curries that I’ve ever had. Centered perfectly in a pool of golden curry was a perfectly cooked duck breast with perfectly rendered fatted tucked on top. The curry was almost too sweet while also being savory. It was the perfect complement to the perfectly cooked duck breasts which was much better than it needed to be. When covering something up with sauce, many take liberties with how well the underlying meat is cooked, but not here. Everything was great. The concoction of flavors was certainly something I’d like to try again and something I’d recommend. As for the prawn pad thai, the prawn was lightly battered and the meat was juicy and succulent while remaining tender. The noodles had a nice chew to them and were pleasantly savory, tangy, and sweet all at once. The noodles were wrapped in a nice, thin layer of egg and it felt like digging up a treasure, cutting into the egg to uncover more of the noodles.
There are several other highlights on the menu that are worth a try but that I couldn’t get to. The Massaman Curry, a choice of chicken or beef flank with onions, potatoes, and peanuts, served with roti canai bread. The Pla Nueng Manow (Branzino) is a whole steamed branzino with garlic lime sauce served with jasmine rice. Cocktails, by Demetrius Butler, feature the Koh Pha Ngan, a mix of Roku house-infused raspberry gin, Aperol, rosemary syrup, lime, and egg white, as well as the fan-favorite Pink Lychee Martini, Haku vodka, lychee and lemon.
Next time you’re thinking of a date night dinner idea or a more interesting take on what has become a more boring genre of food, take a look at Sabai Thai.
Nomad is slowly becoming a hotbed of quality Indian food. Saravanaa Bhavan has been the quintessential Dosa place for some time and has become something of a taste of home for many South Asian transplants. Recently, another interesting place has opened in the area: Cloves Indian Cuisine. And to cut the story short, it’s definitely a welcome addition.
This restaurant is the latest from restaurateur Syed Haider, an accomplished figure in the industry who has worked in the Indian culinary world for several decades. In the late 80s, Haider moved to NYC, beginning his culinary career at the acclaimed Bombay Palace, owned by his mentor Sant Singh Chatwal. After his tenure at Bombay Place, he assumed the role of general manager at Sapphire Indian Restaurant, expanding his knowledge of restaurant management and menu and wine list development. With this extensive experience, Haider then launched his first restaurant, Jaz in Hell’s Kitchen, followed by the fast-casual Forest Hills Indian Cuisine.
To bring his vison for Cloves Indian Cuisine to life, Haider has partner with Co-Owner Abdul Rocky and Consulting Chef Vijay Bhargava, previously Executive Chef at Raga Indian Restaurant Midtown, who received a 3 Star review from New York Times critic Mimi Sheraton. Ashish Negi will serve as Chef de Cuisine, formerly of Utsav and will execute the extensive menu of Northern Indian fare and beloved Indian favorites.
My experience there was lovely. I began the meal with a couple of samosas. Thanks to tiktok, I had been craving some all week and this was just what the doctor ordered. They came beautifully plated with a flower nestled between two plump samosas and garnished throughout with tiny chips of bell pepper that resembled confetti. The outside of the samosas were crisp while the interior was soft and heartily stuffed. They also came paired with a good mint sauce and a surprisingly authentic tamarind sauce. All it all it was a great way to start the meal.
To continue, I had the chicken vindaloo while my girlfriend who accompanied me had the Lamb Madras. We got a side of rice and garlic naan to go with the meal. Oftentimes with Indian food, the sauce does all of the heavy lifting and the same is true here. For both the chicken and the lamb the sauce was wonderfully done and left me wanting more, even though I was near bursting at the seams. The lamb was done to absolute perfection. The rice was light and fluffy and served as a perfect compliment to the chicken and the lamb dishes. My only real complaint as someone from Caribbean and Indian descent is that the food was not spicy enough. However, to the average restaurant goer, that may be a solid green flag that this is what you’re looking for.
Finding an Indian restaurant that’s not nestled in a strange corner of town or stuck in the no man’s land of New Jersey is tough. It’s tougher still to find one where you can order as a new comer to this genre of food. Cloves is both a perfect introduction and a wonderful experience to undertake. The management is overwhelming nice and attentive. You can tell they put their care into what they do and it’s a welcome sight. It’s easy, simple, and a place I want to eat at again in the future. I certainly recommend a visit to this spot.
It’s not a surprise to say that the industry isn’t what it used to be. The glitz and glamor of the red carpet has for the most part faded away. However, no one told Tom Cruise that. The New York premiere of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One was something out of the golden age of Hollywood. There were lights, cameras, and certainly a lot of action. There were even bleachers of fans on the sidelines that was tantamount to a scene at the Oscars.
I should’ve known this red carpet event was going to be special the moment I got to the carpet and was briefed that Tom Cruise was going to be doing fan interactions. Normally a star would engage with a fan or two that happened to be standing by or waiting for a glimpse of celebrity, but Tom isn’t like that. He has an energy of graciousness that I have never seen before. For every single one of the hundred or so fans that appeared, he spoke to one on one, signed their poster, and even offered himself up for their selfies. After wowing a crowd of adoring fans, he immediately stepped on to do a live television interview before enduring another two hours of press interviews on the carpet. I’ve seen stars do twenty or thirty minutes of interviews, but never have I seen a star do three hours straight. Even more shockingly, the majority of the cast and crew spent several hours themselves doing the same. Please be sure to check out our linked video to see our interview with Tom as well as the rest of the crew.
Red carpets are normally exercises in self congratulation but this was a demonstration of love for filmmaking process and the fans who make it possible. Of all the red carpets I’ve ever been to, this was the most fun, warm, and welcoming. Tom and team certainly went out of their way to do so. Sadly it may also be the last one for a while due to the SAG and WGA strikes, but I am happy this event which will likely go down as the event of the year, was not cancelled.
The only thing that could’ve topped that was actually seeing the movie, which was fantastic. And there’s no better way to experience this film than through Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.
Dolby Atmos
• With Dolby Atmos, sound can be precisely placed anywhere in the cinema, even overhead, creating an immersive soundscape that sounds more like real life.
• A leap forward from surround sound, Dolby Atmos allows you to experience multi–dimensional sound with incredible clarity that brings you deeper into the story.
• So what does this mean for you? Premium, immersive sound like you’ve never experienced in the cinema before. Mission Impossible films are known for their thrilling action sequences, and Dolby Atmos will take them
to the next level and have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Listen for the precise placement of sounds like explosions, gunfire, and punches that will make you feel like you’re right in the middle of the action.
• With Dolby Atmos, sound can be precisely placed anywhere in the cinema, even overhead, creating an immersive soundscape that sounds more like real life.
• A leap forward from surround sound, Dolby Atmos allows you to experience multi–dimensional sound with incredible clarity that brings you deeper into the story.
• So what does this mean for you? Premium, immersive sound like you’ve never experienced in the cinema before. Mission Impossible films are known for their thrilling action sequences, and Dolby Atmos will take them
to the next level and have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Listen for the precise placement of sounds like explosions, gunfire, and punches that will make you feel like you’re right in the middle of the action.
Dolby Vision
• With Dolby Vision, characters come to life with darker darks, brighter brights and a remarkable color range you can’t get anywhere else. Discover subtle details you simply can’t see with a standard picture, for a viewing experience without compromise, just as the filmmakers intended.
• So what does this mean for you? Take in a wide gamut of beautiful colors and vivid details that are brought to life. For example, prepare to be blown away by the stunning environments and intricate cityscapes that pop off the screen. Tom Cruise’s stunts (like that insane scene of him riding a motorcycle off a mountain) are especially breathtaking in Dolby Vision, as you’ll notice subtle details and more vibrant visuals that will pull you into the story more deeply.
Director Christopher McQuarrie said of the Dolby collaboration: “I’m devoted to a fully immersive big screen experience and no big screen experience is complete without the extraordinary detail, depth, power and presence of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos,” said Christopher McQuarrie. You can find their nearest Dolby Cinema location here.
The American summer blockbuster has changed face more times than I can count. Recently, superhero movies have been the meta. Previously, it was westerns, crime thrillers, love stories, spy dramas, and more. Essentially, anything that involved good guy beats bad guy, coupled with a lot of gun violence and action. It’s hard to say which era is the best as each has their own strength, but at the same time, too much of one thing isn’t good. It’s tantamount to declaring one flavor of ice cream superior to the other. It’s almost nonsensical to say something is nostalgic and a breath of fresh air and yet, that is exactly what Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning is. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience seeing this movie and it just may end up being my favorite movie that comes out this year.
Tom Cruise is one of the last remaining movie stars left. In this day and age, no one is truly famous. Or at least, not like it used to be a few decades ago. The age of movie stars donning the silver screen once every year or two has been done away with actors and actresses appearing in the occasional film and television series on your phone. More often than not, the appearance of that star, at least in my circle, is met with a “oh wow, they got him/her/them in this thing?”. But Mr. Cruise hasn’t done that. He hasn’t made a series with Netflix or created a streamer fodder film for another of the myriad of services available. He has stuck true with the medium that made him rich and famous: the big screen. I met Tom on the red carpet of the New York premiere of the film where I asked him: With all the stunts you’ve done, are you afraid of anything? To which he replied, in paraphrasing, “It’s not about the lack of fear in the stunts, it’s about the willingness to push beyond our limits”.
There’s something to be said about that. This may sound like trivial tripe or the wailings of an old man. However, the detail, care, and passion that goes into his movies are unlike the average movie being churned out. These days, the goal is to have a movie ready for release on a streaming service as opposed to really make something great. Who else, aside from James Cameron (another old fashioned filmmaker who has delightfully not changed with the times) and a few others would take years to develop and produce a film that was meant primarily for theaters? The practical effects in this film alone reminded me why I love going to the movies. Recent films, even well received ones such as Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 have left me struggling to stay awake during it’s boring runtime. CGI is an amazing innovation that has made modern movies spectacular, but at the same time, has crippled the beauty of a well-done stunt. For example, the latest in the Fast franchise features a chase scene in Rome that’s not too dissimilar to the one in this film. However, here, that chase scene is done with practical effects as opposed to CGI and it makes the action feel altogether much more gritty, engaging, and entertaining.
With all my gushing out of the way, I must admit it is an uneven movie but in the best way a film could be uneven. While the film may start a little slow with some clichéd events, things pick up in the second act with some tense scenes which are on par with some of the better action movies of the early 2000s and the third act is simply one of the best sequences of action I seen in a while. When it comes to combat and gunplay, there is no competing with the John Wick series. However, when it comes to spectacle, practical effects, and stunts, I think the same acclaim belongs to Mission Impossible. When the motorcycle stunt in the trailer and early footage of the film actually does appear in the film. It takes your breath away. There’s something about seeing a real person literally risk his life driving a motorcycle off a real cliff as opposed to a CGI background that captivates and fills you with dread for everyone involved. I haven’t been that close to the edge of my seat since Top Gun: Maverick.
Things haven’t exactly been so great at the box office since Covid. People are clearly fatigued and tired of superhero movies, which to me is especially evident in the fact that Oppenheimer and Barbie are met with such hyped anticipation. I am very excited for both of those films as well, but I am pleading with you, do not sleep on Mission Impossible. A huge reason why is because of how innovative this film is. With Dolby Atmos, which is a new feature added to movie theaters which allows you to have an almost 3D audio experience. Watching Tom Cruise sprint while dodging bullets while hearing the direction of where they came from is a surreal experience. There’s also Dolby vision which adds a lot of depth and character to each frame, making for a more rich movie going experience and helped tip this experience over the top to being one my favorite movie going experience in years. I have not seen enough praise or anticipation for this movie, but it is certainly something worth a watch. This is the beginning of a great finale to one of cinema‘s best series.
I think I have one of the easiest reviews to write in my entire career as a film critic as there’s nothing to say about this movie that you would not already have seen coming. This movie is everything that you would expect it be. There are car chases that get more than out of hand.
Sometimes I think on the nature of memories and this recent MCU addition, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, conjured up an interesting thought. When I think about what a Big Mac from McDonalds tastes like, do I remember what the last what tasted like or do I recall some particularly average or even above average taste from years and year ago?
I don’t think indie films are a place for experimental filmmakers anymore. Maybe it never was. I still think there was a time some 15 years ago when indie film was a medium for new filmmakers to experiment with unique and new forms of storytelling. That’s what I loved about that niche of filmmaking.
Life is what we make of it. We’re all bound to experience the strange, the wonderful, the fear-inducing, and breathtaking moments of brevity that redefine our persona, characteristics, and outlook for the next few million breaths we take.