Location: 644 10th Ave.
Time: 12:30pm
People: Showtime Ops!
Feelings: The Showtime Ops ventured out to another Thai joint in Hell's Kichen, Olieng all the way out on 10th Avenue. I believe it is our mission to try every Thai place around our work area. 10th Avenue is quite an interesting area, still holding onto the old Manhattan feel, and I love the vibe of the neighborhood. Olieng is perhaps the smallest Thai place around, and it was difficult for five of us to fit in one table. But a cramped and clean restaurant usually means it is a hidden gem, and Olieng did not let us down from this expectation.
We each ordered one the lunch specials, which are between $7 to $9, and they all came with small salad with peanut sauce. The waitstaff was friendly and funny, throwing some jokes here and there. The vegan of the group, PeeWee, especially appreciated that the waitstaff's understanding nature of veganism when he requested no fish sauce or eggs for his Pad Thai. "That's always reassuring that when they know what vegan means, and also when they can easily accommodate my request," he added. When I requested veggie Pad See Ew, he asked me if I wanted vegan as well, so it is nice to see the service going the extra miles for us vegans and vegetarians. Not only that, he even came back to ask if KarO wanted white rice or brown rice for her Panang Curry. I wish every restaurant had an understanding waitstaff like him. Unfortunately he forgot AP's tea order, but I will have to cut him some slack since we were a big table with plenty of side requests.
The dishes were quite large, and the each came with plenty of fresh veggies, which is rare for Thai restaurants in this area. KarO's curry was actually spicy and not too watered down with coconut milk. Both PeeWee and I thought our noodles were a bit greasy but tasty nonetheless.
If you feel like walking extra block to enjoy cheap and fresh Thai with big portions, I would highly recommend Olieng. And you can always stop by at Amy's Bread or Kyotofu on 9th Avenue for some dessert before heading back to work.
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