Thai Diner's Fried Chicken Sequel, Reviewed!
Crispy chicken fingers, tropical shakes, juicy grilled thighs, vegan sandwiches, and more at the extremely delicious Mommy Pai's
Mommy Pai’s is the real deal
Alright, so here I am at Mommy Pai’s, a Nolita takeout joint where I’m queuing up with the athleisure crew, bros in shorts, and some guy wearing USA socks — just to order a bunch of chicken fingers. It reminds me of that ironclad rule of NYC dining: If you can get something basic at a place with a long line, or something similar at a place with no line, city dwellers will always choose the more aggravating option.
So will I :(
Welcome to the latest effort by chefs Ann Redding and Matt Danzer. The venue is a tribute to Redding’s mother, Ampai, who appears both in digital form (she moves around on the giant flatscreen menu), and on the restaurant’s comic-like signage, where she brandishes a chicken finger.
If I ever end up with my likeness emblazoned on the side of a building for all eternity, there better be caviar in my left hand and good weed in my right. But I suppose chicken is the right choice here. Redding and Danzer are low-key two of the city’s top poultry chefs. You know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever floated towards Thai Diner like Toucan Sam for the lemongrass chicken salad.
The duo’s old rotisserie birds at Uncle Boons were even better.
But here, the chefs have found a way to let chicken fingers go well beyond the realm of basic. And a few other items — including a vegan riff on filet-o-fish and dairy-free mango shakes — show even stronger signs of brilliance, the type of creative gusto one might expect at, say, Superiority Burger.
The long lines — I waited 45 minutes on my second visit — just might be warranted.
