Thai Station

RESTAURATEURS ARE RISK TAKERS. There is no more volatile business. Large numbers of new restaurants fail, often within a year. Relatively few are left standing after five years.

Kenny Chen’s efforts are a case in point. He is an enterprising Chinese Chef-owner who specializes in Thai cuisine. Some years ago, he opened a tiny spot called Pad Thai and Chinese in a largely empty Oakdale shopping center, then a modest restaurant called Lemonleaf in Carle Place and then Leamonleaf Two in Hicksville. He sold them in order to open a larger, more luxurious spot, Shangri La in Garden City Park. Unlike his previous ventures, it didn’t succeed, draining away the money he had accumulated.

Mr. Chen was obviously down, but he wasn’t out. Instead of throwing in the towel, he sold his two-family house in Queens and used the proceeds to purchase another less expensive home and you guessed it, opened another restaurant, Thai Station in Merrick. All of this would be meaningless if Thai Station wasn’t what it should be, but it is.

The Thai Station Restaurant isn’t fancy. (It also didn’t have a liquor license at the time of my visit). It’s a thirty plus seat storefront with bare tables, trac lighting, fairy lights and photos of Thai food and landscapes. Although the restaurant is small, its menu is extensive with 5 soups, 15 appetizers, 6 salads, 46 entrees and 3 desserts.

Seventy-five choices aren’t necessarily a good sign. Many kitchens have problems turning out even half that number. After sampling eight appetizers (including a soup and a salad), six entrées and all three desserts, I detected no such difficulties. And my visit was on a busy, jam-packed Saturday night (if a kitchen was going to crack, that would be the time). Although not every dish scored, most were bull’s eyes.

Among the noteworthy starters were fresh non-fishy, tod mun or Bangkok fish cakes with subtle touches of curry spices and Kafir lime leaves; four plump steamed shrimp dumplings on a tasty garlic ginger sauce; a mountain of grilled steak salad replete with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and lime; deep fried shrimp wrapped in crunchy noodles that provide welcome textural contrast; and tom yum goong or a hot and sour soup with shrimp, mushrooms, peppers, lime juice, lemon grass and a spicy kick.

Cold summer rolls and various vegetable and chicken dumplings were ordinary. Standard too were two stir-fry entrées: A shrimp and calamari, and chicken string bean basil. But pad Thai, the national dish, a marvelous mix of soft stir fried Thai noodles, egg, bean sprouts, tofu and ground peanuts is one of the best on the Island. (Despite its hot and spicy menu designation, it’s relatively mild.)

Nearly as good was a beef curry broth of coconut milk, onions, potatoes and peanuts that yielded equal parts snap and richness. Diners, who desire soothing, rather than spicy eating, are advised to go for the excellent mango duck (or chicken) with its ripe, fresh fruit, sweet peas and flavorful sweet and sour sauce. Another winner on the poultry dominated list of entrées here is the ginger chicken, a vibrant stir-fried chicken alive with ginger, black fungus, scallions and oyster sauce.

There’s no need to save room for dessert. The three predictable sweets (fried banana, sticky rice and mango, Thai Coconut cake) are well executed, but not nearly as exciting as the appetizers and entrées. But do save some time for a visit to this solid, creative Thai treat.