• Brian Freedman hits Headhouse Square’s Twisted Tail where he says Chef Michael Stevenson’s “technique is soundly rooted,” but the cooking is “too precious, too reliant on the alchemy of the open flame.” The pacu-fish rib, which is part of the dueling ribs appetizer, “was like French kissing an ashtray,” and the crawfish macaroni and cheese was “devoid of much flavor.” The Lamb sliders’ “seam of gaminess well-cut by a sundried-cranberry aioli, fared better,” but the house-cured pork belly “arrived as a crestfallen study in tans and earth tones, and the flavor followed suit.” [PW]
• At Sawatdee, Adam Erace is soured by the new Thai spot’s “frustratingly inconsistent food.” Pan-seared dumplings “arrived mummified in thick, gummy skins,” and the “planks of steak” in the satay “chewed like rawhide.” “Wussy but tasty red and green curries” satisfy, but the tom yum “had no personality.” [Citypaper]
• The filling in Bangkok Thai 9 Cuisine’s dumplings “needed more flavor,” according to Phyllis Stein-Novack. The angel shrimp was “heaven on a plate,” and the sweet-and-sour dipping sauce provided “a lively contrast for the light and crispy shrimp.” Crispy-fired duck with a mild Thai basil sauce was prepared in a “in a perfect manner,” and the “mildly spiced” basil pork fried rice’s flavors “were in harmony.” [South Philly Review]
