Locals in downtown Jersey City now have one more option with the new restaurant Sawadee at 137 Newark Ave.
This Thai restaurant brings the flavors of the Orient to the table with inspired cuisine that looks as good as it tastes.
Open for lunch and dinner, the elegant room is decorated in soothing shades of amber with dark wood accents.
Eye appeal
Walking into the restaurant is to step into quiet, with the subdued lighting and low music playing in the background. The eye immediately is drawn to the original and colorful artwork and a wall of different shaped vases that provide decoration. Large leafy plants and Asian inspired art complete the look of this place, which is perfect for a date or for long conversations with friends.
The service goes a long way towards this goal by efficiently refilling water glasses and clearing away plates in an unobtrusive manner – all without making one feel rushed.
On a recent Thursday evening, my companion and I stopped in to savor the food and sample the menu. We started with a taste of one of their signature cocktails, which includes everything from their house fruit punch and fresh strawberry-colada smoothie (both served with or without rum) to one of their specialty Martinis like the Lychee Martini.
Many of their drinks are infused with fresh fruits and ingredients and include popular favorites.
Our favorite was the Mango Martini, which tasted like the fruit yet wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet.
We partnered the Martinis with the papaya salad, which had a base of the fruit cut into slivers topped with peanuts, peppers, carrots, and tomatoes. It’s a lovely presentation of colors and flavors that don’t overwhelm the palate.
The salad is big enough to split, but light enough for one person to finish. Other appetizers include: grilled beef or chicken satay, Thai dumplings, curry puffs, spring rolls, fried wonton, mussels, calamari, and much more. The appetizers are priced from $4 to $7.
Other starters include a selection of soups and salads.
Entrees
For dinner we opted to try the holy basil fried rice and the pineapple duck curry.
The rice was a heavenly blend of fluffy rice, chicken, chili peppers served in a steaming pile and topped with fresh basil. This dish was absolutely terrific and lost none of its taste when reheated the next day for lunch!
Although I’m not usually a fan of the sweet taste of pineapple mixed with any sort of meat, I couldn’t resist the tangy mix of sweet fruit with the rich duck. While some might say that duck tastes like the dark meat of a chicken – the meat on this duck dish is loaded with flavor and melts in the mouth.
We loved this dish and stuffed ourselves even though we were full.
Other entrees include: Tilapia flavored with curry and coconut milk, grilled pork chops, Pad Thai (shrimp, egg, and rice noodles), vegetable pasta flavored with coconut milk, garlic shrimp, and much more. Entrees are priced from $10 to $18.
There is also a wide selection of rice, noodles, and vegetarian dishes (priced from $9 to $12).
And…
To cap off out meal we ended with their bold coffee and the decadent cappuccino mousse cake. The mousse cake had a layer of chocolate mousse that was topped with a layer of cream and swirls of chocolate sauce. It is a luscious chocolate lover’s dream.
Other desserts include: seasonal pumpkin custard, fried banana topped with ground peanuts, ice cream, mango sticky rice, tiramisu, and others.
Coffee, espresso or cappuccino is available.
The restaurant is open for lunch Monday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. On Friday lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner is served until 10:30 p.m. On Saturday lunch is served from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and dinner is served from 5 to 10:30 p.m.
All major credit cards are accepted and reservations are recommended for large parties.
Sawadee is located at 137 Newark Ave. in Jersey City. For more information, call (201) 433-0888.