The Meatpacking district of New York used to be rough with mostly dive bars like this one.
But, with Pastis, Spice Market is one of the two original restaurants that started 10 years ago to transform this blue collar neighborhood into a hip place. I'd never been to Spice Market though and was lucky to get right away a spot at the kitchen counter.
I love watching pro cooks do their things. The Spice Market kitchen is very long and narrow so I could see pretty much everything. The menu is not that big but still, it was impressive to see how quiet and organized the team was.
The style is fusion, with a strong Thai influence. I choose the "Lobster Summer Roll, Citrus-Dill Gelee Sriracha Emulsion" as an appetizer.
It may looks like a spring roll from the outside but it was 10 times better than the best I ever had! The mix of the soft and rich lobster with the crunchiness and freshness of the herbs was great but to me the best part was the contrast brought by the strong and delicious gelee.
My waiter was so-so but a guy in the kitchen (waiter en chef?) took great care of me all along the diner. He recommended for entree the "Striped Bass Wok Fried Napa Cabbage Waterchestnut and Cucumber" indicating that it was very spicy but with intense flavors. I followed his advice!
At first I thought the level of spiciness would be too overwhelming for the fish, but just on par with the good Thai restaurants. In fact, the Bass was fried in spices too and was holding its own on such a flavory plate. The fried cabbage that I was not really desiring happen to be one of the highlights of the dish.
Like for any hip place, one may wonder if it's all about the decor, but for my taste, Spice Market is also about the food!
