Q, a Thai Bistro

Category: Restaurants, Cafes, Bars

Thai Fusion

ZAGAT Revew:

Food: 21
Cost: $34

The “imaginative” “haute Thai” cooking is worth queuing up for at this “tiny”, easily affordable Forest Hills “favorite”; a “sweet” setting and “welcoming service” are extra benefits.

*****

TIME OUT NY Review:

Cheap Queens ethnic grub this is not. Instead, soft lighting and a curved bar lend the room the kind of warmth that draws couples celebrating an anniversary. The mostly Thai menu features standouts such as Drunken Noodles: basil-scented rice noodles accented with crisp, sweet peppers. Seared tuna, with the spicy crunch of raw peppercorns, is exquisite. For a suitable finish, try the thick, fudgy chocolate-truffle cake.

*****

NEW YORK MAGAZINE Review:

As the name suggests, this cozy neighborhood spot combines East Asian flavors with Parisian café style. Contemporary art for sale, twinkling votives and fresh-cut orchids lend the place a mellow air that balances the menu's intensely sweet and spicy twists on traditional Thai food. All dishes are elegantly and rather miraculously plated in a tiny, cutaway kitchen that both lights the small room and fills it with aromas of basil, chili, and coconut. The shrimp starter, creatively grilled on a rosemary skewer until its garlic marinade becomes caramelized, pops and crackles with sweet mesquite flavor, while the crispy duck salad contrasts the crumbly, candied-bacon texture of the deep fried duck against the cool crunch of salad veggies and glass noodles. Among entrées, a whole red snapper is served swimming in a sea of red coconut curry sauce so thick with basil, red pepper, and tomatoes, it begs to be licked off the square, neo-Asian plates. Jumbo shrimp sautéed with mushrooms and Asian long beans is a slightly more subtle option, and less likely to overpower a glass of wine from the extensive list. — Keach Hagey

*****

NEW YORK POST blurb:
What exactly is a Thai wine bar? Well, you'll just have to find out for yourself. But even though this bistro/wine bar - which serves up chicken satay and mango pancakes for brunch - is still considered under the radar, it probably won't be for long. When we went to check it out a couple of weekends ago, it was mobbed. Get in while you can.