FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 22, 2017 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 65
dining out
A taste of Thailand
in Elmhurst
BY JOE DISTEFANO
Dek Sen is the newest entrant in
Elmhurst’s vibrant Little Bangkok. Dek
means child and sen means noodle. Put
them together though and it’s “more like
a young child with connections from
their parents . . . like gangster style,” says
the restaurant’s manager Tara Atthakorn
whose husband Wirot “Ex” Sirimatrasit
and mother-in-law Ramphai Rinnasa run
the kitchen.
Yum Dek Sen ($11.95), one of Rinnasa’s
specialties, elevates humble Mama brand
instant noodles by mixing them with
squid, shrimp, minced pork, and two
types of fi sh balls. Served warm the whole
lot is dressed in a chili lime sauce. Tub
wann ($7.95), a heap of gently cooked
pork liver, sings with lime, chili, mint
and a toasty nuttiness that comes from
crunchy roasted rice powder. Th e name
means “sweet liver,” a reference to the
mellow fl avor of the lightly cooked organ
meat. All of the salads pair well with sticky
rice. Tear off a bit with your hand and
dredge it through the kicky marinade.
Th ai noodle shops allow one to choose
the type of noodles and so does Dek Sen.
Choose rice, fl at, angel hair, egg, instant,
or vermicelli noodles to pair with one of
the six soups, including nam tok neua
($10.95), which features tender bits of
beef in a broth that’s been enriched with
pork blood.
Among the appetizers is moo ping
Brooklyn ($6.95) savory pork skewers
that are also great with sticky rice.
Th e dish’s name has less to do with the
County of Kings and more to do with
family connections. Th e recipe comes
from Atthakorn’s aunt, whose daughter is
named Brooklyn. Along side this decidedly
Th ai starter there’s a dish more commonly
associated with American Chinese
restaurants, crab rangoon ($6.95). When
asked why such a dish is appearing on
such an authentic Th ai menu Chef Ex said
simply, “My Mom really likes to eat it.”
Despite the gangster reference, the only
connection the folks at Dek Sen have is
Phonthip Th ongbunchoo, the mother of
one of the cooks who lives in Th ailand.
She ships them homemade royal shrimp
paste for use in the Phuket chili fried rice
($15.95). Th e dish features a whole fried
mackerel, soft boiled egg, and steamed
cabbage. Th ink of the rice, stained a
ruddy color from the shrimp paste as a
Southeast Asian version of cajun dirty
rice but with a distinct chili kick and
whole dried shrimp.
Desserts include several elaborate
crepe cakes. Th ey’re lovely and highly
Instagrammable, particularly the rainbow
one. One of the best sweets is decidedly
more traditional, a scoop of coconut ice
cream over warm sticky rice topped with
roasted peanuts.
Dek Sen, 86-08 Whitney Ave., Elmhurst,
718-205-5181
Best Dishes: Moo ping Brooklyn (pork
skewers , $6.95), yum dek sen ($11.95),
tub wann ($7.95), nam tok neua ($10.95)
Tip : Th ere’s no need to order your food
“Th ai spicy,” avail yourself of the khruang
phrung, a caddy of four jars: sugar,
crushed roastec chilies, pickled chilies,
and chilies in fi sh sauce to adjust the fl avor
of your dish.
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