Last month a good friend of mine invited me to head over to Long Beach on Long Island, NY. I had never been, and all in all I really enjoyed myself and catching up with an old friend. After our beach day though we were both a little hungry and he suggested grabbing a bite to eat which I certainly was up for. Knowing that I like Thai food, he suggested Chaba Thai Cuisine which was only a block from where we were on West Park Ave.
Upon entering you’ll find that it is quite small but furnished upscale and contemporary. While seating is small with space for about 20 or so people with both 2 and 4 top table seating it’s actually quite nice and personal. We were welcomed by a friendly attentive staff and seated along the main wall which features a booth the length of the wall.
Having been in the sun for hours I was more than elated to see something that I hadn’t see or tried before and knew it just might quench my thirst: Mint Lemonade! We each ordered one while we looked over the menu, and when they arrived they were amazing. It was a perfect drink to recharge your batteries after a long day in the sun!
The menu, while not extensive pretty much hits every main Thai dish you could want and making substitution requests was not difficult either. I was excited as there were more than a few vegetarian options, most notably for me, fake meat or “mock meat” which is usually made from seitan or soy proteins.
I opted for the Veggie Garden with Vegetarian Duck: Sautéed vegetables, basil, bell peppers in a basil sauce.
My friend apparently opted for his usual, the Papaya salad and the Thai Basil Rolls.
Having both previously been to Thailand, we talked a little about our individual experiences while visiting. We found that we ended up visiting a lot of the same places strangely enough. Obviously, the jumping off point is usually Bangkok but that was followed by heading down to Phuket as well and checking out some of the smaller cities and making our way over to Koi Phi Phi or Koi Samui. We both we passionate about the food and how amazingly welcoming the people were.
Before we knew it our food had arrived and with the first bite you realized it was worth every moment of waiting. While mine was quite hot, the sauce the dish was served in was just amazing and not overpowering with basil which what I had been a bit worried about. It was the perfect harmony of flavors, and best yet was there was not an overflow of any one particular vegetable with often happens in some restaurants. The mock duck meat was made from seitan and was perfectly done and not too loose nor too chewy.
We continued to talk over our food however before I knew it I had eaten everything on my plate including all the rice! We finished up our food and decided that we needed to head back for a nap and then perhaps a stop at Ritas for some shaved ice.
If you happen to be in NYC and craving a beach day, consider heading out to Long Island and Long Beach. It’ very easy to get to, there are trains the operate direct from Penn Station to Long Beach, and before you head back to NYC you can grab a bite a Chaba’s for some amazing Thai food as it’s just across West Park Ave from the Long Beach Long Island Railroad Station! Enjoy!
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