Bangkok Boulevard - Hamden, CT

A few months ago I and Hamden residents who passed Whitney Avenue may have noticed that Bubba's BBQ closed (formerly Griff's Chicken Shack). 

When I saw signs that a new Thai restaurant was opening I was so excited because I love Thai food and since Dusitra in North Haven closed I haven't been able to find one that I enjoy in the area. 

Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Sauce for Appetizers

As soon as it opened we went in for dinner. When I walked in I was amazed with its transformation. If you hadn't been to Griff's Chicken shack or Bubba's BBQ then you can't appreciate the transformation that the owners of Bangkok Boulevard have made in there.

Previously, the place had green painted walls, TVs blaring, and there was something about it that made me uninvited. Bangkok Blvd completely changed that; it feels completely inviting.

They painted the walls, added booths, new chairs, tables, new lighting. It looks wonderfully different and fresh from the previous two establishments. I completely forgot what had existed there before.

I did notice that their music choice of pop was up a little loud and I was hoping to hear Thai music. I noticed someone else wrote that in a review recently, and since that review was posted they now have Thai music playing. I love that they listened to that customer and are receptive to their customer's opinions. The staff are all so kind, attentive, and helpful.

Now, let's talk about their food, which is absolutely delicious, I must say.  I have returned numerous times for their lunch boxes, their dinners, and always try something new and I have not been disappointed once.

Bangkok Dumplings

We always start with some iced or hot green tea (be warned it's very hot) and some appetizers. We have tried the Chicken Satay and Bangkok dumplings and both have been excellent. The Chicken Satay is consistently good each time we go. It is juicy and not over cooked and you must put the peanut sauce on it. You will thank me later.

Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Each of the chicken dishes, and I have had several, come with a nicely blended sauce that is not too overwhelming and not at all salty, which is great because many Asian restaurants will over use salt.

Bangkok Boulevard's sauces are just right.

Duck Noodle Soup

I never had duck soup before and I was intrigued one afternoon for lunch when I couldn't decide what to get. There are so many choices, so I just randomly picked the first thing I saw. I wasn't disappointed. If you like duck, you definitely need to have this soup, but I recommend it on a nice cold day in the fall and winter.

Beef with Macadamia in a crispy house made tortilla shell.

One of our dinner guests enjoyed this Beef with Macadamia. He describes it as a "Thai enchilada without the guilt." Whatever that may mean, but he thoroughly enjoyed it and enjoyed breaking the crispy shell and dipping it into all our sauces.

Lunch Box with Chicken and Peanut Sauce

As shown above, their lunch boxes are reasonably price and you get a lot of food. You will receive a salad with peanut sauce, 2 spring rolls, rice, and your entree of choice. I ordered chicken with peanut sauce for this lunch special and I loved it.

Bangkok Fried Rice

I love fried rice, so I naturally ordered it and this one comes with currents, baby corn, peas, and eggs. It was one of the best fried rices I had in a while.

I am so happy this place is in Hamden. I highly recommend trying Bangkok Boulevard, it has a great atmosphere, wonderful and attentive service, and the food is delicious and fresh. 

One quick note is that Mikro is their neighbor, so as you might imagine, parking in the front is not an option unless its lunch time. But there is plenty of parking in the back.

Bangkok Boulevard is located at 3000 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT. You can call them at (203)288-9998 and visit their website for their full menu: http://www.bangkok-blvd.com/

Also, if you check-in using the Yelp app you will receive 10% off your meal, just show them when you are finished with your meal.

Midori in Hamden - Korean and Japanese

Chicken Ramen Soup

Midori Restaurant is located in Hamden on Whitney Avenue, next door to Everyday Gourmet and Mikro. Though, it's small in size, don't let that fool you, it has a big menu of delicious Japanese and Korean food.

The couple who own the restaurant are so sweet, friendly, and are always smiling. As soon as you walk in you feel at ease and comfortable.

I have been there several times for lunch and dinner and I have ordered quite a bit of different items from the menu.

For appetizers I recommend either the Chicken Gang Jung or the Bimbim Mandoo. The best way I can describe Chicken Gang Jung are like little spicy chicken nuggets and they are delicious. The Bimbim Mandoo are dumplings with fried pork that have a spicy kick. Want something not spicy? I recommend their handmade spring rolls (they are not fried) and filled of veggies.

For entrees I have ordered the Midori Udon soup. This is not like any typical soup at a restaurant, this can feed a small army and I naturally I ate it all and was full the entire day. It was so delicious. It has udon noodles and an array of vegetables like bok choy and ginger. I had a terrible cold one day and stopped by to pick this up to go and it was exactly what I needed.

My partner got the Beef Bolgogi, as shown in the below photos, which is marinated steak with onions. Bolgogi is one of my favorite entrees to get, you must try it, you won't regret the tender and marinated meat. All entrees come with either salad or miso soup.

My go to is the Chicken Ramen soup, which is one of their specialties and it is delicious.

They have great sushi and lunch specials. If you haven't tried it, please stop by, it's a hidden gem in Hamden. 

Midori Restaurant

3000 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, Connecticut 06518

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/midorirestaurant 

Dusitra (North Haven, CT)

Update: Now closed as of August 2013. A new Thai Restaurant opened in it's place and I was hoping it would be the same, but unfortunately it was not. I ordered take out and ordered two entrees, when I got home there was no rice for the entrees and the food was over salted. I miss Dusitra.

Just a little outside of Hamden, we found Dusitra in North Haven on Washington Street which serves Thai.

We went late in the afternoon on a Saturday and it was just the two of us. We were greeted by a friendly waiter.

The menu is large and has many choices. Each item on the menu has a detailed explanation and small chili peppers next to the hot and spicy items. But all dishes can be made spicy or not spicy.

For appetizers we ordered crab rangoon, which I cannot find a place in Connecticut that makes them homemade, most places I visit are bright yellow and you can tell they were bought frozen,  but this place definitely makes them and we ordered satay chicken which came with peanut sauce and cucumber relish.

For drinks we both ordered Thai iced teas, which are non-alcoholic, they came with roses made out of straw, and they were delicious. If you don't know Thai iced tea is black tea, orange blossom water, sugar, and it is mixed with condensed milk, which gives it a beautiful ombre.

For entrees I ordered Thai Fried Rice with chicken, and it is mixed with onions, scallions, green peas, tomatoes, and egg. And my partner ordered the Hot Basil, which is stir-fried with onions, mushrooms, peppers, basil and spicy Thai sauce.

The waiter indicated that at this establishment they have 5 level of spice, and my partner decided to go with a level 4, we like it hot.

Everything we tried tasted fresh and delicious and Dusitra has quickly become my favorite place to dine.

If I haven't mentioned this yet, I should mention I am a bit finicky. I expect good service, a clean establishment, and that the food taste amazing, fresh and light. And this place has met my expectations each time. I have glanced in the kitchen and have found the floors and tables immaculately clean. Additionally, I have a bit of a weak stomach, if food is too greasy, to oily, not cooked well, or not fresh, I get sick right away.

And like most people, I also have a MSG sensitivity. My reaction to MSG is immediate,  I can't breathe very well, my face becomes bright red, my blood pressure rises, and a list of other things. And I can proudly say that never happens here.

Since our first visit, we have returned many times, and we try something new each time, I have tried the Drunken Noodles,  Ramada, Cashew Nuts, Gra-Pow, and the Sizzling (Chef's Special) and each time we have not been disappointed, but glad we found a place we can always go back to.

For dessert we have tried their Fried Bananas and Fried Ice Cream. Both can be shared with someone else. The Fried Ice Cream comes in Vanilla or Chocolate, and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Both delicious.

You must try Dusitra.

Located:

369 Washington Ave.

North Haven, CT. 06473

Tel (203) 239-2232

http://www.dusitra.net/