Galanga Red Curry Chicken...in Cash

Last week, in addition to my cereal-topped Phileo Yogurt, I had dinner with Kimberly and Lindsey at Galanga, a teeny Thai restaurant in the Village. I know, I've been doing a lot of Village-ing, but when you are so close to a neighborhood so fabulous, why wouldn't I? Anyhow, like most Thai restaurants, Galanga is a low priced, cramped tabled casual joint with exposed brick and chairs that make your back and bootie hurt for the rest of the night. Depite those things, all of which are expected at a small Thai place, the food was goooood.

I dined on red curry chicken, one of my favorite Thai dishes. I'm always wary of heat levels in food, especially red curry, I took a chance on this one because...well, I was really, really in the mood for it. Just the right amount of spice and bamboo shoots a plenty made this dish a solid red curry that did not scream 'mass production'. The broth was more brothy and less creamy which hopefully meant a slightly healthier twist (though I'm always a fan of a creamier broth...who wouldn't be?).

My gripe on Galanga, aside from the uncozy seating? Their cash only policy. What up with that? I mean, really...I can swipe my debit card at the local bodega for a $1.50 cup of coffee, but a legit Thai restaurant in the Village is cash only? I don't mean to knock it, since I've been known to have a cash-carrying problem, but still...cash only? What are your thoughts on this? Are you ok with restaurants only accepting cash? Are you happy to pay cash only if it keeps you on a stricter budget? If the food's good enough...does cash only matter?

Fave Foods: Land Serves Up Change-Your-Life Vegetable Dumplings

As part of a new series called Fave Foods, we'll be featuring new, exciting, lesser known foods from around the city that just so happen to be particularly delicious. First up is from my favorite Thai restaurant on the Upper West Side. Though the entire restaurant is so tiny that it only seats about 30 people at a time, Land Thai Kitchen has some of the best Thai food I've had throughout the entire city. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so, as we waited for over an hour for a table. But yes, it's that good. The Land specialty? The vegetable dumplings featuring a mix of vegetables and peanuts, all of which are sweet and savory, are encompassed in a green skin which toes the line of being 'too squishy' yet unbelievably fantastic. But the flavor of the dumpling with soy sauce is really about as good as it gets. Too bad one order only comes with 4 dumplings...I could eat about 100. The best part? One order of veggie dumplings will set you back a mere $6.50 for four. These really are one of my ultimate fave NYC foods.

Featured foods:
Vegetable Dumplings
Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Squid with Garlic Sauce
Shrimp with Garlic Sauce
Thai Iced Coffee