Holy Basil

Swimster's friend from school Mr.T was celebrating his birthday last Wednesday and a big group of us went out to celebrate. For the occasion, he picked one of his favorite Thai places, Holy Basil, in the East Village.

Wednesday was my Sunday and I finally made my mind up to spend a good portion of the day writing. I've been meaning to start a novel for some time now. It's a matter of me sitting down and banging it out, in addition to a lot of other factors, but I will work those out at a much later date. I love writing but sometimes I don't have the discipline to sit in front of a computer on the fleeting moments I'm not at work, since from 11-8pm all day everyday I'm in front of a computer. I will just have to remind myself that what I'm doing on my laptop at home is for my self-fulfillment and will be more gratifying to me in the future then the stuff I'm currently doing at work.

I found a Starbucks on the same corner as the restaurant and sat there for a couple of hours before getting the call. "We just got here, come on up!" Packing up my wires, closing my trusty laptop, tossing the remains of the decaf ice coffee, and freeing up a table for a loud family of five, I was on my way.

Holy Basil is up a small staircase off of Second Avenue. The awning with the big letters "Holy Basil" is the only way you'd think to go up the stairs. It looks like an apartment or brownstone entrance. Silly me, I thought the restaurant's name was supposed to be funny, as in "Holy Smokes!" After some research, I learned that holy basil is actually a type of basil with a slightly peppery taste. The herb's flavor is fully released after cooking so it is generally not eaten raw, but added to stir-fried dishes and some spicy soups. Holy basil is a sacred herb in India where it is frequently planted around Hindu shrines.

The restaurant is one long narrow room, roughly the size of a six-lane swimming pool, and has high ceilings and walls decked in long paintings and mirrors. With its Buddha statues and long wiry plants it feels as if you've stepped off Second Avenue and into a dark wooden temple. The small bar is immediately to your right and I followed the trail of peanuts to the back table, where the Peanut Gallery was already happy and seated.

I spoke with a friend at work who scoured my blog for the first time and she had one recommendation, posting pricetags on the meals I eat, so readers have an idea of how expensive a place is. Holy Basil's prices were really reasonable and I figured this would be a perfect place to start with prices.

For appetizers Swimster ordered a few dishes for the table: satay-strips of grilled marinated chicken with peanut sauce and cucumber salad($6.50) , duck spring rolls served with tomato chili sauce ($6.50), steamed dumplings filled with minced pork, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms with a tangy soy sauce ($6.50), and thanks to Mr. T's recommendation, we ordered the papaya salad which was shredded green papaya, dried shrimp, peanuts, palm sugar, tomatoes, and chili pepper in a mortar with lime juice ($6). Did you get all that? The grilled chicken was soft and tender, and not too overcooked. The peanut sauce was a little bland, but the tiny cucumber salad (more of a light vinaigrette than a salad) made up for it. The steamed dumplings were neat little mushy boxes of goodness. The duck spring rolls were a perfect thin size and the best appetizer on the table. They reminded me of Mexican flautas. They were sliced in halves and the tender slivers of duck were oozing out, ready to be grabbed up by eager fingers around the table. The papaya salad was like a Thai cole slaw. I didn't get a lot of it since it was such a hot item, but the spoonful I did snag was fresh and crisp and very pleasing-a perfect light summery snack.

(*Doesn't it look like the sun was sitting right next to Swimster? I apologize for the blinding picture of his entree.)

For the entrees, Swimster tried the shrimp and scallops with panang curry, coconut milk, and string beans ($15). I tried the pra ram long song (I'd like to hear all of you pronounce that out loud) or sliced beef cooked in peanut sauce and red curry with steamed Asian vegetables ($9). CactusLadka next to me ordered pla laad preeg or whole crispy striped bass in Thai red chili sauce with holy basil leaves($16). My sliced beef gets an A for presentation (I tried taking pictures but my camera has seen better days), but the beef was a little bit too chewy and there wasn't enough peanut sauce on it. I should have asked for a side of the peanut sauce, now that I think of it. Swimster likes meals light on the sauce but sadly, I prefer a lot, especially when it comes to peanut sauce. Swimster's shrimp and scallops dish was also excellent in its presentation. Judging by how quickly he shoveled it in, it was clearly a winner in taste as well. I'm not a huge scallop fan but I did try the shrimp and thought the curry was perfect-not too heavy, not too light- and not overly greasy like what you find at some places. CactusLadka's fish was another beautiful dish, if you don't mind having a whole fish with skin and eyes and fangs on your plate. I tried one piece, after he had removed some of the skin, and really liked the light soft fish with the red chili sauce. It was a kind of chili relish and I could have eaten a whole bowl of it. If it weren't for the whole fish, I would order this the next time.

The service was excellent, and as you have just read the food was fun and festive, perfect for a birthday group occasion. And I just gave it away, there will be a next time at Holy Basil.

149 2nd Avenue, between 9th and 10th
212-460-5557