Thai Massaman Curry in Midtown East, NYC
MASSAMAN CURRY
Massaman is the gentlest of the Thai curries and one of the most fragrant. Coconut milk is simmered with potatoes, onion, and roasted peanuts and cashews in a curry paste warmed with cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise. It is the curry we suggest first to anyone new to Thai food.
The dish has Persian roots that reached Thailand along the southern trade routes, which is why it tastes different from every other curry on the menu: richer, sweeter, and spiced more like a slow stew than a stir-fry. A little tamarind keeps all that richness in check.
Choose chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu. It comes mild, which is the traditional way, so it is a safe pick for kids and for anyone shy about heat. Peanuts and cashews are part of the dish, so tell your server about any nut allergy.
Order a side of roti with it. The flaky flatbread was made for dragging through this sauce. If massaman becomes your favorite, the Frenched lamb chop massaman is the same curry taken up a level, and panang is its bolder cousin.
We are on 2nd Ave at 34th Street in Murray Hill, about a five-minute walk from Grand Central. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, for dine-in or takeout.
See prices and photos on the menu, reserve a table on Resy, or call (917) 464-5585. 625 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10016.
