After dinner at Sushi of Gari, Lisa and I met up with Marcus at Kittichai in SoHo, located at the Thompson Hotel, for drinks. Lisa had raved about the cocktails at Kittichai, so I thought what better place for my best friend to finally meet my boyfriend than a place that has delicious cocktails!
The bar area of Kittichai has a "first come, first served" policy, and luckily, the lounge area of the bar was available, so the three of us sat down and checked out the cocktail list. I checked for reservations at the restaurant just in case, and as there were no available reservations until 10:30, bar lounge it was. As a side note, the restaurant is named Kittichai after its chef, Ian Chalermkittichai.
The bar area of Kittichai has a "first come, first served" policy, and luckily, the lounge area of the bar was available, so the three of us sat down and checked out the cocktail list. I checked for reservations at the restaurant just in case, and as there were no available reservations until 10:30, bar lounge it was. As a side note, the restaurant is named Kittichai after its chef, Ian Chalermkittichai.
Lisa had the pear almond martini (left), I had the lychee martini (middle), and Marcus had the pineapple caipirinha (right). From what I remember, Lisa's martini had Bartlett pear purée, a splash of almond flavor (maybe an amaretto?) and vodka! The almond's nutty flavor mixed in with the subtle sweetness of the pear made for mild cocktail. My martini had lychee-flavored vodka, a little lychee juice, and lychee-flavored liquer along with an actual lychee fruit on a cocktail pick. Marcus's caipirinha had pineapple juice, cachaça (i.e., a liquor made from fermented sugarcane), sugar, and lime. It also had the extra bonus of a mini sugarcane!
Findings: Kittichai is a great place to have a cocktail or two with friends before going out for the night. It's a relaxed atmosphere, and the music is pretty upbeat and lounge-y, but not crazy enough to be classified as dance club music. The interior design is very earthy, South Asian-inspired, adding another layer to the overall experience at Kittichai. What I like about the cocktails at Kittichai is that they have a favorable alcohol-to-mixer ratio--the alcohol isn't strong enough to overpower the flavors of the fruit, herbs, and other flavorings, yet these other mixer ingredients didn't water down the liquor. The cost of these well-made cocktails are on the pricier side, but you'll be guaranteed a nicely mixed drink to start your night off right!
Price point: $15 for each cocktail.
--February 25, 2011
Kittichai
Thompson Hotel
60 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012
http://www.kittichairestaurant.com
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