Please note that the meal was complimentary. However, the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!

Hidden in a paved street of Soho, Kelley and Ping is a surprising find in an area crowded with tourists from all over the world. We went there last Friday, after receiving an invitation from the restaurant and I was definitely curious to try their pan-Asian dishes, some of them being inspired by street food. Entering there is like stepping into another world and forgetting that you are in Manhattan. The decor for sure cannot be unnoticed, especially one of the walls of the main dining room, with its large heads that definitely dominate the room, but not in a freaky way.

In the back, next to the windows, some soldiers that look like the one from Emperor Qin in Xian, China, add even more to the Asian theme.

Decor at Kelley and Ping in Greenwich Village

At lunch, this eatery is a self-service, but at night, it is a full service restaurant with a nice and trendy atmosphere, music playing in the background. Menu wise, the main specialties seem to be Thai, but I was surprised to see Korean dishes (Bulgogi) or Chinese (Kung Pao chicken). We started our meal by ordering some drinks. Thai iced tea for Jodi:

Tamarind Whiskey Sour (made with Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, tamarind and honey) for me. I liked that drink that was sweet and sour, with each ingredient coming through and not being overpowered by too much whiskey.

For appetizers, we tried:

Yasai Bento: a bento box composed of vegetable dumplings, crispy tofu, edamame and sticky rice). I thought it was a great idea to propose a sampler and the presentation in a bento box was on point. Everything there was quite good, especially the dumplings and crispy tofu.

Spring Rolls: fried vegetable rolls with a sweet and sour Sauce. the rolls were quite good, slightly greasy as expected (not a bad thing for this type of food), crispy, with the shell being perfect, not too thick.

Spring rolls at Kelley and Ping in Greenwich Village

Thai Satay (marinated grilled chicken skewers with peanut sauce): I admit that, although it looked good with the marking of the grill, I found the chicken a bit dry...

Thai satay at Kelley and Ping in Greenwich Village

For the entrees, we shared:

Pad Sew Yew made of fresh rice noodles with chicken, vegetables and dark soy:

Pad See Yew at Kelley and Ping in Greenwich Village

Chu Chee Salmon that is a wok-fired filet of salmon with red curry and kaffir lime leaves:

Chu Chee salmon at Kelley and Ping in Greenwich Village

And a side of Tom Yum fried rice (they give the choice of Jasmine or brown rice and we chose the latter):

Tom Yum fried rice at Kelley and Ping in Greenwich Village

My favorite was definitely the salmon that was perfectly cooked, moist and flakey with a nice caramelized top. I would go back just for this! Good also was the fried rice that I never had before with brown rice, adding a bit of bite to the whole dish.

For dessert, we tried the mochi ice cream:

Mochi ice cream at Kelley and Ping in Greenwich Village

as well as fried banana served with a creamy coconut ice cream.

My favorite for this course was the fried banana that was perfectly made, the banana being ripe and the shell delightfully crispy.

We had a nice dinner there and I liked the atmosphere of the place that has been around for more than 20 years. If you decide to go, make sure you order the salmon though! I would...

Kelley and Ping

127 Greene Street, New York, NY10012

Enjoy (I did)!

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Kelley and Ping in Greenwich Village - Closed

I Just Want To Eat!