Spicy soup, salads and restless natives at Wondee's in Hackensack

Pla Lard Prig or Deep-Fried Whole Striped Bass with Sweet and Sour Chili Sauce at Wondee's Fine Thai Restaurant in Hackensack.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

In the year or so since Chef Wandee Suwangbutra and husband Tom retired, there have been big and small changes at their popular Thai restaurant in Hackensack.

The biggest, of course, is Chef Air-Arisa Katengamkan, who was only 28 when she took over the restaurant after training by Wandee's side.

Her arrival wasn't announced, but loyal customers noticed changes in the dining room -- first fresh paint, then a new floor and faux-brick wallpaper.

In November, Wondee's (the restaurant's name is spelled differently than the chef's) began to deliver locally for the first time since opening in 1997, announcing the change on Facebook.

On Saturday night, we drove over for dinner, and noticed some smaller portions and slightly higher prices in what remains a moderately priced menu.

The takeout menu also is new.

Still, given the level of preparation, Wondee's remains the best Thai restaurant in Bergen County, if not all of North Jersey.

Restless customers

But the natives are restless.

At the next table, a woman who said she is a long-time customer complained the pork dish she ordered wasn't available, and she said she didn't plan to return.

The restaurant also was out of coconut water, and when we ordered whole fish, the server said there was no wild sea bass or red snapper, only farmed striped bass.

Vegetarian Yom Rod Pedt, above, and Som Thum, below, two salads we've ordered many times, were served on Saturday in smaller portions, and the former is $1 more than before.

Thome Yum Seafood Soup.

Soup, salad and fish

We started with a spicy Thome Yum Seafood, a soup with shrimp, mussel, squid and bay scallops ($4.50 for small); and two Wonton Soups with roast pork and vegetables (also $4.50)

We shared two wonderful salads, vegetarian Yum Rod Pedt, crispy tofu in a dressing of lime juice and chili paste ($11); and Som Thum, fresh green papaya in a spicy dressing with green beans, peanuts, garlic clove, tomato and dried ground shrimp ($8).

Our whole striped bass was deep fried and served in a sweet-and-sour chili sauce for $20, a little more than before.

Chef Air-Arisa

I ate at Wondee's for years before learning anything about Chef Wandee Suwangbutra during an interview for a 2005 newspaper article about Hackensack restaurants.

She opened Wondee's in 1997 after spending 17 years training cooks for new Thai restaurants in Manhattan.

But the new chef/owner lives her life very publicly on Facebook:

Air-Arisa Katengamkan

Wondee's Facebook page

Details

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 201-883-1700.

BYO, parking lot in rear, closed Mondays.

Thai-style shrimp, shrimp and more shrimp at Wondee's in Hackensack

Thome Yum Koong, a spicy shrimp soup, is only one of the dishes made with the popular crustacean at Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles in Hackensack.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I had a one-track mind when we had dinner on Saturday at one of our favorite restaurants, Wondee's in Hackensack.

Shrimp or koong in Thai. In or out of the shell, it didn't matter.

I started with a small bowl of Thome Yum Koong, a spicy shrimp soup with plenty of lemon juice, mushrooms and chili paste ($4).

I usually order a steamed whole fish -- red snapper, sea bass or striped bass -- with chili pepper, garlic and lemon juice.

So, on Saturday, I asked for shrimp made in that style, called Pla Ma Now, instead of Koong Lard Prig, jumbo shrimp topped with a sweet-and-sour chili sauce that we usually order ($17). 

Our third shrimp dish was Pad Suki-Yaki, sauteed bean thread noodles with preserved bean curd and vegetables ($10).

My wife started with a small bowl of Geuw Nam, Wondee's wonton soup with roast pork and vegetables ($3.50), and we shared the two shrimp dishes.

Pla Ma Now made with large shrimp instead of whole fish.

Pad Suki-Yaki is a dish of mildly spicy bean-thread noodles with shrimp, tofu and vegetables.

Wondee's wonton soup is filled with roast pork.

Details

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 201-883-1700. Closed Mondays.

BYO, parking in rear off of Camden Street, takeout but no delivery.

A reinvigorated Wondee's, dayboat seafood at Simply Vietnamese

Air-Arisa Katengamkam, 28, is the new chef at Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, a popular BYO on Main Street in Hackensack. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The new chef at Wondee's in Hackensack continues to spruce up the dining room of the popular Thai restaurant, and turn out the same great food as her predecessor.

In the last 10 years, I've tried only two other Thai restaurants in Bergen County, but I always return to Wondee's, a BYO that has the perfect balance of delicious food and reasonable prices.

Chef Air-Arisa Katengamkam, who trained at the side of Wondee's founder, Chef Wandee Suwangbutra, has mastered all of her specialties, including Ocean of Garlic, a dish of fried seafood paired with a crunchy pickled cabbage salad.

On Saturday, the meat eaters in my family enjoyed a small Wonton Soup with Roast Pork and Vegetables ($3.50), Shrimp Soup with Lemon Juice, Mushrooms and Chili Paste ($4), and an entree of Panang Curry with Pork ($11).

The spicy Shrimp Soup offers classic Thai accents from kaffir lime leaves, galanga (in the ginger family) and lemongrass.

Another change we noticed on Saturday is a new waiter who isn't Thai, a first as far as I know.

At Wondee's, lovers of seafood and fresh garlic rejoice over Ocean of Garlic ($18), which includes shrimp, mussels, squid and bay scallops.

Tod Mun Pla is an appetizer of chewy fried fish cakes served with a ground peanut-and-cucumber chili sauce ($7).

The new chef's version of Som Thum, a fresh, crunchy green papaya salad, includes whole garlic cloves, and a spicy dressing of lemon juice, chili and dried shrimp ($8).

The dining room at Wondee's, a BYO, has received accents of turquoise paint, above and below. Elsewhere, a wall is being prepared for photos.

The menu cover.

Details

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 201-883-1700. Open for lunch and dinner, closed Mondays.

BYO, free parking in rear off of Camden Street, and metered street parking. Takeout, but no delivery. No American Express cards.

See the chef's Facebook page: 

Air-Arisa Katengamkam

See Wondee's Facebook page:

A tradition of great Thai food

Simply Vietnamese

Eric Morris, 34, is trying to bring more attention to the men and women who land wonderful seafood year-round along 130 miles of New Jersey coastline.

He started a wholesale business, Local 130 Seafood, to supply fresh, dayboat fish to markets and up to a dozen restaurants, including Simply Vietnamese in Tenafly, his hometown.

Two Friday nights ago, I enjoyed an extraordinary steak of Jersey shore big-eye tuna that was seared on both sides and served rare over sauteed bok choy.

The special was priced at an appealing $21.95, including brown rice.

When I spoke to Morris on the phone today, he named the fisherman and the day boat that caught the fish I ate, also called ahi tuna.

Fish supplied by Morris usually is available on weekends at Simply Vietnamese.

Our dinner included two appetizers to share, fresh Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp ($10.95), and Summer Rolls with Shrimp ($8.50).

My wife ordered Pho with Beef Balls, the classic anise-flavored Vietnamese noodle soup with its garnish of bean sprouts, lime wedge and fresh cilantro ($12), a meal in itself. 

We also ordered House Noodle Soup with Ribs to go ($12.50).

At Simply Vietnamese, a special of big-eye tuna steak served rare over sauteed bok choy.

Details

Simply Vietnamese, 1 Highwood Ave., Tenafly; 201-568-7770. BYO, free street parking. 

Web site: Fine Vietnamese cuisine

Local 130 Seafood, Somewhere with Fish, New Jersey shore; 201-665-6113.

Web site: Dayboat fish from American fishermen

A new chef at Wondee's Thai restaurant, other Hackensack changes

A new Asian Indian restaurant has opened on Main Street, near Mercer Street, in Hackensack, above, and a Mexican restaurant has taken over the space on Sussex Street, near Main, once occupied by John's Coffee Shop, below. Still, for dinner tonight we returned to Wondee's, one of our all-time favorites, and learned the Thai restaurant has a new owner and a new chef. The food is as good as ever.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

A new owner and chef at Wondee's in Hackensack are behind recent changes in the decor, but tonight we were happy to learn the Thai food is as good as always.

On our last visit in early May -- when we were thrilled to see the old, tattered carpet covering the floor finally had been replaced -- no one told us about the change in ownership and in the kitchen.

Chef Wandee Suwangbutra and husband Tom sold the Main Street restaurant they opened in 1997, and moved their family to South Carolina, a server said.

The new chef is Air-Arisa Cabrera Katengamkam, 28, who learned to cook from working at Wandee's side in the kitchen.

Still best in Bergen

She learned well, because the Green Papaya Salad, Ocean of Garlic and the other dishes we ordered tonight were as good as they've ever been.

And that will allow Wondee's to hold onto the unofficial title of best Thai restaurant in Bergen County.

The new floor and wallpaper at Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, above and below.

Som Thum, a fresh green papaya salad, has always been my favorite Thai dish ($8). The crunchy green fruit, string beans, tomatoes and peanuts swim in a spicy dressing of lemon juice, chili and ground dried shrimp.

An appetizer of Tofu Tod is fried tofu served with a sweet chili sauce and ground peanuts ($7).

Ocean of Garlic, one of Chef Wandee's specialties, is as special as ever, combining deep fried seafood, minced fresh garlic and black pepper (shrimp, mussels, bay scallops and squid) with a crunchy pickled salad ($18 with a small bowl of white rice).

Geuw Nam, wonton soup with pork and fresh cilantro ($3.50 for small, $9 for large).

Wondee's is a BYO.

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 201-883-1700.

Open for lunch and dinner; closed Mondays. Takeout, but no delivery. BYO, parking in rear off of Camden Street. American Express cards not accepted. 

Wondee's -- Bergen County's best Thai restaurant -- gets a new floor

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles on Main Street in Hackensack.

Editor's note: What I thought was a technical problem with my smart-phone camera, which was producing gauzy photos, turned out to be a dirty lens. But I am still have periodic trouble uploading images to my computer via Google+.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I chuckle when I see an article or review of a new Thai restaurant in Bergen County, and just turn the page.

Chef Wandee Suwangbutra remains at the top of her game in the kitchen of Wondee's, which she and husband Tom opened in 1997 on Main Street in Hackensack.

But in recent years, the rented space fell into disrepair, especially the dark-blue dining room carpet.

Tonight, when I walked in the back door off of the parking lot, I immediately saw that a new dark-wood floor had finally replaced the dirty, worn and torn carpet, which was patched with tape in places.

Our server said the new floor was installed about two weeks ago.

Wondee's has a full menu of fresh whole fish, seafood, pork, chicken, beef, noodles and soups, and spiciness can be varied.

But don't make the mistake of asking Wandee to prepare your food "Extremely Spicy."

The new wood floor at Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles in Hackensack.

An appetizer of Tofu Tod, deep-fried tofu served with a sweet chili sauce and ground peanuts ($7).

A new item, Shrimp Spring Rolls, were beautifully fried ($5.50). I also had a small bowl of Thome Yum Koong, a spicy shrimp-and-mushroom soup flavored with lemon juice, chili paste, kaffir lime leaves, galanga and lemon grass ($4).

A vegetarian selection is Yum Rod Pedt, a salad of crispy tofu served with shredded carrot, onion, orange and apple in lime juice and a mildly spicy chili paste ($10).

Details

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main Street, Hackensack; 201-883-1700. Open for lunch and dinner, closed Mondays.

BYO, free parking in rear off of Camden Street. Take-out, but no delivery. No American Express cards.

At BCD in Fort Lee, the soft tofu in that spicy soup is 100% organic

A large green-lipped mussel emerging from the Seafood Tofu Soup at the popular BCD Tofu House in Fort Lee.

A beautifully battered and fried yellow croaker is the standout among the complimentary side dishes served at BCD Tofu House, an international chain based in South Korea. The others are excellent cabbage kimchi, spicy raw squid and iced sour pickle slices any Jewish deli would be proud of.

Editor's note: Calling all garlic lovers. On Friday, we stopped at BCD Tofu House in Fort Lee for a belly busting lunch, and on Saturday, we had dinner at Wondee's in Hackensack, our favorite Thai restaurant, where we tried to ignore the tattered carpet.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I absolutely love the food and service at BCD Tofu House in Fort Lee, but could do without the crowds and the wait for a table.

Having said that, I always look for an excuse to eat there, as I did on Friday afternoon, when I was returning from taking photos of an Edgewater apartment building that was destroyed by fire.

My visits have been infrequent since the restaurant was recommended to me in 2012, but this time, I immediately noticed the place-mat menu declaring only 100% organic tofu is used in the signature soup.

The menu also notes prices have stayed the same now that House Foods-brand organic tofu has been added.

Tofu is made from soybeans, one of the major crops that are being genetically modified. 

Organic tofu is GMO free as are some non-organic tofus that carry a seal from the Non GMO Project, including the House Foods Firm Tofu sold at Costco Wholesale.

On Friday afternoon, the restaurant was packed when we arrived around 1:30, but we got a table in about 5 minutes.

I ordered Seafood Tofu Soup, my wife had Pork Tofu Soup, both prepared "Hot," and we shared a Seafood Pancake.

BCD prices

BCD's Tofu Soup or Soondubu Jjigae is $10.99 at lunch (10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and $12.99 at dinner, including six side dishes, steamed white or brown rice and a fresh egg to crack open and poach in the bubbling broth.

That's a dollar or two more than So Gong Dong in Palisades Park, our usual go-to place, but BCD serves more free side dishes and the quality of seafood used in the soup is superior.

One of those free side dishes is a beautifully fried small fish, a yellow croaker, that is so good I ate the whole thing, including the head.

So Gong Dong has nothing like it.

The range of spiciness available at BCD are Plain, Mild, Regular, Hot and Danger. Tofu Soup is one of the world's great comfort foods.

BCD, an international chain based in South Korea, also has a more extensive menu of such traditional favorites as stone-bowl bibimbap, spicy raw crab, pork belly and cold noodles called naegmyun.

The complete Tofu Soup meal served at BCD Tofu House is the best in North Jersey. Now, if they only took reservations.

 

Two of the complimentary side dishes at BCD Tofu House are slices of fried tofu, front, and marinated green beans and mushrooms. The Haemul Pajeon or Korean Seafood Pancake, below, serves four, and we took home leftovers ($8.99).

Seafood Soondubu is $10.99 at lunch.

BCD Tofu House has a playroom for children that parents can monitor from the dining room. 

A takeout order of Pork Soondubu included a fried yellow croaker, above, and Chinese broccoli and bean sprouts, photos below.

Inspired by our delicious lunch at BCD Tofu House, I made Tofu Soup at home on Saturday, using ground red pepper, roasted black sesame seeds, Pulmone-brand Tofu Broth Seasoning and, from Costco, organic chicken stock, firm tofu, and skinless and boneless hake fillets.

BCD Tofu House, 1640 Schlosser St., Fort Lee, hidden away in Fort Lee Towne Center, a small shopping center with a Korean bakery, gym and other businesses; 201-944-2340.

Web site: A dish loved the world over

Ocean of Garlic at Wondee's in Hackensack combines deep-fried shrimp, squid, small scallops and mussels sauteed with black pepper and minced fresh garlic and served with pickled cabbage and other vegetables ($18).

At Wondee's, focus on food

I've always judged restaurants by food and then service, because you can't eat the wallpaper.

At Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, the food and service are still great nearly 18 years after Chef Wandee Suwangbutra opened on Main Street in Hackensack.

I have to just keep on reminding myself I can't eat the carpet at my favorite Thai restaurant.

The restaurant's floor is raised in the back so you have to step up, if you enter through the door off of the rear parking lot.

Then, the floor slopes in places and is flat in the front, but the carpet throughout is worn, faded and crudely patched with tape.

The chairs also have seen better days. The interior is a liability lawsuit waiting to happen.

Two favorites

Wandee is at the top of her game, especially when preparing two of my favorites, Ocean of Garlic and the classic Green Papaya Salad.

The seafood in the Ocean of Garlic is deep-fried, but not greasy, and tender, and I love the contrast with the crunchy pickled vegetables.

The Green Papaya Salad is served over a large romaine lettuce leaf so you can tear some off, wrap up the crunchy strands and pop them into your mouth. 

Now, if only Wandee's landlord could invest in a new carpet for the restaurant, loyal customers like me can focus completely on the wonderful Thai food.

Thai Fried Rice is made with shrimp, pork, egg, scallions and bell pepper ($10.50)

Som Thum or fresh Green Papaya Salad packs plenty of crunch and plenty of heat from chili peppers ($8).

Geuw Nam or Wonton Soup with roast pork and vegetables ($3.50 for small).

Coconut Juice with pulp ($3).

Wondee's is a BYO.

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 201-883-1700. BYO, parking in rear, no delivery. Closed Mondays.

In an informal taste test, Wondee's Thai food beats Bangkok Garden

Compare Som Thum, a fresh green papaya salad, at Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles on Main Street in Hackensack, above, and a takeout version from rival Bangkok Garden Thai Restaurant on the next block, below.

The strands of papaya are thinner in the Bangkok Garden salad, and the taste doesn't match that of Wondee's salad.

Wondee's Thom Yum Koong, a spicy soup, above, has more shrimp and mushrooms than Bangkok Garden's takeout version, and the broth tastes cleaner. 

Bangkok Garden says it was the first Thai restaurant in Bergen County when it opened 25 years ago in January. Today, the dining room, compared to Wondee's, is beautifully decorated and in beautiful shape, above. The restaurant also has a full bar. 

Wondee's is a BYO that opened in 1997, and its dining room is much smaller than Bangkok Garden's, and in poor shape, with torn carpet and an uneven floor raised above pipes. This summer, fresh paint on the walls and ceiling helped a little, but the restaurant is in desperate need of a complete makeover.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The waitress at Bangkok Garden Thai Restaurant asked me to sit at an empty table while I was waiting for my takeout order on Saturday afternoon.

I looked at the polished wood floor, the tablecloths and the elaborate Thai decorations, and then thought of the shabby interior of Wondee's on the next block, where I've enjoyed wonderful Thai meals for more than a dozen years.

But when I got the two dishes home and tasted them, I knew why I was the kind of customer who doesn't judge a restaurant by its decor.

Bangkok Garden's green papaya salad seemed to have all of the right ingredients, but the portion was smaller and the taste was off.

The broth of the shrimp-and-mushroom soup, made with lemon juice and chili paste, also tasted odd, as if it had been sweetened. 

The soup also didn't have as much shrimp or mushrooms as Wondee's version, which I order every time I eat there.

Bangkok Garden's prices also are higher than Wondee's.

Like I said, you can't eat the wallpaper.


Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 1-201-883-1700. BYO, rear parking lot. Closed Mondays.

Bangkok Garden Thai Restaurant, 261 Main St., Hackensack; 1-201-487-2620. Full bar, rear parking in metered lot. Open 7 days.