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. 

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.

Great Thai food in a familiar -- but worn -- setting close to home

At Wondee's in Hackensack, Pla Ning is a steamed whole fish smothered in mushrooms, ginger, celery, onion and pickled mustard greens, all served on a hot plate ($18).

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The dining room at Wondee's in Hackensack got a little fresh paint this summer, but other problems with the dated decor remain at what I consider the best Thai restaurant in North Jersey.

Chef Wandee Suwangbutra is still at the top of her game, as the great food shows, and her prices can't be beat. 

Wondee's charges $18 for a whole fish that would cost well north of $20 anywhere else.

Down the street at Bangkok Garden Thai Restaurant, a whole fish is listed online for $28.95. 

Wondee's is a BYO, Bangkok Thai has a liquor license. 

My favorite seafood dish at Wondee's is Ocean of Garlic ($18). The beautifully fried shrimp, squid, scallops and mussels are tender, grease-less and studded with garlic. Cutting the richness of the dish is a crunchy salad of pickled cabbage and carrots, and there is lettuce for wrapping the seafood, if that's how you want to eat it.

Torn carpet, uneven floor

On Saturday night, we were seated at a table on the raised floor, which apparently covers pipes, near the kitchen doors.

I had to be careful in placing my chair's rear legs away from a ramp that meets the floor in the front part of the dining room.

The dining room is clean, but the carpet is torn in places and patched with tape, and I noticed that one of the seats at a table across the way was stained.

Loyal customers who use the rear parking lot know enough to step up onto the raised floor when they enter and down when they leave.

Wandee rents the space she calls Wondee's (she spells her name with an "a").

Then food arrived

But when the food began to arrive, I stopped thinking about the decor, poured the Guinness Draught I brought with me and dug in.

First, I enjoyed a bracing soup with chili paste, lemon juice, mushrooms and crunchy shrimp called Thome Yum Koong.

My entree was Ocean of Garlic, which has become my favorite seafood dish at Wondee's.

Other members of the family had wonton soup, and shared a whole sea bass and Pineapple Fried Rice.

Pineapple Fried Rice includes shrimp, chicken and Thai sausage ($11).

I used a spoon to bring up shrimp and mushrooms from Thome Yum Koong, a spicy soup made with lemon juice, chili paste, kaffir lime leaves, galanga and lemongrass ($4 for a small bowl).

The meat eaters in the family always order Geuw Nam or wonton soup with roasted pork and vegetables ($3.50).

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

At Wondee's: A little fresh paint, same great food

Ocean of Garlic is a wonderful marriage of tender seafood, minced garlic and a crunchy cabbage salad at Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles in Hackensack ($18).

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

In the more than three months since our last visit, I've missed the wonderfully exotic Thai food at Wondee's in Hackensack.

On Saturday night, I dove into an Ocean of Garlic and made good use of a cloth napkin to cope with my reaction to the spicy, fresh green-papaya salad and shrimp-and-mushroom soup.

The meat eaters in my family enjoyed Geuw Nam, wonton soup with roast pork and vegetables ($3.50); Thai Fried Rice, and Ka-Na Moo Grob, stir-fried crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli.

No meal at Wondee's would be complete without two spicy dishes, Som Thum, a fresh, crunchy green-papaya salad ($8), above, and Thome Yum Koong, a shrimp soup with mushrooms ($4), below.

Beautifully fried seafood

Ocean of Garlic contains plump mussels, tender bay scallops, shrimp and squid, all beautifully fried and coated with minced fresh garlic and black pepper.

The grease-less seafood was served on top of red-leaf lettuce leaves and accompanied by a crunchy cabbage salad in a tart dressing. Just perfect.

I wanted to finish the dish, and didn't have any white rice.

Thai Fried Rice includes shrimp, pork, egg and onion ($10.50).

Ka-Na Moo Grob is stir-fried crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli ($11).

Sweetened coconut juice is served with fresh coconut meat.

Dessert is available.

Some of the walls in the restaurant were brightly painted and the drop ceiling was done over in black. The dining room of rival Bangkok Garden in Hackensack is fancier, but the prices are higher and the food isn't the equal of the dishes turned out by Chef Wandee Suwangbutra.

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 201-883-1700. BYO, metered street parking until 6 p.m., except Sundays, and rear parking lot off of Camden Street. Closed Mondays.

Garlic lovers are flocking to Wondee's in Hackensack

Ocean of Garlic is an apt description for this wonderful seafood entree at Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles in Hackensack, above and below.

Minced fresh garlic and black pepper clinging to shrimp, scallops, squid and mussels. I didn't eat the rice that came with the dish, but still took home leftovers.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

In more than 15 years of loyalty to the wonderful Thai food at Wondee's in Hackensack, I got into a rut.

I always ordered Thome Yum Koong, a spicy soup with lemon, shrimp and mushrooms, and Som Thum, the refreshingly fresh green-papaya salad.

They were followed by Pla Ma Now, a steamed whole fish with chili pepper, garlic and lemon juice, served on a fish-shaped, heated metal dish.

Branching out

Now, I'm exploring the extensive menu and, on Saturday night, I hit the garlic lover's jackpot:

Ocean of Garlic, a delightful platter of fried seafood, with a salad of pickled cabbage and carrots on the side, and a small bowl of white rice ($18). 

The shrimp, scallops, squid and mussels were beautifully fried and grease-free; piled on top of romaine lettuce leaves and garnished with cilantro. 

Our server said Chef Wandee Suwangbutra uses minced fresh garlic for the dish.

I've noticed this dish before, but never ordered it, because other family members don't eat squid, scallops or mussels.

An appetizer of Satay BBQ ($6). Four skewers of chicken or pork are served with a peanut sauce and a cucumber salad in a sweet dressing.

I never tire of Som Thum, a salad of crunchy fresh green papaya dressed in lemon juice, chili, peanuts, green beans, tomato and ground dried shrimp ($8) -- a dish that is savory, sweet and spicy. The salad also can be eaten wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves lining the plate.

Thome Yum Seafood adds squid, mussels and scallops to the shrimp-only soup I once ordered on every visit. A small bowl is $4 and a large bowl is $12.

Meat eaters in the family are loyal to Geuw Nam, a wonton soup with lots of roast pork ($3.50 and $9).

Thai Fried Rice includes shrimp, pork, egg, onion and sweet pepper ($10.50).

Wondee's Fine Thai Food and Noodles, 296 Main St., Hackensack; 201-883-1700. BYO, metered street parking until 6 p.m., except Sundays, and rear parking lot off of Camden Street. Closed Mondays.

A corner of the L-shaped dining room. Go for the food, not the dated decor. Cloth napkins are put out after 5 p.m.