Rate-A-Restaurant #184: Catchdefish Seafood & Thai Kitchen

Restaurant: Catchdefish Seafood & Thai Kitchen

Location: 147 Third Ave / Corner of 15th St (New York)

Type of restaurant: Seafood/Thai

We stipulated: It was our first day in Manhattan, on a Sunday afternoon, and we were hunting for a lunch spot. Walking down Third, we figured we’d find something in the East Village. Passing by Catchdefish, we were taken by the sandwich board sign. Roped in — guess those signs do work.

What we ordered: Wasabi crab cake burger with wasabi mayo, $9 (above); prix fixe special: Cream of carrot soup/chicken skewer/mesculin salad with spicy mayonnaise dressing/salmon steak with green curry sauce, asparagus, thai eggplant, sweet pepper and mushrooms, all for $14 (below).

High point: Maria liked the setup of the restaurant, and it boasted a great view of the street scene, as people walked by. We also liked that the restaurant wasn’t crowded, at least that time of day. And the crab cake burger offered up a nice spice, while the green curry sauce made the salmon. Our biggest praise may have to go to the carrot soup, however.

Low point: Other than the carrot soup, we couldn’t find much on the menu that was kid-friendly for the Blogger Preschooler.

Overall impression: Our Catchdefish experience is a reminder of why we enjoy the city: The whole experience was impromptu. We randomly walked by, it looked inviting, and we managed to make the right call. At $14, the prix fixe menu was a bargain; add to that the $9 crab cake burger, and it made for an economical but tasty lunch. And with the place all to ourselves. we didn’t feel rushed, but instead could linger and enjoy the people watching from our street-level window.

Chance we’ll go back: Perhaps if we lived in NYC we’d make a return trip, but with so many restaurants to try, it’s not a place we’d probably return to in the coming future.

For a complete list of our nearly 185 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant #178: Osha Thai

Restaurant: Osha Thai

Location: 1149 2nd St. (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Thai

They stipulated: With parties of six or more, tip is calculated in. We almost didn’t notice that they’d done so, apparently counting our 3 year old and the 1 year old with the couple we were out with as well.

Yellow sea.

We stipulated: Meeting pal Lisa, her hubby Max and their little one Matthew, they were kind enough to come our way. We mentioned Thai or Chinese as something we hadn’t done on the trip yet, and they suggested Osha. It was walking distance from our hotel, so we were sold.

Yin-Yang sea bass.

What we ordered: Yellow sea: Prawns, scallops, calamari and crab claws stir-fried with yellow curry powder sauce, egg, green onion, red bell pepper and celery ($18); Yin-Yang sea bass: Steamed Sea Bass fillet and Napa cabbage over thick red curry and green curry sauce ($18); Spicy eggplant: Choice of sliced chicken, beef or pork stir-fried with eggplant, basil and red bell pepper ($13); Pad see you: Rice noodles pan fried with Chinese broccoli, egg, black soy bean sauce and choice of chicken, beef or pork ($11); Tom Yum soup: Hot & Sour soup with lemongrass, galangal, Kaffir lime leaf, mushrooms, and tomatoes ($10). Also, drinks included a lychee martini ($9) and a Thai tea tini ($9).

Pad see you.

High point: Considering the hip surroundings, Osha is surprisingly kid friendly. Evan was demanding to see cable cars, and put on a bit of a scene, but luckily wasn’t really noticed. Other families at the restaurant also had kids in tow. Food wise, the spicy eggplant was nice.

Low point: Other than that automatic gratuity, there really wasn’t one.

Spicy eggplant.

Overall impression: Osha is actually a mini-chain of five restaurants in the SF area. Yet this one felt like it was one of a kind. Sometimes the food can be too dumbed down and Americanized at places like this… but that Tom Yum soup definitely tasted authentic, and the rest of the choices were winners as well. Good choice by Lisa and Max, and just what we were looking to eat on night three of our journey.

Tom Yum soup.

For a complete list of our more than 175 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.

Rate-A-Restaurant #178: Osha Thai

Restaurant: Osha Thai

Location: 1149 2nd St. (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Thai

They stipulated: With parties of six or more, tip is calculated in. We almost didn’t notice that they’d done so, apparently counting our 3 year old and the 1 year old with the couple we were out with as well.

Yellow sea.

We stipulated: Meeting pal Lisa, her hubby Max and their little one Matthew, they were kind enough to come our way. We mentioned Thai or Chinese as something we hadn’t done on the trip yet, and they suggested Osha. It was walking distance from our hotel, so we were sold.

Yin-Yang sea bass.

What we ordered: Yellow sea: Prawns, scallops, calamari and crab claws stir-fried with yellow curry powder sauce, egg, green onion, red bell pepper and celery ($18); Yin-Yang sea bass: Steamed Sea Bass fillet and Napa cabbage over thick red curry and green curry sauce ($18); Spicy eggplant: Choice of sliced chicken, beef or pork stir-fried with eggplant, basil and red bell pepper ($13); Pad see you: Rice noodles pan fried with Chinese broccoli, egg, black soy bean sauce and choice of chicken, beef or pork ($11); Tom Yum soup: Hot & Sour soup with lemongrass, galangal, Kaffir lime leaf, mushrooms, and tomatoes ($10). Also, drinks included a lychee martini ($9) and a Thai tea tini ($9).

Pad see you.

High point: Considering the hip surroundings, Osha is surprisingly kid friendly. Evan was demanding to see cable cars, and put on a bit of a scene, but luckily wasn’t really noticed. Other families at the restaurant also had kids in tow. Food wise, the spicy eggplant was nice.

Low point: Other than that automatic gratuity, there really wasn’t one.

Spicy eggplant.

Overall impression: Osha is actually a mini-chain of five restaurants in the SF area. Yet this one felt like it was one of a kind. Sometimes the food can be too dumbed down and Americanized at places like this… but that Tom Yum soup definitely tasted authentic, and the rest of the choices were winners as well. Good choice by Lisa and Max, and just what we were looking to eat on night three of our journey.

Tom Yum soup.

For a complete list of our more than 175 restaurant reviews, check out our companion Rate-A-Restaurant site.