Mahaniyom, which in Thai stands for “beloved” or “very popular,” is a Thai Tapas Bar that opened up this past winter in Brookline Village, in the old El Centro space. Long time Shojo alum Chompon (Boong) Boonnak and Smuch (Top) Saikamthorn, along with Chef Suparerk (Pao) Thampitak and their team, wanted to bring a “taste of home.” They have introduced delicious and homey Thai foods, served along with creative, handcrafted cocktails. This team brings many years of restaurant experience from Shoju and Thai restaurants both in Boston and the West Coast.
We got the cha yen (aka Thai iced tea, $4), café yen (aka Thai iced coffee, $4) and the deasy lemonade ($5) to drink. The Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee were your standard drinks. The deasy lemonade was made with butterfly pea tea, which is commonly found in South East Asia and lends a gorgeous purple color to the lemonade. It was a refreshing, light, and a visually lovely drink.
The gorgeous yum ngoh (rambutan salad) $13 is a royal Thai dish. The rambutan (a fruit easily found in South East Asia) salad was beautifully arranged, with each element being separately laid out in the bowl. There were three jumbo shrimp, cashew nuts, toasted coconut, fried shallots, fried garlic, dried shrimp and chili jam. Before you dig in, it is a must to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together. The finished product is a delightful salad full of flavor that is refreshing, thanks to the rambutan, while adding a touch of sweetness with a slight kick from the chili jam.
The khao pad puu (crab fried rice, $16) is a dish beloved by the Thai people. It came out with a generous helping of crab meat, eggs served with fresh scallion, and crisp cucumbers. The wok char was on point. Make sure to put some of the spicy fish sauce on the rice, as it dials up the umami flavors in this dish.
We had to get the rarely seen kang pu (crab curry) $16 which hails from Southern Thailand and, instead of rice, is served with vermicelli noodles. You can taste the love at first bite when you try their house-made curry paste. After having this fragrant red curry served with generous bits of crab meat and fresh vegetables on the side, you cannot go back to the ready-made curry paste. The curry’s spice level can be adjusted to taste if you want, and we enjoyed the moderate spice level. The vermicelli noodles perfectly soaked up the flavorful curry sauce well.
The roti beef massaman ($11) is a cool marriage of Thai and Malay flavors in this dish. The coconut curry boasts 15 herbs and spices that are slowly cooked together with the beef shank to make this delightfully tender and complex dish. Onions, sweet potatoes, roasted peanuts and pickled shallots round out this dish, and it is served with the traditional roti (Indian round flatbread) to dip and soak the savory massaman sauce.
We wanted to try the salt & pepper pork cheek ($12), which is made with three spices, Thai chilies, and scallions, served with sticky rice. The pork cheek was well seasoned and paired well with the sticky rice. A favorite appetizer that goes well with drinks is the nang kai tod (crispy chicken skin, $6), and this came out last. It was a heaping and piled high plate of seasoned and exceptionally crispy chicken skin. It was very addictive and perfect with an icy glass of beer. Make sure to dip it in the spicy sweet dipping sauce.
To finish off our meal, we got the kanom pung sang khya (pandan custard bun, $5). Pandan is a tropical plant, and its leaves are a popular flavoring used in South East and South Asia. The pandan custard dipping sauce, made with coconut milk, pairs well with the steamed bread served on the side. It is not overly sweet but a pleasant ending for our great meal. Service was attentive and enthusiastic, the atmosphere casual and modern, with Mahaniyom delivering on their desire to bring us warm, homey food and drinks. What a gem and delightful addition to the Brookline Village dining scene.
Mahaniyom, 236 Washington Street, Brookline, MA, tel: 617-487-5986
To read this article in Chinese (Traditional), please click here.
