I had always enjoyed dining at Laut, a restaurant that blends Malaysian, Singaporean and Thai food, in my hood. When their letter grade from the Health Department that promotes and protects the city’s health changed from A to B to C to worse,  I avoided it.

When I noticed the restaurant again sporting an “A,” I suggested to my friends that we head there after attending the Met opening of Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. That exhibit contained over 200  garments and accessories spanning four centuries, all visually connected through themes of nature.

To start, we shared their refreshing papaya salad ($15) made of shredded papaya with chilies, string beans, fresh cilantro and chopped peanuts in a chili lime dressing and the classic chicken satay (4 pieces, $14) with peanut sauce.

We then shared the classic rendang, where the beef was braised slowly for hours in coconut milk with a caramelized dry curry made with exotic Southeast Asian spices. It comes with rice. A few CNN surveys listed this dish as one of the best foods in the world. Rendang is said to have originated in West Sumatra, Indonesia, by the Minangkabau people. I find it muti-dimentional yummy.

For dessert, we shared a mango sliced and formed into a flower with sweet sticky rice replete with a candle. This birthday glutton was still celebrating!

I highly recommend Laut, as long as they keep their “A.”

Laut
Union Square
15 E 17th St
New York, NY 10003
212-206-8989
lautnyc.com