Thursday, September 15, 2005

Holy Basil



I just can't get enough of basil these days. I buy fresh basil every time I go to the grocery store. I use this favourite herb every opportunity I get - in pasta sauces, thai curries, salads and pestos to name a few. Recently I discovered that a restaurant called Holy Basil which is one of the most popular Thai restaurants in Manhattan.

Holy Basil is located in the Lower East Side on 2nd Avenue between 9th and 10th street. You walk up a flight of stairs to reach the restaurant on the second floor of an apartment building. The high ceilings, dark wood furniture, velvet upholstery and dim lighting make you feel like you are in library instead of a restaurant. The chandeliers and stained glass add a romantic touch to the ambience. We ate at the bar which is at the front of the restaurant.

I was quite impressed with the taste of the Thai food at Holy Basil though Patpong is still my favourite. We ate vegetable spring rolls, a Thai salad with peanut sauce, yellow curry with vegetables and deep fried tofu. I'd never tried deep fried tofu before and was expecting something dripping in oil. To my delight, the tofu chunks were moist on the inside and deliciously crisp on the outside and came with a yummy sweet and spicy dipping sauce.





Oh, and did I mention that the meal was quite reasonably priced? Overall, fabulous value for money. The Lower East Side is really the place for great food finds.

Holy Basil
149 2nd Ave
Between 9th Street and 10th Street
(212) 460-5557

6 Comments:

Blogger rums said...

basil is one of my favourite herbs too. i have a plant of thai holy basil that has the most exquisite flavour. what happened to your plans of growing herbs lulu?

6:09 AM  
Blogger suku said...

hey lulu..sunil here...going through old mails..found the blog link..I am impressed..lovely content..
i have a humble blog too http://bottomofheart.blogspot.com

10:37 AM  
Blogger gs said...

great pictures.i can almost smell the flavour of basil.
like basil abroad we have the tulasi (ocymum sanctum) plant in india.almost similar.it is revered by the hindus and considered to be the wife of lord vishnu.tulasi-tulana-nasti,ataeva tulasi.nothing on earth can match the virtues of tulasi.besides worship,it has many medicinal and therapeutic properties.it can cure common cold,stomach disorders,reduces fever,loosens mucus,relieves hearaches,has antifungal and anti viral properties,lowers blood sugar,is also used as a contraceptive,can treat ringworms,is an effective fly repellant,is a good nerve tonic and sharpens memory and if you chew 12 leaves a day it will besides helping you to prevent stress purifiy your blood.
it is the right choice baby. go and have more of it.

6:33 AM  
Blogger lulu said...

hi rums
now i remember your post on your basil plant. hope it is flourishing. as for me, living on the 28th floor of an apartment building with no window sill makes it very very difficult to grow herbs. plus, i travel so much and i can't always depend on h to keep my plants alive so i have been weary of getting any more after the sad death of my beloved crouton.

9:43 AM  
Blogger lulu said...

hi sunil
what a surprise to hear from you! hope you are having fun being a malayalee in paris :)
parles-tu francais maintenant?
will definitely check out your blog. it's a great way to keep in touch with friends. you should see nish's blog as well - it's called margaritas and meows. i've linked to her blog from mine.

9:46 AM  
Blogger lulu said...

hi appa
glad to hear you approve of basil :)
i know we have tulasi in india and we even used to have a plant at home from which you plucked leaves for your pooja. but how come tulasi is not used as a herb in indian cooking?

9:47 AM  

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