Love Mama

Cuisine Thai, Vietnamese
Price $$ (16-30)
Rating 4/10
Last Visit June 9, 2019
Location New York: East Village
General Notes

An interesting restaurant featuring a fusion of Thai, Malaysian, and Vietamese food. I think out of all of the restaurants I've been to so far in New York, this place most closely resembles a relatively affordable Asian restaurant in other cities. The food was decent but nothing too spectacular.

Positives

> Flavors are very strong. They are pretty heavy handed with their spices and sauces.
> Compared to other restaurants, the food here is relatively inexpensive, with reasonable portions to go along with it.
> A decent spot for large parties. The restaurant is located at a corner of two streets, so it isn't long and narrow like most lots in New York. There is a decent amount of seating (and it didn't seem too busy, although that might be because we went during lunchtime) and they offer reservations for large parties.

Negatives

> The menu clearly labels which dishes are Malaysian, Thai, and Vietamese, which is nice. But the menu felt somewhat limiting - because of this split, there weren't a lot of options from each cuisine.
> Interacting with our server was a bit strange. I think the owner is Cantonese, and he started speaking to us in half Chinese half English. The way he took our orders was a bit curt and I felt a little uncomfortable when he engaged us in conversation later on.
> A bit of an unrelated note, but for some reason their online menu is not at all consistent with their menu in-store. I can't find what I ordered online.

Dishes Tasted
  • ★★☆☆ Uncle Plump's Dumplings -- Not quite like other dumplings I've had before. It tasted decent (I think the peanut sauce actually did work), but the wrapper felt a little off, and the filling a bit dry.
  • ★☆☆☆ Mango Passion Shrimp -- The flavors were pretty nice and the vegetables were cooked decently. But the shrimp was so badly overcooked; they were hard like bullets.
  • ★★★☆ Roti Canai Planta -- Warm, buttery, and has a nice texture. The accompanying sauce is also decent.
  • ★★★★ Turmeric Mussels -- Cooked really well, with a delicious sauce to go with it. Definitely would recommend!
Mango Passion Shrimp