NY’s Hidden Gem: Republic

On Saturday, the wife and I took our friend Christine from Candy Apple Jewelry out for a happy birthday/”thanks for doing my CMG logo” dinner, and we settled on an old favorite of ours: Republic. Located in New York’s famed Union Square, the restaurant is a hip noodle joint, who’s menu is “unmistakably Asian, Not emphasizing any specific country.” The dishes “combine various ingredients, spices, and cooking methods from Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Thailand, and Japan,” and according to the restaurant their chef has “created a unique menu that cannot be copied, as it is non-traditional. The secret lies in the unique sauces created for each individual dish on the menu.” Well let’s talk about it.

As you walk through the door, the first thing you will notice is the full bar to your left, serving a host of signature cocktails, including a “tamarind caipirinha,” which consists of cachaca, tamarind puree, lime, lime juice, sugar with chili-sugar rim, and was faaaantastic. I tend to love caipirinhas in general, and this one did not disappoint. I mean, what could be better than an alcoholic beverage with sugar in it?

The bar’s other specialty is their Asian Sangria, which is made from White wine, citrus vodka, brandy, oranges, fuji apples, asian pears, lychees, and passion fruit juice. We killed an entire pitcher, hence causing this blurry picture. I did enjoy the Sangria, though it sort of tasted like if you crushed up Sweet Tarts into passion fruit Gatorade. Good, just not something I’d want to drink all night.

Not to be outdone by the uniqueness of the menu, the decor is also rather special. After passing the bar on the left, you’ll see an open kitchen full of culinary workhorses, crafting and perfecting each dish to superiority. I always appreciate an open kitchen, even if you can’t really see what’s going on below the stainless steel. It just makes me feel like there’s less of a chance of spit, urine, or feces entering my stomach.

Beyond the kitchen is the main dining area, which looks almost like an ultra-modern, grade school cafeteria. The tables are like handmade picnic tables, and you may find yourself sharing a table with strangers a la your favorite “cook on the table,” hibachi steak restaurant. It’s not a big deal though, everyone is there stuffing their face and not paying attention to you. Plus it’s New York City, and you can often hear some really ridiculous and entertaining conversations. The walls are filled with giant pictures of people and noodles. Simple and to the point, and makes your dining experience purely about the food, as it should be.

Our meal consisted of a few appetizers like the ever delicious chicken skewers made with lemongrass, peanuts, pickled carrots, daikon, and scallions, and the deep fried goodness known as “fried wontons,” made with shrimp, chinese mushrooms, baby corn, celery, carrots, and served with a pimento-plum sauce. In my tenure as a patron at Republic, I’ve tried 6 of the 7 “small plates,” and recommend all of them. I am however upset because the took away my favorite of them all the “lychee grilled calamari.”

For the entrees we all decided to get the pad thai, which is honestly the best I’ve ever eaten. You have a choice of Chicken, Vegetable, or Seafood, that features both shrimp and calamari. They serve it to on a very flat, yet modern plate, and pile enough noodles on top to ensure you will hate yourself by the time you’re halfway through. Though I mostly just go for the Pad Thai, I also recommend the Salmon, and the Grilled chicken, that is served with something called “black rice,” that I was unfamiliar with, but pleasantly surprised to eat.

Probably the best thing about Republic is the cost. Though from the description of the decor and the menu, one would think that this was an expensive place, but in reality it is quite the contrary. The atmosphere is laid back, and mostly because it’s not a bunch of rich snobs looking to sample the newest, hippest “restaurant de jour.” We paid for our Sangria at the bar, but 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 4 drinks was less than $100 with a tip! Now those of you that live outside large cities may think that’s expensive, but we’re not talking Applebee’s here. We’re talking a single restaurant, with a unique and delicious menu, that serves quality food, with quality service, in a hip area of NYC. I truly recommend you visit Republic, if you are in New York. If you’re here in the next 10 days you can visit the holiday fair in Union Square with a hot chocolate. It will be cute, I promise.