Foods from Pookie's
Comments
2015 Jun 14
Not a review, exactly: i didn't dine at Pookie's on the evening described here. But, i guess its still an endorsement of sorts. Not from the officialdom of a certain sport organization that's invaded the city: modest 50-seat eateries tucked into a difficult-to-find Carling Ave strip mall rarely garner that sort of recognition. Rather, (tacit) endorsement via the happy sentiments of the Thai women's football team who, along w/ their entourage (coaches, trainers, physicians, embassy staff), converged on the restaurant in a hungered state last Tues nite.
The mostly food-related tidbits with a World Cup angle as conveyed by the humbled & excited hostess a couple days later:
- constrained by their physician's guidelines, the staff were asked to modify dishes toward the healthy side and to avoid ingredients that could trigger potential allergies or worse.
- healthy or not, football players -even the diminutive ones- eat a lot! Pookie said they eat like small horses (or maybe she said they like to eat small horses?).
- most of the team hail from the n. east, the same region as the kitchen staff, and where n. east Thai people go, so does their appetite for the modest green papaya salad, somtam, which proved the sentimental fav of the nite.
- in the communal spirit of the nite's meal, staff invited a number of the players to assemble/tweak their own versions of the salad. Half a dozen players happily swarmed the kitchen to do just that (and possibly to effectively bypass the guidelines noted above). No prima donnas on this team. :)
- Team Thailand left smiling, well fed and weighed down with doggy bags of stinky-spicy Isaan food to sneak in past their hotel conscierge.
Photo of both "teams", the players intermingled with the football-crazed kitchen staff.
The mostly food-related tidbits with a World Cup angle as conveyed by the humbled & excited hostess a couple days later:
- constrained by their physician's guidelines, the staff were asked to modify dishes toward the healthy side and to avoid ingredients that could trigger potential allergies or worse.
- healthy or not, football players -even the diminutive ones- eat a lot! Pookie said they eat like small horses (or maybe she said they like to eat small horses?).
- most of the team hail from the n. east, the same region as the kitchen staff, and where n. east Thai people go, so does their appetite for the modest green papaya salad, somtam, which proved the sentimental fav of the nite.
- in the communal spirit of the nite's meal, staff invited a number of the players to assemble/tweak their own versions of the salad. Half a dozen players happily swarmed the kitchen to do just that (and possibly to effectively bypass the guidelines noted above). No prima donnas on this team. :)
- Team Thailand left smiling, well fed and weighed down with doggy bags of stinky-spicy Isaan food to sneak in past their hotel conscierge.
Photo of both "teams", the players intermingled with the football-crazed kitchen staff.
2014 Dec 5
I've been to Pookie's restaurant at least a dozen times. Very nice ambiance (relaxed, peaceful, not loud), love the greeting when you enter and the "good bye and thank you" when you leave. Nice service and delicious food. Many options on the menu. I highly recommend the place. Hidden gem in the Ottawa west end for sure!
2013 Jul 22
I tried Pookie’s for the first time last week. It’s a little hidden gem.
The food was delicious, the portions were generous, and the overall service was good.
We ordered the Yum Talay (spicy seafood salad), Geang Ped (red curry chicken with veggies and basil), and tofu pad thai.
All the dishes came out hot and each bite did not disappoint.
I will most definitely be returning.
The food was delicious, the portions were generous, and the overall service was good.
We ordered the Yum Talay (spicy seafood salad), Geang Ped (red curry chicken with veggies and basil), and tofu pad thai.
All the dishes came out hot and each bite did not disappoint.
I will most definitely be returning.
2011 Jul 18
Had a great takeout experience here. We had 7 out of town family staying with us and were getting back from a weekend camping. We didn't feel like cooking, so I stopped in and asked for dinner for 10, most of it gluten free. I let them pick what to make, and was very happy with the selection. Supper was really good, and included 2 curries, a couple of orders of pad thai, chicken and cashew nuts, stir fried beef with lemon grass and coconut milk, Pad Si Ew, and Pad Ped Talay (spicy seafood with eggplant) and a couple of other dishes.
Once again a really good experience, very tasty food food.
Once again a really good experience, very tasty food food.
2009 Dec 8
On our way to a nibbles only christmas party on Saturday we decided to make a quick stop for a light supper. We had our 7 month old in tow. The room was full, but they were able to accommodate us. We had the Tom Yam (chicken) and the stir fried pork with chili and basil (split between two) as well as sticky rice. We were in a hurry (because we are always late) and everything was brought to the table very quickly.
First the food - the soup was unique in flavour compared to pretty much all the other Thai places I've been to in town. I think it had a bit more fish sauce and less sweet. It was packed with chicken and mushroom, and was totally delicious.
The stir fried pork was excellent, although next time I'd ask for some extra chili on the side.
The thing that will bring us back again and again (provided we manage to actually get out of the house) is Pookie! What an amazing hostess. Our baby was fussing when the food arrived so my wife picked him up while trying to eat (a normal activity around our place). Pookie came along and offered to take him - then introduced him to all the other tables in the place while we gulped down our food. Talk about service! Our server was excellent too, when we inquired exactly how to make sticky rice, he gave us a very good description.
Very good food, the best host we've encountered, what more could you ask for?
First the food - the soup was unique in flavour compared to pretty much all the other Thai places I've been to in town. I think it had a bit more fish sauce and less sweet. It was packed with chicken and mushroom, and was totally delicious.
The stir fried pork was excellent, although next time I'd ask for some extra chili on the side.
The thing that will bring us back again and again (provided we manage to actually get out of the house) is Pookie! What an amazing hostess. Our baby was fussing when the food arrived so my wife picked him up while trying to eat (a normal activity around our place). Pookie came along and offered to take him - then introduced him to all the other tables in the place while we gulped down our food. Talk about service! Our server was excellent too, when we inquired exactly how to make sticky rice, he gave us a very good description.
Very good food, the best host we've encountered, what more could you ask for?
2008 Nov 16
We just popped in to try Pookie's after all the positive reviews. The small dining room was packed, so our reservation proved mandatory.
Tasty food, genial service, and pleasant atmosphere make this place a welcome addition to the neighbourhood.
Here's what we had:
2. Whole shrimp spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce
9. Tom Yum soup (shrimp)
17. Grilled beef salad
31. Panang Red Curry (chicken)
45. Pad Kee Mao noodles (pork)
51. Sticky Rice
Mango ice cream
Coconut ice cream
Lemongrass tea
The Tom Yum soup was exceptional in its depth of flavour, as was the Panang Red Curry. The other items were good. The one surprising thing was that the spice level seemed very low. Just a slight burn to the red curry and only a hint of chili in the other dishes. We weren't asked about spice level so we expected to get something similar to other Thai restaurants.
The Grilled Beef Salad was full of interesting lemongrass/chili/onion flavours. Really nice, except the beef lacked any charring (it was a uniform brown colour) and so didn't taste grilled at all.
The Pad Kee Mao had plenty of vegetables, which was nice, but we ran out of noodles early. It was tasty but I have to rank Sweet Basil's Pad Kee Mao above the one here.
The sticky rice was interesting, especially the tumbler-like covered basket it was served in. Perfect for soaking up the delicious red curry!
The ice creams both tasted home made, and the coconut one even contained little bits of fresh coconut. $3.50 gets you a serving of 3 very rich 1-inch diameter scoops.
The Lemongrass Tea was quite refreshing.
Overall value was good. $70 including tax but not tip for this big feast for two. We ordered no drinks other than the lemongrass tea and the complimentary water glasses, which were kept full quite reliably.
I can say that we're thrilled to have such a great Thai restaurant in Ottawa's inner suburbs. We were eying the Pad Thai at other diners' tables and thinking that we should pick some up for the kids next time we need a quick meal. :-)
Tasty food, genial service, and pleasant atmosphere make this place a welcome addition to the neighbourhood.
Here's what we had:
2. Whole shrimp spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce
9. Tom Yum soup (shrimp)
17. Grilled beef salad
31. Panang Red Curry (chicken)
45. Pad Kee Mao noodles (pork)
51. Sticky Rice
Mango ice cream
Coconut ice cream
Lemongrass tea
The Tom Yum soup was exceptional in its depth of flavour, as was the Panang Red Curry. The other items were good. The one surprising thing was that the spice level seemed very low. Just a slight burn to the red curry and only a hint of chili in the other dishes. We weren't asked about spice level so we expected to get something similar to other Thai restaurants.
The Grilled Beef Salad was full of interesting lemongrass/chili/onion flavours. Really nice, except the beef lacked any charring (it was a uniform brown colour) and so didn't taste grilled at all.
The Pad Kee Mao had plenty of vegetables, which was nice, but we ran out of noodles early. It was tasty but I have to rank Sweet Basil's Pad Kee Mao above the one here.
The sticky rice was interesting, especially the tumbler-like covered basket it was served in. Perfect for soaking up the delicious red curry!
The ice creams both tasted home made, and the coconut one even contained little bits of fresh coconut. $3.50 gets you a serving of 3 very rich 1-inch diameter scoops.
The Lemongrass Tea was quite refreshing.
Overall value was good. $70 including tax but not tip for this big feast for two. We ordered no drinks other than the lemongrass tea and the complimentary water glasses, which were kept full quite reliably.
I can say that we're thrilled to have such a great Thai restaurant in Ottawa's inner suburbs. We were eying the Pad Thai at other diners' tables and thinking that we should pick some up for the kids next time we need a quick meal. :-)
2008 Nov 7
Tried out Pookie's tonight, overall the food was good. I'll have to go back to try the Issan dishes, but I can say the red curry we had was one of the best I've ever had... more complex flavours than any other red curry I've had in Ottawa. Also, the pad thai wasn't the sweet mess infused with ketchup that most places serve up in Ottawa. A note on the service: the place was PACKED, and it took a while to get seated, have our order taken, however, they served the food pretty quickly and the pacing was just right. The server was really polite and non-intrusive. Also, the restaurant is very clean. The owner seemed pretty chummy with the clientele and the chef also came out to talk to a Thai patron. I will return!
Older
itchy feet
Healthy eating: beer, wine & other tasties restricted to the old people table (physicians, trainers, coaches, kitchen staff).