Sripraphai in Williston Park: An emotional rollercoaster

As excited as I was when the vaunted Thai restaurant Sripraphai opened in Williston Park in 2009, I must admit that I haven't eaten there that much. Sometimes I drive by, see a crowd in the vestibule, and keep on driving. Last night, there was no crowd as I slowed down to check it out. I started to panic: Was the restaurant not doing well? Why haven’t I gone more often?

I managed to work through my turmoil enough to park the car, sit down and order. Then I remembered another thing that stresses me out about Sripraphai: there’s so much on the menu and I’m always afraid I won’t order right. “If you came more often you would have developed a routine,” I berated myself. So I  threw myself on the mercy of the waitress, who guided my friend and me to a delicious meal.

Up first, larb! (love to say larb, love to type larb): a warm salad of silky ground meat (in this case, chicken), with chili, lime, mint and red onions. Next up, “pan-fried egg,” really an omelet, made delicious with studs of pork; sauteed pork topped with a deep, rich "prik-khing'' curry and green beans (pictured above). Good, but not up to the same standard as the meat dish, was Chinese water spinach with oyster sauce.

We didn’t drink or have dessert and this meal came in at about $50.

Sripraphai is at 280 Hillside Ave. Williston Park 516-280-3779.

Sauteed pork with prik-khing curry and long beans at Sripraphai in Williston Park