IN THE KITCHEN Anusart Limsrithong, or “Chef Pop” as he’s known in the kitchen, has cooked in upscale restaurants from Miami to Maine, and is the driving force behind the recipes at Four Spoons Thai-Inspired Cuisine and Bar. His brother-in-law, Apirak Chuenprapa, one of the restaurant’s owners, hails from Bangkok and credits the Japanese influences on the largely Thai menu to Chef Pop’s experience as a sushi chef.
THE LOCALE Four Spoons opened this summer in Newton Centre with a 46-seat space that includes a small bar toward the back of the restaurant. In addition to serving lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers takeout and delivery.
Advertisement
ON THE MENU Fresh ingredients and presentation are vital at Four Spoons, says Chuenprapa, who acknowledges that prices are a little higher than those found at many Thai restaurants. The chef’s visionary takes on traditional cuisine frequently lend themselves to fusion dishes not often found on other menus.
Four Spoons’ creativity is immediately apparent in the lobster goat cheese Rangoon ($9), which draws on the chef’s cooking experience in Maine and his desire to offer a signature twist on the ubiquitous crab Rangoon. The four deep-fried, crispy squares — served on four white soup spoons — are decadent to the core, enveloping a rich blend of lobster, goat, Manchego and cream cheeses, scallions, carrots and bits of mango. In another nontraditional appetizer, Medjool dates ($8), popular in many Middle Eastern countries, are wrapped in bacon, stuffed with cheeses and linguica, and flavored with yuzu, a Japanese fruit similar to a lime.
In the restaurant’s garden fresh rolls ($6), creamy avocado is surrounded by cucumber, carrots, red cabbage and a crest of baby romaine lettuce leaves, all wrapped in thin rice paper and served with a peanut dipping sauce. Also popular, according to Chuenprapa, is the crispy bronzini mango salad ($14), the Mediterranean fish tossed with spicy mango, scallions, red onions, peanuts, and cilantro.
Advertisement
For those who come to a Thai restaurant seeking pad Thai, there is a regular version on the menu ($10 and up at lunch, $13 and up at dinner), which was tasty on our visit, although it would have benefited from an additional kick, perhaps more fish sauce. For the more bold, Four Spoons also serves up a dramatic Madagascar pad Thai ($25), featuring grilled, wild-caught Madagascar tiger prawns alongside rice noodles seasoned with palm sugar and tamarind, tossed with bits of scrambled egg, peanuts, and bean sprouts, and topped with a wedge of lime.
The Chilean sea bass green curry ($26), another one of Four Spoons’ signature entrées, features the luscious pan-fried fish surrounded by a pool of mild green curry and various Asian greens. Atop the fish, delicate, bright strands of saffron pop. Another signature dish is the Massaman short rib ($22), tender boneless short rib in a mild curry sauce with peanuts and grilled onions and potatoes.
The restaurant added a special noodle soup menu in anticipation of the coming winter, featuring chicken, duck, beef, vegetable and tom yum varieties. The latter ($14) is tangy and a little spicy, swimming with shrimp, scallops and squid (tentacles and all), plus ground chicken, garlic, scallions, cilantro, peanuts and loads of rice noodles. Optional toppings such as spicy fried tofu, a parboiled egg and shiitake mushrooms can be added a la carte.
Advertisement
Desserts on a given night might include butternut squash in coconut soup ($6) or mango sweet sticky rice ($10). The restaurant has a full bar, as well as beer and wine.
Four Spoons is at 796 Beacon St., Newton Centre; 617-332-5888, www.fourspoonsnewton.com.
Rachel Lebeaux can be reached at rachel_lebeaux@yahoo.com or on Twitter @rachjournalist.