We were impressed by the friendliness and attentiveness of the waitstaff at this newly opened Thai restaurant in Livingston. However, you must request chopsticks, as the wood tables are set with silverware. Placemats, cloth napkins, serene Asian pictures, bamboo and orchids, all add to the relaxing atmosphere.
Starters were a colorful dish of green, slightly spicy, steamed vegetarian dumplings topped with crunchy slivers of fried garlic. The dipping sauce, with a soy sauce base, also had a punch that crept up on us and added more life to this very tasty appetizer.
We bypassed the curries offered (red, green, yellow, Panang and Massaman), once we saw Royal Duck listed on the specialty dish section of the menu. Served with bok choy, green squash, carrots, onions, string beans and jasmine rice, the duck was tender and was enjoyed much more without the accompanying overly sweet honey and ginger sauce. Perhaps more ginger would have added a spicy tang. Noodles come with a choice of chicken, pork, vegetables, beef or shrimp. Beef was our choice for the se-ew, flat rice noodles, which were accompanied by eggs, broccoli, carrots and bok choy. The noodles can be recommended, but the beef was chewy so we would opt for a different addition next time. Sweet sticky rice with creamy vanilla ice cream and whipped cream was a treat.
Vegetarians have many options from rolls, puffs, fried rice, soups, salads and noodle and curry dishes that can be made with tofu. On request, eggs will also be removed from the dish.
Boon is a welcome addition to the Livingston area, which doesn’t have many ethnic dining options.
Boon Thai Kitchen
21 E Northfield Road
Livingston
973-994-7383
BYO
Vegetarian dumplings
Royal duck
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
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