[title]
McCarren Hotel & Pool already has a popular rooftop bar and an outdoor pool, but executive chef Hong Thaimee (Ngam, Perry St) has added one more destination to the mix by opening her eponymous Thai restaurant, Thaimee, in the basement. The dishes are inspired by the chef’s visits to her hometown of Chang Mai, a city in Thailand. Try authentic fare like tod munn fak thong (pumpkin balls) or pla tom mai phai (fish in bamboo).
But the most eye-catching of the bunch is the yum woon sen or “magic noodle salad.” Chef Thaimee discovered the color-changing feature through a “happy accident” when she was experimenting with pea flowers for the cold noodle dish. She found that if she soaked the noodles with the flowers, they would turn blue to purple after a spritz of lime (after two minutes). To make it meatier, add lobster, shrimp, chicken, beef or mushroom (as far as we know, those don't change colors).
Photograph: Morgan Raum