Spice

Spice serves cheap Thai food in a noisy, cramped room—and the loyal mixed crowd, made up of NYU students and other locals, likes it that way. The lighting is dim enough to make your date look pretty, but it can’t save some of the food from looking funny or tasting murky. Shrimp were covered in rice paper and fried to a cardboard crisp. “Drunk Man” broad noodles arrived almost mushy, slathered in slimy sweet-basil sauce. Entrees arrived quickly—when the appetizers were only half-finished. Spice Crispy Duck was neither spicy nor crispy: the undercooked skin was fatty; the meat was chewy. Only a whole fried snapper warranted attention when we last visited; the crispy skin was covered in sweet tamarind glaze and fragrant sprigs of cilantro; beneath lay moist, white flesh. Skip dessert: Green-tea ice cream with chocolate soufflé sounded like a good idea but wasn’t.