Buffalo Rising Online

Jul 29th 2007, 10:56am By Christa Glennie Seychew

If I have to eat another sandwich, I think I'll die, I thought to myself last week. The food writer's life is not all escargot and champagne, artisan breads and hand-harvested coffee. I eat as many bad meals as I do good ones (if not more), and when I'm not eating at a local establishment, I'm wishing I had remembered to go to the grocery store so that I won't have to eat another sandwich.

When I'm in our Cobblestone District office I try to bring lunch, but that again is a sandwich. And most of the lunchy restaurants downtown serve sandwiches too. A salad can offer a little relief, but it's only temporary. Stick it between two pieces of bread and it's just another sandwich.

So, as I said, I was sitting at my desk, dreading the sure-to-follow sandwich. As usual, I began visualizing the city's blocks in my head, wandering up and down the streets, trying to remember all of the little restaurants here and there. Silly me, I had forgotten about Papaya, forgotten that they were open for lunch. Well, there's nothing sandwich-heavy about their menu at all!

So Anna Miller (BR Associate Editor), Adam Fix (Superhero Intern) and I hopped in the car and headed out. A well-timed lunch hour makes for plenty of parking on the restaurant heavy block of Chippewa between Delaware and Elmwood. A little early or a little late and finding a working meter is a breeze.

Papaya serves lunch from 11 AM – 3 PM Monday through Friday. Owned by partners, Tri Lam, Tai Truong and Manh Lee, the Asian influences found in this gorgeous eatery are well-honed. Though Papaya is Tri-Lam's first restaurant venture, Tai Truong and Manh Lee are co-owners of Elmwood's Saigon Cafe, and Truong was not only a former partner at Tsunami, but the child of the owners of Amherst's Saigon Bangkok. At Papaya, fusion is the key word, and even those in your party that may have trepidatious about Pacific Rim cusine will find things on the menu with a classic American vibe.

For appetizers we enjoyed some spring rolls and a nice foursome of dumplings made of ground pork and chicken. Both were very tasty- I really enjoyed the dumplings and they were quite filling. I don't often choose to have appetizers at dinner, nonetheless lunch, but I wanted to have a good sampling of the menu in order to tell you as much as I could about it, and it was well worth it.

For the main course, we all ordered Pad Thai. This dish is quite accomplished here at Papaya. The scent is utterly intoxicating, the flavor outstanding, and the portion substantial for the meager price. Anna had the vegetarian version, full of deep fried tofu strips and crispy vegetables ($7). Adam and I had the chicken ($7). The meat was tender, but I was jealous of the abundant produce that brightened Anna's bowl. The wedge of fresh lemon, once squeezed over the noodles, offered a bright and palate pleasing component to the already fabulous dish.

A seafood version is available as well for $11. JJ Richert, chef and part owner of Torches on Kenmore Avenue, has confessed to me that his favorite meal in the city can be found at Papaya. Fiery Udon with a glass of sparkling wine is his preferred lunchtime pairing. Offered with beef, pork or shrimp, it is certainly a meal in itself ($7 - $10). At lunch, wait time for a table is minimal and take out is available as well. Adam and I so enjoyed our meal that within a week we had the “jones” and indulged ourselves once again. Although our take out Pad Thai was good, it was so hot that it continued to cook while in the container. By the time we got to back to the office it had lost some of its pizazz, so I recommend that you dine in if you're going to enjoy this particular dish.

Papaya is also open for dinner. Its remarkable interior is a perfect complement to its menu. To view the dinner menu, and more of the lunch offerings, check out their website.

Papaya
118 West Chippewa, Buffalo, 14202
716.856.2444
www.papayarestaurant.biz