Klom Klorm — Decent Thai

Appearances aren’t everything. However, in my Bushwick experiences there is a certain authenticity to dingy, kitschy, or otherwise poorly designed dining rooms. I feel, in their presentation I can ascertain an establishment’s priorities. Generously or not I always assume it’s the food when the floors aren’t well mopped or the ceiling is covered in cheap paper decorations.

Klom Klorm’s decor is alarmingly standard for a place purported to have excellent Thai food. Hardwood floors, a well-polished bar, an abundance of plastic plantery, a plethora of exposed brick — it all makes me nervous. They say you can’t polish a turd but that hasn’t stopped some establishments from trying. Still, having heard good things I was determined.

The food lands just a hair above the compromise zone. None of the items we ordered had the authenticity of plain-ass steamed dumplings from Chinatown or the rustic appeal of braised tongue tacos on fresh tortillas with radish and lime. For all my reticence, the polish didn’t detract too heavily from the flavors. The fried spring roll appetizer on the lunch menu is forgettable but the grilled pork sausage was sweet and pleasantly toothsome. Its sauce was also excellent, a mix of spicy and peanut flavors.

Our lunch special, khao soi beef, was decent. I’ve made better khao soi sauce in massive quantities so it was hard to be impressed with the saucy bowl as it was presented. The ball of fried noodles could have taken a bit of salt, inside and out. But the noodles in the sauce were fantastic — thin but still firm and tasty in the sauce. My companion enjoyed the boiled squishiness of the beef and the fried noodle ball. The dish as a whole took kindly to fish sauce and pickled peppers, two parts of a table-side seasoning quartet.

My takeaway: I’d go back. It doesn’t pop like anything I’ve had in Queens or for that matter the Michelin-starred places of the Lower East Side — and that’s for the same price. But it’s in my neighborhood. That counts for something, right?