By Sowon Jessica Moon

At the corner of 54th Street was a small restaurant that, were it not for the protruding orange sign immediately above me labeled “Vynl,” or the fact that I had predetermined to review this restaurant, I would have passed it by without moments notice, giving this contemporary American-Thai restaurant a certain charisma that other larger franchises cannot carry: obscurity in a most alluring way.

The cliché that says looks are deceiving had a number of meanings at this Theater District diner. There was a lackluster quality about the exterior of Vynl; simple large windows held together by steel, the slight accumulation of dirt from the cars zooming by more apparent from the sunlight. Upon entrance of the two doors, two black curtains effortlessly concealed the restaurant. Confused, I entered to find the restaurant stifling yet full of the “New York City funk”. The walls were painted notebook white, large metal vents adorned the edges of the ceilings without shame and black leather and steel chairs were abundant.

Yet the real appeal of Vynl lay in the mosaic tiled makeshift lamp shades, the vinyl record covers pasted on the bar, the Elvis’ head peering through bottles of liquor and of course, shelve upon shelves of novelties of acclaimed celebrities including Cher, Dolly Parton, The Doors, Diana Ross and even NSync. Not to mention, the table tops were stained glass. Not of your conventional Mother Theresa, but of silly faces and other vivacious designs. As I took this all in, an amiable waitress busy busing tables welcomed me to sit wherever I pleased. Artists such as Tori Amos and Led Zeppelin resounded throughout the small restaurant; this was the type of restaurant I had been searching for.

I peered into my vinyl menu to see appetizers such as Thai hot wings, fried calamari and Caesar salad. The “Burgers, Sandwiches and Wraps” portion of the menu had the traditional burger, but also had sandwiches like the “Vynl Grilled Chicken Sandwich” with aioli, roasted peppers, arugala and jack cheese, turkey burgers and wraps with eggplant, barbeque and grilled shrimp. Specials included soups such as butter nut squash chowder, “Quesadilla of the day,” which on that particular day was spinach, portabella mushrooms, onion and cheddar cheese and chef specials of Grilled Tuna Steak, consisting of tuna with smashed potatoes, spinach and sesame sauce. Side dishes included fries, onion rings, jasmine rice, Asian slaw, potatoes and even sautéed spinach.

There was a profusion of vegetarian meals, curry dishes, and chicken dishes and most dishes were either steamed or grilled. After extensive thought and numerous sips on the refreshing Thai Iced tea, I finalized my decision on an appetizer of fried calamari and the main course on the most ordered dish. The sesame chicken which consisted of honey sauce, broccoli and jasmine rice.

The calamari was fried to perfection and the sauces complimented the seafood perfectly. Satisfied with the calamari, I anxiously awaited the famous Sesame chicken. As it arrived, I excitedly grabbed my spoon. It looked delicious. Looks however, can be deceiving. Whether I had come at a bad day or not was unknown; but to my disappointment my first bite into the dish was far from pleasing. There was an overwhelming tart taste to the sauce which my taste buds did not find amusing. In disbelief that this was the most ordered dish, I thought I might have judged too soon. Yet before I could get halfway through the dish, I had ordered a second Thai Iced Tea. Enduring the tart taste was only half the battle; the chicken was dry and tough making it difficult to chew through and even more difficult to swallow without taking gulps of my iced tea. When the waiter noticed me rubbing my stomach and staring at my half eaten chicken, he kindly asked with pride if I wanted it wrapped. With a bit too much of urgency I declined and asked for the check. From this he plastered on an upset yet cordial grin, walked away and came back with my check.

Vynl is a cozy place to getaway from the upscale restaurants so plentiful in New York City. I walked out of the restaurant with an unsatisfied hunger and the disappointment in the fact that I had paid $10 to eat sesame chicken I could have enjoyed more and easily gotten for less at a local Chinese food restaurant. This is no bad review though; just a disappointed one. The calamari was great, so I wouldn’t steer clear of Vynl just yet. If ever in the Theater District, I’d suggest a peek. But ask for a sample of the chicken first.