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Free? Did someone say FREE? If it’s free, it’s for Mee! When my friend Seth, who administers the Great Neck Food And Restaurants Facebook Group, invited me to join him on his photoshoot at JaydSiri Thai Bistro, which is located at 23 S Middle Neck Rd, Great Neck, NY 11021, how could I say no? (Don’t worry. We left a nice tip). You read the name right; it’s a Thai restaurant. What, not a Chinese restaurant? Hey, Thailand is an Asian country. Close enough! 
The restaurant is very clean, dare I say charming? There, I said it! And it gets quite full in the evening. And for good reason, as I can now personally vouch for. We were met by one of the owners, Siri (now you know why the restaurant is called JaydSIRI). But be careful calling her name, or your phone, if you have an iPhone, will light up. She was very gracious and accommodating. We were met by another couple, thank goodness, as they brought out so much food for Seth to photograph, and for us to enjoy! And we did.
Here’s what we had: Crispy Duck Salad with Thai Basil Duck – This was magnificent! The crispiness of the skin, MUAH! Love it. And the duck meat itself wasn’t too fatty. I don’t know how they did it, but they did it just right!
Duck: Sliced, crispy roasted duck breast served in a savory, slightly sweet brown sauce.
Vegetables & Herbs: Stir-fried with red bell peppers, green beans, onions, and Thai basil leaves, paired with crinkle-cut carrots and steamed broccoli on the side.
Curry Puffs – Crispy Thai pastries stuffed with minced chicken, potatoes, taro, and onions seasoned with Thai spices, served with cucumber plum sauce. I’m not a huge curry fan, so I was a little afraid to eat this. But everyone assured me it wasn’t too spicy. Heck, it wasn’t really spicy at all. But what it was was DELICIOUS! YUM. I’m sorry I hesitated to take more. And by the time I tasted it and hoped for more, they were all gone. I learned a valuable lesson right there about how this meal was going to go down today. You snooze; You LOSE! 
Baby Back Ribs, slow-cooked baby back ribs grilled to perfection and sautéed with house special tamarind sauce – WOWZA, were these great! My goodness, how they fell off the bone and melted in your mouth. We should have ordered (oh wait, it was free. Dang! We WOULD have paid for another order though, for sure!) 
Drunken Noodle, Pad Kee Mao, Broad flat rice noodle sautéed with egg, string beans, white onions, bok choy, bell peppers, chili peppers, and Thai basil – you’ll find a similar dish at Chinese restaurants. But this had a different vibe to it. Kind of vinegarie (that’s a word, right?). I liked it! They were filling, so I didn’t eat much, as we had so many other dishes to sample. But what I tried, I liked. 
Crispy Duck – This was our second duck dish. More please? 🙂 I loved the crispy skin. So good! Don’t over look the veggies! They’re good for you. And so was this dish. YUM! 
Crispy Whole Bronzino served with their famous Thai sweet chili and Samrod sauce – Excellent presentation! The fish was in the sauce, simmering in a fish-shaped vessel, and kept warm with Sterno burners underneath. This fish was so light, and so delicious! Thank you, Siri (dang, there goes my phone, AGAIN! No wait, I don’t have an iPhone. It must be someone else’s phone nearby), for filleting it. Include this dish when you order. 
The Verdict:
Run, don’t walk. No excuse if you live in Great Neck. No excuse if you’re within 10 miles. Or more. Go check out JaydSiri Thai Bistro! Tell them we sent you!
Humbly submitted for your consumption,
—Mee Magnum (“Chop! Chop!”)
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