I suppose one could feel mad in several different ways - crazy, upset, insane, in love. I'm not sure of the exact mood the people over at Pranna were feeling when they named their new brunch party, but with three drinks and a delicious entree, you will have a mad awesome time at their Mad Brunch, all for only $28.
I love brunch. So when I was invited to Pranna, a new-ish Thai fusion mega-restaurant in Flatiron, this past weekend to give their's a whirl, I was very excited. Boyfriend in tow, we arrived at noon (a bit earlier than most of the NYC brunch crowd, but people trickled in shortly after) and were both in awe of the sheer size of this place. I'm not sure if Pranna becomes a dance club at night, but it totally could. It's very New York, from the glass ball chandeliers to the aqua-toned leather on the walls and the swank bathrooms. Upon sitting down at a comfy booth for two, we were offered the first of our three drinks. We both ordered bellinis, but the other choices were mimosas, screwdrivers and bloody mary's. I found it a little odd that the drinks were served in plastic flutes for such a posh place, but I'm not one to judge a place for its glassware. They probably have their reasons.
The brunch menu is pretty vast when you compare it to other similar places. The menu was split in half with breakfast-y/egg-y things on one side and lunch-y dishes on the other. The lunch dishes looked great, mostly all Asian-inspired like the 7-Spiced Seared Tuna Salad and the Signature Thai Drunken Noodles, but I have to have my huevos for brunch. I ordered the Lobster Benedict and my boyfriend got the Steak and Eggs. The Benedict came with two lobster tails and two poached eggs each on a bed of sauteed spinach on top of an English muffin. It was served with curried cauliflower and potatoes (an interesting spin on home fries) and a fresh spinach salad with a tangy, peppery dressing. The lobster and eggs were cooked well (the yolks still ran when I poked them), but the English muffin was a bit soggy, like maybe it had been sitting for a while before being served. I would have liked it a little more if there was slightly less butter on the spinach and a fresher muffin. Flavor-wise though, it was great. I was a big fan of the cauliflower and potatoes as I thought the curry flavor was original and unusual for breakfast. My boyfriend wasn't a fan of the curry or the cauliflower, but that just meant I got seconds. The double helping of spinach on the plate, although healthy, was a bit redundant and I wasn't uber-pleased with the dressing. The steak and eggs were pretty standard. The hangar steak had a nice marinade and was cooked just the way it was ordered. It also came with the cauliflower and potatoes and the spinach.
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| Lobster Benedict |
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| Steak and Eggs |
The DJ started around the time we received our second drinks, and that was a fun addition to brunch. The music was advertised as global beats, and I'd agree with that, though there was definitely some Rihanna in there.
Overall, brunch at Pranna was a good experience. The service was a bit slow and haphazard, but everyone was very nice. We waited around for a while after pondering a third drink, but then decided to be productive with the rest of our day. The food was a nice splurge from our usual brunch diet and the ambiance was enjoyable. After seeing what the place looks like in the day, I definitely want to go back and check it out at night.
