Buffalo Rising Online

Apr 14th, 10:08am By Christa Glennie Seychew

Though the term ‘Chippewa’ conjures only drunken baseball-capped frat boys and flavored-martini-swilling girls for most, a portion of this district is evolving. The neighborhood, stretching the length of Delaware from Allen to Niagara Square, has begun to see new life, catering to a more mature (and moneyed) crowd. The Hampton Inn that stands at the corner of Delaware and Elmwood maintains an occupancy rate of about 92%, beating its competitors by nearly a third. Guests fill area restaurants and bars, particularly those that reside on the Inn’s ground floor: Salsarita’s, The Chocolate Bar, and Papaya.

In 2005, owners Tri Lam, Tai Truong and Manh Lee opened Papaya, downtown Buffalo’s first and only Asian-inspired fine dining restaurant. This trio of friends-cum-business partners also own and operate the reputable Saigon Café on Elmwood. Papaya is a beautiful restaurant. High ceilings, exposed duct work, and intimate lighting are combined with decorative textural elements of wood and metal to create an open, modern space.

The busy bar is nestled away from the rest of the dining area, though the ambient nature of the room can create quite a buzz when filled with happy diners. And filled it is. There on a Wednesday night, Papaya was absolutely packed. A jazz trio was set up in the corner, providing background music for the throngs of well-coiffed bar patrons. Every table in the dining room was occupied; eager guests leaned in toward one another over their plates of colorful food. It is rare in Buffalo to see a restaurant packed with people on a weekday, many gesticulating with chopsticks as they engage in conversation, but Wednesday is half price sushi night (from 5-11pm), and the word is out.

Papaya's menu covers the span of Southeast Asia with dishes and flavors from East India to Japan. The food, however, is still entirely approachable to anyone with an inclination toward the familiar. Crab cakes--each an extra crispy panko-coated orb of crab-filled goodness served with a mango relish and spicy kimchee enhanced aioli--are a very popular offering and owner Tri Lam’s favorite thing on the menu. The traditional chicken pot stickers are perfect and everything you always hope and pray their many sad replicas will be. Delicate steamed shrimp wontons are also very good.

Salads include a comfortable Asian Chicken Salad with a ginger dressing, a simple green salad brought to life with the flavors of miso and ginger, and a Thai take bursting with all that is fresh and good about that culture’s cuisine with a spicy dressing, peanuts, cilantro and mint.

When it comes to dinner, I have some serious suggestions for you. First on the list is the Kurobuta Pork Chop. Not one to order pork chops at a restaurant for fear of poor results, this treat nearly slipped me by. Kurobuta pork is the Japanese term for what we in the U.S. refer to as Berkshire pork, a highly prized heritage breed, that produces meat with a high moisture content, even after the application of heat. It is remarkably tender, juicy, flavorful and quite sumptuous. I happily dove into my chop, served with a perky baby bok choy and sweet rice, speckled with pineapple and cashews. The plum hoisin demi glace was the perfect pairing, and rather than the chop being awash in sweet and dense sauce, it is applied with a light hand and only augments the flavor and texture inherent to this beautiful meat.

Another dinner favorite is large prawns enhanced by the sear of a hot grill and served with tasty, crisp eggplant tempura over a bed of tender, perfectly cooked Japanese eggplant in a basil heavy Thai sauce. A mild, rich butter fish dressed with smooth soy syrup was especially good, served balanced atop a foundation of sweet rice rolls that could be deconstructed and swiped through the remaining sauce and enjoyed.

Papaya flies their fish in fresh from Hawaii. Every evening, the fish of the day is served with a coconut sauce, roasted pepper basil relish and baby bok. On one of my visits the fish offered was a very nice grouper which faired very well with this preparation. Likewise, the sushi here is of high quality and very popular. The offerings are mostly rolls, with a sashimi presentation available at market price.

Other entrees include wok-seared duck with onions, shitake mushrooms and broccoli; a satisfying and flavorful dish of shrimp, scallops, squid and mussels with a bright and spicy lemon grass and basil sauce; a beautiful strip steak, paired with delicate onion rings and assorted vegetables; and a well-composed bento box of scallop tempura, miso greens, kimchee and Korean short ribs, that is to die for.

I did have the good fortune to taste Papaya’s Molten Chocolate Cake during the meeting I had with Mr. Lam. The cake was delicious and all of the things that Americans love about this dessert, in that it was rich, warm, dense and sweet. Most exciting for me was the accompanying ice cream; made in house, its intense egginess was spectacular and provided a great backdrop for the vanilla that took center stage.

I must say that I love Papaya most for its lunch menu, whose select offerings are also on the dinner menu, but at around half the price. The daylight which comes through the large windows at the front and the quiet of the room are the complete opposite of Papaya at night. I venture in for a big bowl of Fiery Udon with shrimp or tofu, or even better, some soup. A big steamy bowl of flavorful Tom Yum Goong with shrimp, oyster mushrooms, galanga, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil is just the thing to have on a blustery day. The phenomenal Pad Thai--which helped to earn sister restaurant Saigon Café its stunning reputation--is also available at lunch and dinner with your choice of chicken, seafood, or tofu and vegetables.

The crowd at Papaya is as varied as the menu. I’ve spent an evening or two at the bar in the wee hours with the many service industry people that staff Downtown’s restaurants. I’ve comfortably dined in jeans with a girlfriend on a weeknight, in formal gear on a weekend and grabbed take out for the office at lunch.

I’m not the only one that enjoys Papaya for its flexibility and chameleonesque atmosphere. The restaurant plays host to Buffalo regulars and the hotel’s out of town guests. On a recent Friday afternoon, I sat at the bar for an hour or two and watched as, one right after the other, three diverse and unacquainted business people sat at the bar, chatted with the bartender, watched CNN on the flat screen and enjoyed a full-tilt surf and turf.

New Era Cap has made its home just two blocks down, and Uniland’s multi-story build across the street at 285 Delaware is full. The recent addition of Snooty Fox, the soon-to-open Club 31 and rumors of other upcoming business deals are further signs of this neighborhood’s growth. Even more changes are afoot as the veritable restaurateur trifecta of Lam, Truong and Lee polish an upcoming venture (stay tuned to BuffaloRising.com for details).

Papaya, with its fine dining atmosphere and flair for Eastern flavors, has been an integral component in the changes that have taken place in this new neighborhood. Isn’t it time you tasted it for yourself?


Papaya
118 West Chippewa Street, Buffalo 14202
716.856.2444