NoonEats: Spicy Noodle Basil From Open the Sesame

With bright, aqua-colored seats, lights shining through the wooden floor and red walls adorned with large paintings, the dining room at Open the Sesame is about as eclectic as its Chinese, Japanese and Thai "Asian home cooking" menu.

Springfield has its share of Chinese food and at least one sushi joint, but Open the Sesame—located in the Morris Avenue shopping plaza that also houses Foodtown and New York Sports Clubs—is the only restaurant in the township that offers a solid Thai selection.

A $7.95 lunch menu more than 30 noodle, fried rice and stir-fry options, all of them served with miso soup or a salad with ginger carrot dressing.

The salad includes a generous amount of green romaine lettuce, along with shredded carrots and tomato. The ginger carrot dressing looked like Thousand Island, and while it offered hints of carrot and ginger flavors, it could have used an extra kick of flavor. If I were to compare this to the starting salad up the street at Hinari Sushi, I'd give Open the Sesame the edge here for size, color, freshness and perhaps the dressing, too. (A comparison of the sushi selections will have to wait for another column, as this one will focus on a Thai dish.)

The spicy noodle basil—my choice for lunch last week—includes broad noodles, sliced steak, peppercorns and a chili-based sauce.

While basil is practically synonymous with Italian food, it is actually native to India, Southeast Asia and Northeast Africa. It was only introduced to Europe in the 16^th century. The Thai basil used in Asian cooking is slightly different from the sweet basil that forms the basis of an Italian pesto sauce. With a more bold, peppery, anise flavor, Thai basil holds together well in cooking.

The spicy noodle basil at Open the Sesame is in fact spicy. In addition to the noodles, steak, peppercorns (which come in tiny green bunches, like miniaturized grapes) and chili sauce, the dish also includes onions, egg, hot peppers, string beans and fresh scallions—a good healthy mix of protein, starch and vegetables. I was sure I tasted tarragon—another anise-like herb—as well, but after reading about the differences between Thai and sweet basil, I think perhaps I was tasting a fresh basil leaf.

This spicy dish goes well with a Thai iced tea—a bright orange glass of Thai tea sweetened with evaporated milk, a refreshing summertime kick of caffeine and sugar to keep you going through the workday.

Hinari Sushi and Open the Sesame have now been reviewed in the NoonEats series, but none of the Chinese restaurants in town have been. If you have a suggestion as to where I should start, leave a comment below.