Kelley & Ping - SoHo
Category: Specialty Food [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/SoHo127 Greene Street
(between Houston St & Prince St)
New York, NY 10012 (212) 228-1212
- Nearest Transit:
Prince St (R, W)
Downtown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6, B, D, F, V)
Spring St-6th Ave (C, E)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
31 Reviews for Kelley & Ping - SoHo
Apparently this place used to be much better than it currently stands . . . alas. The decor is deff the best aspect of the establishment.
I was told Pad Thai was the only dish they did especially well and, well, it kinda sucked.
Their prices are also on the higher side considering the so-so dishes.
I would goto Peep any day over K&Ps!
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Wow, how is this place as huge as it is? I mean, really, it was nowhere near crowded...I would say, a sprinkle, and by sprinkle, I mean like 1-2-3- other people were here. I thought 7pm was still part of the dinner hour, no?
Anyhow, back to my rating. I had the curry with golden egg noodles. Chicken = cardboard. Noodles = cup o'noodles, noodles, and yeah, really not much else to say about my plate, other than, as hungry as I was, I couldn't eat it just to eat, that's how bad it was.
Then, my eyes were opened when I saw on the drink board "Thai Iced Tea with Milk" and "Vietnamese coffee." So I ordered the Thai Iced tea to go but I didn't know that meant, BROWN WATER + SUGAR, I thought I was going to have some tea!
ONE PLUS, was the nice waitstaff and the fact that they take American Express, but not like, I'm coming here again. This place, definitely needs to stay hidden.
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I was happy to come across this place while xootering home from Soho. I wanted something warm and comforting; noodles sounded like they'd hit the spot. I wanted #1 but they were out (?) so I got #18 instead, along with Thai Iced Tea. I was really happy with the portions, the veggies were piled high on the noodles, and they were perfectly cooked; not overdone so nice and crunchy and bright green. It's a little pricey but I liked the ambiance and food was good. I'd come back.
I wasn't blown away and I wasn't disappointed. I think it's all about what you order.
The prices however are retarded for what you get.
I got the summer roll things that were almost entirely lettuce for 7.50. I know it's soho, but there is seriously better and cheaper food less than 3 blocks away.
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Wandered in on a whim and thought the place looked pretty nifty. Place serves a variety of Asian food. Located in SoHo, it's quite trendy and definitely caters to a trendier crowd. The food is decent- I had a Japanese curry with chicken and a Thai iced tea- which ran me $13. The ice tea was good, a bit too sweet. The curry was exactly what I was looking for (rice, thick curry with chicken and vegetables) and arrived in a ginormous bowl.
I was there around 5/6pm and the staff were all eating dinner, so it was a pretty interesting experience.
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Well, it is convenient! Finding a pleasant sit-down place for a $10 lunch (noodles and drink) while shopping in Soho, is well, a bit of a challenge...usually we duck down to Sunrise mart to get some pre-packaged sushi if we have less than an hour. I liked the decor, the roominess of Kelly and Ping, and the friendly bustle. Although my wide rice noodle dish came up without many vegetables (or anything else) on them, I saw a dish I would like, #18, and will try that when i am stuck in that area again and need some chow.
UGHHHHH I CAN PISS BETTER SOUP THAN THIS!
All of you, come over when I wake up in the morning and pay me $10.50 for it. I won't even ask for a tip.
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Love this place. The food is always great. Priced just right and I have never ever had any problems there.
If you love Asian food you have to give this place a try you will not walk away not loveing it and stuffed.
Try #53. Malasian Curried Noodle Soup. AMAZING., the Tai Iced Tea and the Pad Tie.
Go on a Satruday for lunch and you'll always see a few celebs with their kids.
The place has been areound for years and is always a local fav.
Same owners as the soon to close Kin Kou ( I think that's how its spelled) Kin, another of my long time favs is closing after 15 years so until they find a new home they are turning Pings into a combination of the two. This should make the place even better.
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This place is catered towards Non-Asians. The poser/hipster crowd description is totally accurate. Food is passable but barely. There are many other places in this great city to get better Asian food than this, authentic even. You definitely feel like you are paying for part of their rent here and don't leave satisfied.
Kelly & Ping has been an establishment in Soho for a dog's age. Before stepping in, ask yourself the following:
1. Am I a hipster? (Carabiner key chain, check. Trucker cap, check. Stupid shoes, check. Bad complexion, check. Showered last week at the most recent, check. Hate my parents, check.)
2. Am I a poseur? (Prada bag, check. Choo's/Blahniks, check. $500 ripped jeans that look like they came out of a meat grinder but make my ass look good, check. Too much cologne/perfume, check. Hate my parents, check)
This restaurant is filled with equal parts hipster and poseur. The hipsters want to pose, and the poseurs want to (be) hip. It's the freakin' nexus of cross-cultural New York City... sorta.
Ok, so, pan-Asian. What exactly that means, we're not exactly sure. Lotsa Asian stuff.
The good:
1. Cheap drinks ($5!!)
2. Cheap food
3. An ambiance a hipster OR a poseur could love.
4. Reasonable variety
5. Tasty Asian sangria
The medium:
1. The food in general
2. Flavorless vegetarian spring rolls
3. Passable but doughy shrimp dumplings
4. Uninspired Pad Thai.
It was all fine and the ambiance makes the place, but I'm not sure I'm dirty enough or own enough Prada to come here on a regular basis. Imma shower even less. That oughta do it.
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I love the Pad See Yew! and with a Thai Iced Tea??? Equals yummy in my book. I love this place. The food is always good. There's never a mix up with my order and its a great spot for on the go eating. I will continue to eat here!
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No.
Walk 4 blocks south, hang a left and go 5 to 8 more. Any spot with in a few blocks of the X is cheaper and better.
One more star though, if its on someone else's dime, it's a passable meal.
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Pleasantly surprised. I usually don't like soup/noodle type cuisines or restaurants, but I had the fried brown rice with chicken (#13) and it was great!!! I will definitely go back just for that. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is because there were some flies that were flying around the table annoying me.
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Very tasty, great location.
Lunch or dinner.
The green onion pancakes are great.
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Fast food Asian fare, SoHo-style. The Dim Sum Box set is on par with the frozen dim sum (shumai & dumplings) that you can find in any Trader Joe's frozen food section. The Pho is below average since the beef stock tastes like it came out of a can. Where are the hints of fishsauce and cilantro? Where's the love? Not in the Kelley & Ping's bowl of the Vietnamese classic.
On the upside, the tea and atmosphere is pleasant and comforting. I haven't tried everything on the menu, so I cannot unequivocally say that this place either "sucks" or "rocks". After tasting similar cuisine throughout Asia, San Francisco, and Vancouver B.C., I would say that Kelley & Ping's dishes are better suited towards uninitiated palates and quick lunch breaks.
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Ah, the staples of pan-Asian street food. But do those include metal?
At first, it was just the terrible music from some restaurant in Jersey in 1985. The service was satisfactory, the atmosphere certainly had its redeeming qualities (although hardly populated by the native SoHo crowd on this weekend night). But once the food arrived, everything went downhill.
We started with 2 dishes...Pad See Ew and Malaysian Curry Noodles. The Pad See Ew had to be sent back because it was lacking in flavor and dry as a bone. Since I was enjoying my Malaysian Curry Noodles, my dinner companion replaced his dish with the same. A successful choice until the chopsticks revealed an unwelcome surprise--a large METAL STAPLE! Needless to say, dinner was ruined. Our server apologized profusely, but the manager didn't even bother to come over to the table and grovel at our feet. Maybe we just happened upon K&P on a bad night, but with the abundance of restaurants in NYC serving pan-Asian fare, why risk it with one whose ingredients could lead to a dreadful tetanus shot and some nasty internal bleeding?
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In last Sunday's issue of the New York Times Magazine (11/12/06) I read that Will Ferrell ate at this SoHo noodle house. So, naturally, I decided to eat here, too. I had some free time today, so I trekked to SoHo and made a late lunch of it at Kelley & Ping, where the aura of Ferrell-ness was still in the air.
This is not really a sit down restaurant. You walk up to a counter, order, and then take a seat until your name is called. It's not fancy either, but it's clean and tastefully appointed. There are many things on the menu, but since pad see ew is the greatest dish in the universe, I barely glanced at the other choices, which included noodle soups, curries, and probably every other kind of pan-Asian noodle goodness you can imagine. Like I said, I really didn't look that carefully. I just decided right off the bat that there was too much stuff that sounded good, so I'd have to come back. Since I was absolutely starving, I also ordered a tofu and mint wrap, because, at $4.50, it was cheaper than any of the appetizers, which ranged from around $7-$9.
You want to talk about fast? This was just after one o'clock, so, sure, it was after the hardcore lunch rush. But all the food was up and ready to eat before my companion and I managed to choose a table, pour some water, grab two straws, take our coats off and sit down. It was almost too fast.
The pad see ew was really great. My companion remarked upon the quality of the chicken. She posited for my consideration that, unlike generic Chinese food chicken, the chicken at Kelley and Ping tasted like actual meat, although I can't say I agreed. However, the flavor of the noodles was superb. In the humble opinion of this reviewer, the noodle is where it's at at this joint.
My only gripe is with the ratio of money spent to ammount of food consumed. Granted, I was starving. But the wrap was like the size of an egg roll and the pad see ew, while a healthy portion, was not even close to being more than I could handle. I could have handled it twice. It wasn't like I was ready to ask for my money back or anything, but one minute after lunch, I was thinking: I guess I'll have a sweet this afternoon to tide me over. Am I going back? You bet your ass I am. If it's good enough for Will Ferrell, it's good enough for this fashion model.
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As much as I would like to like this place, it just isn't working. The food is reasonably good: nothing out the ordinary, just your usual pan-Asian/Vietnamese noodles (I actually like the Malaysian curry noodles quite a bit). Yet, I can never stop thinking the whole experience would be a lot better if the prices were a couple of dollars cheaper ($12 for a bowl of noodles at lunch?). I guess you pay for the venue, which is relatively pleasant, but it is really worth it?
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Great place for casual cafeteria style lunch - the soups are huge and super tasty. You pick your broth and your noodle type and leave the rest to them.
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If you're stuck in Soho shopping, and you're hungry for Asian fast food, this is a decent alternative to trekking down to Chinatown for some noodles. Be warned, though it is Asian food, you'll pay for the location.
Tip: The Korean and Chinese wraps are great for a quite bite.
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I went here with several friends and we ordered different dishes and they turned out all good. However, it's good for lunch/dinner but not great yet. In my opinion, their prices there are disproportionate with their portions. (If you don't eat much, then it's good enough)
But it will be a nice place for a dinner with friends. They have great environment with spacious dining area and high ceilings, etc.
The prices here are INSANE for the portions and quality. While the atmosphere is nice, the tables are shoehorned too close together (in typical Manhattan style), ruining any sense of intimacy. Our waitress was kind of rude, and seemed like she was in a rush to get us to order, eat and leave (at the end of a shift?). The service was fast though :)
As far as the food, I had rather bland Pad See Yew (sp?). For these prices, I expect a little bit of flavor and some attention to presentation, even in SOHO. I get 100x better noodles in Williamsburg for half the price for 3 times the size.
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Enjoyed a terrific dinner with friends at this great little SOHO restaurant. Amazing amount of space, high ceilings, spacious dining area all helped to make it worth the visit. Could have lived without the TOP 40 music, maybe something a little more appropriate :)
Started the meal with their Pomegranate Cosmo. Wanted the Lemongrass Cooler, but they were out of Lemongrass...odd. maybe next time. Cosmo was a very refreshing runner up!
Had #54: Bangkok Curried Noodles and it arrived at the table in what felt like just a few minutes after ordering. The flavor of the green curry was very nice...a little sweet a little spicy. Chicken and veggies were cooked perfectly. Noodles were a little bland but the texture was pleasant and there were lots of them. I did not leave hungry which I always love.
Prices were surprising low for that high end shopping neighborhood. There were only a couple of items over $15.
Sat around for a long time chatting after finishing dinner without ever feeling the pressure to leave the table. Probably helped that it was a Tuesday night @ 8pm and it wasn't totally crowded
Looking forward to getting back there to try some of the other dishes,
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I have visited the 25th st counterpart many times and have enjoyed their food. This one was a casual find as i was walking by one night with a friend. I liked the rustic looks of the place that make you think of an old warehouse or some wooden country shack somewhere in Thailand.
The food is fairly good. Asian fusion if I'm not mistaken. Borrowing flavors from here and there. I have had some of their stuff and it has usually been good. I find the food quite refreshing. Even the tom yum soup. I do understand its quite pricey for what you can find near by on other Asian restaurants though. Not the best food of its kind but very solid and a good experience.
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I've been a fan of this restaurant for a good 10 years. I have yet to be disappointed. Vegan options available and the food is ready super quick. In a neighborhood where I often have problems finding vegan fare this is the place to go. Yes, maybe it's a little expensive...but look around...it's SoHo which stands for ExPenSiVe. Go to the Angelika for a movie and come here for noodles afterwards, it's all good.
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Too close to Chinatown to justify the prices. It it were, say, more than 3 subway stops away, I'd appreciate it much more. Since it isn't, save yourself a buck, burn a few calories and walk a few blocks to a cheaper, more authentic meal. Not to mention: it feels unnatural to slurp egg noodles in such a trendy setting.
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A hopping place for noodles and other quick Pan-Asian fare. Good place to rest your feet after a long day of shopping in Soho or fuel up before you trek the streets again.
The first time I was there, I had 40 of my friends join me for dinner. The serving staff was nice but since the person taking the order isn't the same person who serves the food, they mixed up some of the orders.
Last night, however, it was dinner for two. They sat us in the cozy corner bench and the server was kind and patient. They brought out the food in less than 10 minutes. The Pad See Yew was flavorful while the Gai Kaprow had nice mix of soy sauce and spices.
The semi trendy atmosphere was a nice mix with the Asian decor.
Decent pan-asian food, I used to go here all the time when I worked in SoHo. As Mariana points out, good for a pit stop after shopping!
This is one of my fave noodle places in NYC. When I lived there, I ate lunch at least once a week here.
The spring (or are they summer rolls?) are fab. I mean the uncooked, stuffed to the gills ones. They are usually gone by the end of lunchtime, so grab one while you can.
The noodle bowls are HUGE, and so damn tasty I am having withdrawal symptoms just thinking about it. I order one with sliced pork and chow fun noodles and lots of greenery. Between the spring/summer rolls and the noodle bowl, you won't have to eat again for most of the day. Get a Thai ice tea to wash it down, and go walk it all off in the Soho shops nearby. KnP is a great respite after a day spent in the Apple store, fighting over the last mini iPod left.
p.s. They have a different vibe for dinner, with a Pan-Asian menu, ordered from a waitperson, instead of the casual counter service during the day. I prefer lunch. I have also been to the location in Gramercy Park, but I think the Soho one has it goin' on between the two.
Loved the Malaysian Curry Noodles and the Small Plate Combo. Food was good and relatively quick. A little pricey and our waiter was definitely not impressed with us (I guess we just weren't cool enough for him). They let us hang out for a long time after our meal was done, which was nice. I would go back, but I wouldn't expect to be treated like family.
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