Meet Mindy K, a friend to foodies

October 19, 2016 12:00 am • Last Updated: October 20, 2016 12:45 pm

The Skewered Chicken Satay “salad” served on rice noodles atop greens, shredded carrots and bean sprouts ($8.95), with peanut dressing, from Mindy K Deli & Catering in Old Saybrook. (Marisa Nadolny/The Day)
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As a food reviewer, I keep a running list of Places I Have Yet to Review in the greater New London area. Problem is, I keep finding eateries on the other side of the Connecticut River that pique my palette. Doubly fun is when one of those discoveries is a longtime institution that shows no signs of slowing down. I give you: Mindy K Deli and Catering in Old Saybrook.

The recommendation came from lobster shack aficionado Mike Urban, who shared the tip with my hubby, who shared it with me. Off we went, because, really, when an established foodie like Urban drops a rec — situated right near our neighborhood grocery store — clearly Providence has intervened.

To behold Mindy K’s could explain why we’ve driven by it for years without popping in. Situated in an uninspiring plaza between a vape shop and a liquor store, I judged the book by its cover and have missed out — big time. I intend to make up for lost time but have gotten off to a good start during recent visits.

For the first-time visitor, the wall-sized menu might overwhelm the senses; it’s colorful, extensive and detailed. Above the register area is another board of weekly specials, and tacked all over the counter and kitchen area are still more specials and clever menu tips, such as one sign recommending the house pho for those suffering from a hangover ($7.50 for a medium; $8.50 for a large).

We weren’t in such dire straits on our first visit, so we held off on the soup and selected two of the more eclectic options on the menu. You can get pretty much any manner of deli sandwich at Mindy K, but if you squint long enough at the specials, you’ll find a gem like the Bun Mi sandwich ($7.50); the title’s a play on the Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich, which traditionally pairs a baguette with native Vietnamese foods. Mindy K revises the concept with a Thai-inspired mix of ingredients served within a lightly toasted fresh, flavorful seven-inch grinder roll. When coconut-marinated pork meets with lettuce and tomato, cucumber, carrots and spicy mayo, you’ve got a sandwich that you’ll be tempted to order every time. Things got a little drippy thanks to the mayo — which delivered just a bit of heat and flavor depth — but we were happy to knife-and-fork up the spillover. No one part of the sandwich overwhelms the others, and the sum of the parts is refreshingly delicious.

We put those our plastic knives and forks to good use that day after my Crispy Twin Tacos ($8.95) burst their (hard-shell) corn confines all over my paper plate; and yet, when these tacos turn taco salad, the result is almost better. They are available with chicken or beef, and I went with the former with no expectation of anything particularly sock-knocking to come. I was wrong. The chicken, marinated in something lightly spicy, was moist, tasty and tender amid generous piles of cheese, rice that was somewhere between Dirty and Spanish-style, shredded lettuce and decent-for-the season diced tomato. I didn’t need the accompanying salsa because I was plenty pleased with the dish’s mix of flavor and textures. When the tacos broke apart, as is typical, forkfuls of the ingredients were just as enjoyable as the intact tacos. A sprinkle of sriracha sauce — available on every table, which is always a good sign — turned up the volume of the whole mix in the best possible way.

Sandwiches that require many napkins became something of a theme as I plunged ahead with my research. As a big fan, there was no way I could resist a sandwich named the “Bill Murray,” particularly because it’s pretty much a Philly-style chicken and cheese sammie ($7.50 for a 7-inch), and I’ve yet to meet one I haven’t liked. This version comes with onions, peppers and jalapenos (which I declined). Now, I mostly enjoyed my Murray, but bits of onion and pepper are very likely still under my car seat despite my best efforts. A contributing factor might have been what I felt was an overage of onion; lots of veggie juice loaded down the whole construction. Also, there wasn’t much cheese to speak of, which could’ve helped bind the other ingredients together. Maybe mine was assembled by a newbie, but if you’re serving a chicken and cheese sandwich, don’t skimp on the cheese. Still, there was more good-quality chicken to enjoy and another pillow-soft grinder roll to enjoy.

The Cranberry wrap ($7.95), while all-around more tasty, fell apart almost immediately, this time, in my humble opinion, due to too much shredded lettuce and/or not well-thought-out construction. The Cranberry comes with either roast turkey or pork (I went with pork) paired with stuffing, cheese, mayo and lettuce and tomato. A thicker green might be a better option to add some crunch to this wrap, because when the shredded greens met with warm stuffing, the wrap was no match for the avalanche of Thanksgiving salad that slid out. However, points for good pork and tasty stuffing and a clever idea.

I’ve saved the best dish for last, though. Upon the specials board I spotted a Skewered Chicken Satay “salad” served on rice noodles atop greens, shredded carrots and bean sprouts ($8.95), with peanut dressing. I’ve had good luck with unconventional salads in the past and I have yet another knock-out to report. From the tender, moist, light and zesty chicken-on-skewers — we detected an almost citrus-y note to the chicken — to the toothy noodles and pleasant crunchy greens, this salad is a winner. Try it without the dressing first; then mix a little into the noodles and veg, and you’ll quickly be transported to foodie heaven. Bonus for me: I detected no fish sauce flavor in this Thai-centric dish. I need my umami in small doses, and many Thai dishes present too much of the pungent sauce for my poor palette. The takeaway sensation from this salad is refreshment.

Napkin necessity aside, Mindy K is onto something, and has been for many years. The hits we’ve sampled and the depth and clever curation of the menu warrant many more return visits. Heck, we might even make Mindy K eats an ongoing grocery-store item.