I needed a day to recover from the 38 hours worked in three days over Easter weekend so we decided to take a night out and go try something new. We had been told about Spoon and Fork by the former general manager of the Cavalry Club (where I used to work) and my good friend Jim, so we finally made the trip to Auburn to give it a shot.
Parking is a massive pain because of the whopping four spots available in the parking lot, but it’s Auburn so I expect no less. Once inside, we waited a few moments for the single waitress working to have time to seat us but once we sat down everything moved so fast it was almost overwhelming.
We started with steamed edamame as a shared appetizer because of Chelsea’s deep love for the savory little bean pods. They were cooked perfectly and lightly salted and came in a massive portion that could easily be shared by four people. Chelsea also saw crab rangoon on the menu and did a little happy dance when I suggested she get them as well. The rangoon were crispy and had a really nice, sweet flavor from the cream cheese and the house-made duck sauce was a nice touch compared to the sweet & sour sauce most places serve with crab rangoon. I am a sucker for pork gyoza, so I got an order for myself as well. The gyoza were seared to a nice crunch on one side with a delicious pork filling, but the sweet vinegar sauce was the star of the appetizer.
For an entrée, I convinced Chelsea to try something new and I’m proud she did. She opted for the Massamon Chicken Curry which is a mildly spicy turmeric and coconut milk curry sauce with thinly sliced chicken, peanuts, bell peppers, scallions, brussel sprouts and bamboo shoots. The dish is usually served with white rice but Chelsea decided to get fried rice for a mild upcharge. The curry broth was really delicious with just a ever-so-mild spice balanced by the sweet coconut milk. The heat was just enough to tickle the sinuses but not enough to make you sweat and the vegetables were cooked perfectly and everything was so steaming hot that it was almost uncomfortable to eat at first but was worth the mild scorch to the roof of your mouth. The fried rice was cooked perfectly and had a wonderfully savory flavor without being too much soy sauce. I’m proud Chelsea tried something new because she ended up loving it and the portion size was so big she took half home.
My Spicy Basil Chicken (pad krapow gai) also blew me away. The mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots and onions were once again cooked perfectly with thinly sliced chicken and what I can only describe as the most perfect spicy and savory sauce I have had in a long time. There was enough heat to definitely feel it but so much flavor to go with the spice from the oyster, soy and fish sauces and the sweetness from the sugar all combined to a perfect glaze to coat all of the vegetables and chicken. The white rice was cooked perfectly and worked really well to soak up the sauce and add texture to the dish.
We also tried Tamago, which is a type of sushi made with sweet scrambled egg. Yes, scrambled egg. I used to eat Tamago on a regular basis during my time working at Ra, the sushi restaurant I was at while I lived in Arizona. Not a lot of places do Tamago, let alone do it well, as it requires a specific pan to cook the eggs in and can go wrong very easily if the eggs get even slightly overcooked, resulting in a rubbery egg. The Tamago was served over a sashimi ball and held in place by moistened nori (sushi seaweed). The egg was absolutely amazing and had a really fun sweetness to it. For someone who doesn’t like sushi, even Chelsea really enjoyed it.
Overall, this was a much needed break after the intensity of my weekend at work. We tried a new place and it was worth every penny. Everything we ate was cooked perfectly, had such wonderful flavors and came out so quickly we didn’t have to wait. Spoon and Fork is well worth a visit and we will absolutely be back for me to eat my body weight in sushi, because the Mango Tango roll on their menu is calling my name. 10/10, we will definitely be back.
264 Genesee St, Auburn, NY 13021
(315) 515-3718