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Thom Thom

The beat beat beat of the Thom Thom . . . is loud on weekend nights. Th is Wantagh magnet pulsates at the citified bar and the sound reaches into the dining room. Some of the talk has to be about the food at the refurbished restaurant. Now decorated with black-and-white photos of Manhattan, Thom Thom comes across a bit sleeker and clubbier. The new emphasis: steak and seafood, while keeping enough Asian side trips to remind you of the 2004 opening. Service slips when the crowd grows. Avoid prime time. But, either way, what matters most is that chef de cuisine Bryan Dedcovich has the kitchen humming, night and day. And the $18.95 fixed-price menu, served early and on Sunday, is a deal.

THE BEST

Get started with a familiar Thom Thom opener: crunchy kung pao calamari, sweet and spicy, sparked with chiles and peanuts. Or take a more soothing route with coconut-shrimp satay, the crab cake with Napa cabbage slaw and not-so-spicy mayo, and the sushi "pizza," a crisp rice shell capped with salmon, tuna, shellfish and avocado. The salads, from Caesar to California, are good. Likewise, the spicy tuna roll. Then, turn to beef. Thom Thom sends out juicy, flavorful steaks, especially the 22-ounce "cowboy" rib, strip and filet mignon. The horseradish and peppercorn sauces complement them. There's genuine competition from the pistachio-crusted rack of lamb. Surfside, try the kung pao-style salmon with wok-seared vegetables; pan-seared ahi tuna with soba noodles in a sesame vinaigrette; or crisp, tempura-style red snapper. Tasty sides: mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Best desserts: blueberry crisp, flourless chocolate cake.

THE REST

Thin lobster bisque and dull "many onions" soup, chewy short-rib steak teriyaki, oversweet "bang bang" shrimp, standard crème brûlée.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Surf 'n turf 'n sushi.

Reviewed by Peter M. Gianotti, 1/22/09.

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