Robert Sietsema at Lotus of Siam; Lauren Shockey at Karloff

This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema is happy to discover that Lotus of Siam delivers "a level of pungency rarely seen in Siamese restaurants on this coast," but advises not to "stop trekking to Queens just yet." Lauren Shockey settles into Karloff, where the food "isn't fancy but has that cooked-by-an-Eastern-European-grandmother-once-she-made-it-to-America taste."

The Times' "25 and Under" drops in on Buka, and while the reviewer can only manage a few sips of the goat pepper soup (arguably the best thing on the menu), she does find a few things non-adventurous types can eat.
[NY Times]

Gael Greene finds hits and misses at both Vareli ("madly loved by the neighborhood as an oasis of bonhomie and good Mediterranean eats -- something between grub and cuisine -- in what is pretty much a food lovers wasteland,") and Lyon ("lackluster country terrine ... the steak is meaty and marvelous, not too tender, not too tough").
[Insatiable Critic]

Have a restaurant tip or other food-related news? Send it to fork@villagevoice.com.