I’ve followed Thai Kitchen from its humble beginnings on Florida Boulevard to its more expansive digs in Southdowns Shopping Center. After its recent move off College Drive, I wanted to see if the local favorite still captures the allure that made it so appealing all those years ago.
The new location is distinguished by ornate wooden furniture and an intricately carved bar area. The wooden theme carries over into the dining room, where I was thrilled to see the beautiful glass-topped tables with wood-carved scenes underneath are still part of the decor. They’re like a shadowbox window into ancient Thai life.
While leading us to the dining room, the hostess mentioned they would have musicians performing, and she graciously offered us a choice of a quieter table. Though the music was pleasant and a nice alternative to the smooth jazz piped through their speakers, after a while the reverberation off all the wood got a little loud.
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For a Thai restaurant, it’s interesting that the sushi menu is as large as the Thai section. The team at Thai Kitchen has been drumming up support for its sushi offerings with plenty of specials. But we were there for the Thai cuisine alone.
As starters we chose Chicken Satay, Nam Sod and Thai Summer Rolls. The summer rolls—a cold dish of shrimp, barbecue pork, mint, basil, cilantro, lettuce and noodles—are a refreshing and very approachable foray for those unfamiliar with the intensity of some Thai dishes.
Given a protein choice for the Nam Sod, the ground chicken was recommended, and it merged well with the fresh ginger, lime, peanuts, red onions and hot peppers. We asked for level two heat out of five and found it very mild. Offered with cabbage or lettuce, they added a pleasingly crisp bite to the tender ground meat.
Our party included a small child who thoroughly enjoyed our final appetizer of Chicken Satay, but the adults found the mildly seasoned grilled chicken on a stick a bit boring.
Our entrees ran the gamut of Thai flavors. The Panang Curry with Shrimp was the boldest of the dishes and was our favorite. I can’t even describe how complex the flavors were and how good the dish was. All you need to know is to order it. My only complaint: It was mostly broth with scant shrimp and fewer green beans. Thankfully rice was served as a filler.
The Drunken Noodles dish also offered immense flavors, with shrimp and large chunks of tomato interspersed amongst broad, tender noodles. The level three heat in the dish appeared subtle at first then built on our palates. The robust basil added a peppery kick to the overall flavor.
The Amazing Duck Fusion exploded with flavors but in an entirely different way. The grilled boneless duck with vegetables had an enticing and addictive orange glaze. The tender lychee fruit added a textural counterpoint to the earthy meat and piquant citrus.
With so many flavors pounding our taste buds, the simple mildness of the Sensation Steamed Fish was an excellent contrast. Flaky tilapia with ginger, mushrooms and cabbage in an uncluttered broth offered a simplicity that was a welcome contradiction.
Though the entrees contained a multitude of herbs, spices and seasonings, we all still had plenty of room for dessert. Our servers offered different suggestions, but both lauded the virtues of the coconut ice cream. So, we chose the River Kwai, which featured sweet rice and banana in a crispy fried wrapper along with intensely flavored coconut ice cream. The rice and banana spring rolls were addictive and could have been a standalone offering.
The Asian Pearls, described as the most Thai of all the desserts, intrigued us. Tapioca pearls and assorted tapioca shapes swam in coconut syrup along with bits of jackfruit. The presentation was off-putting at best, looking more like the aftermath of a kid’s sugary breakfast cereal. The tapioca was like a firm, flavorless gelatin with the delightful syrup running the show. It was an interesting alternative without being so different as to offend. While the textures might not be to everyone’s liking, we all really enjoyed it.
Thai food can be mysterious. Its alluring combination of salty, sour, sweet and spicy takes many by surprise. But this interplay of exotic spices and unusual herbs also can bring a most welcome metamorphosis to your palate. For both the uninitiated and the well-versed, Thai Kitchen brings together the complexity of tastes, scents, sights and sounds that highlight Thai cuisine and culture in an approachable, friendly manner.
The basics: After a long tenure in a leased space in Southdowns Village Shopping Center, Thai Kitchen owner Sam Sanguanruang purchased a building on Concord Avenue. We wanted to find out how the popular restaurant has settled in at its new, permanent location.
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What’s a must? The brightly flavored Nam Sod with lettuce leaves for wrapping, the complex Panang Curry with Shrimp, the River Kwai dessert with sweet rice and banana and the expertly prepared sushi menu.
thaikitchenla.com
4550 Concord Ave. | 346-1230
Open daily for lunch and dinner
This article was originally published in the December 2016 issue of 225 Magazine.