Bangkok Taste Cuisine, 15 Jefferson ~ 2/20/14

Matt had been here before with a group of friends but we had not been there together so today it was our lunch choice.

Walk into this place and you are greeted by a large, airy room, holding about 15 tables. If this was done in One Trick Pony style, the room would have been stuffed with double or triple the tables. As it is, each table has some privacy, and if they develop a crowd-waiting problem, they have plenty of room for expansion. Decor is minimal and tasteful with most pictures depicting food. This one is in the ladies’ room.

We took a seat in this alcove, holding 4 more tables. At one point a cute little Thai woman stepped out from behind the screen (that leads to the kitchen) and waved at us and said hi as she headed to the ladies’ room. Everything about this place is friendly.

And the menu is quite reasonable for a Thai restaurant, just two large pages, and we started with pork spring rolls. Ah, make that one pork spring roll. (1) is indicated behind it on the menu but we were ordering under time pressure and missed it. Our fault but another server might have mentioned it. Served with wonderful plum sauce that I can still taste as I write this, the roll was deep fried pork wrapped with ground pork, vermicelli, black mushrooms, and carrots in a spring roll wrapper. The pork flavor was a little strong for me but fine for Matt.

We both ordered Pad Thai, mine with tofu, Matt’s with pork, that is described as “the most famous Thai dish.” How could we resist? Stir-fried rice noodles with egg, bean sprouts, and green onions topped with crushed peanuts and lemon ~ amazing. The little taste of lemon juice overall, the lovely noodles, and the egg that was actually noticeable made this an incredible dish, served in a beautiful bowl.

There are five spice levels ~ no spice, mild, medium, hot, extra hot. Matt went medium because he had been here before and can take food a little spicier than I can so I was dilly dallying between mild and medium and our server pipes up with the fact that I could order mild+. Alrighty. Done. We were both happy and be warned that the medium spice level is quite hot.

The portions are large and we each took a box home. Service is exemplary and friendly, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the food is remarkable. This is now our favorite Thai restaurant in Grand Rapids (sorry Erb Thai).

We couldn’t find a website but they are on facebook, although it’s a pretty inactive account. And like most Thai restaurants in Grand Rapids (Little Bangkok, Forest Hills, the exception), they don't have a liquor license but are working on it.

Thai Chef Restaurant, 1971 East Beltline - 4/13/11

Opened last fall, the restaurant is located in the Knapp Corners retail center and is one of the best Thai restaurants in town. And there are plenty of them.

Like most Thai restaurants in Grand Rapids, the menu is huge (this one is seven pages) and they do not have a liquor license. Unlike many others, you will find a few more unusual offerings, and not ten spice levels, but four.

We enjoyed the warning on the menu: “We will not be held responsible for any dish that is too hot or not hot enough.”

It’s a pleasant atmosphere, complete with a carpeted floor, some traditional Asian artwork, and a few typical paper menu/dishes posters. Other than the employees regularly walking past us to use the what-must-be-the-only-restrooms-in-the-restaurant, the place has a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.  

We started with Chicken Satay and Mama’s Noodle Soup. The Chicken Satay wasn’t the best we’ve had. The marinade was not noticeable but the side of peanut sauce was quite flavorful.

The soup, however, was amazingly good. It consisted of Thai hot and sour broth, shredded lettuce, crushed peanuts, fresh bean sprouts, onions, cilantro, and the noodles. It was dished, with difficulty, with a spoon from a large bowl for two. We managed to serve ourselves and consume this wonderful soup but it all would have been easier with chopsticks for assistance with the noodles. (We didn’t think to ask for them until later.) This soup is worth a take-out or dine-in any time.

Our first entree was Gaeng Garee: potatoes, white onions, and snow peas in a yellow Thai curry sauce. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and not overdone, and the dish had the perfect level of heat but did not overwhelm the vegetables.

The second entree was from the Mang Noodle category that offered three choices, and ours was the Mang Peanut Curry Noodles. The thick round noodles were stir fired with white onions and red and green bell peppers, and served in a creamy Thai peanut and coconut curry sauce. We have to go back for more of these amazing noodles!

Don’t look for an inedible, desiccated slice of fruit with your meal here. The citrus accompaniments were fresh and the perfect antidotes to a very delicious, spicy lunch
    
Each of the entrees offered the following additions: chicken, tofu, vegetable (not sure if this would incorporate additional vegetables or just be the absence of any meat), beef, pork, shrimp, or scallops. Our choice for the Gaeng Garee was pork and for the Mang noodles, chicken.

Spice levels are described as follows: mild, medium, hot, Thai fire. We went with hot and it was perfect for us. But we could not have gone any hotter. We respected the fact that our server and the chef took us at our word and gave us the level for which we asked.

This has nothing to do with this particular restaurant but we have developed a finer appreciation of noodles after watching these two movies: “Tampopo” and “In the Mood for Love.” They come highly recommended and you will never look at noodles the same again.

The complete menu can be found online.
www.thaichefrestaurantonline.com

XO Asian Cuisine, 58 Monroe Center, NW - 1/19/11

This restaurant is a favorite for its food variety and pleasant atmosphere. It has at least 20 tables for four, a few booths along the side walls, and several large round tables for six or more in the rear. An attractive bar is situated against a wall at the entrance.

The ambiance is warm and the room is tastefully decorated in golds and browns, including golden drapes at the windows. A few large columns and screens help to break up the room, and the carpeting keeps the noise down. There are only a few tacky posters to mar the decor. And paper is laid over the cloth tablecloths. We understand the practicality of this practice but dislike the rustling paper.

We looked for something more unusual for an appetizer and selected Beef Negimaki. Our server returned immediately to let us know that it was unavailable. So we chose Shumai instead, shrimp and scallion dumplings, and it was an excellent choice. The dumplings were delicate and flavorful.

Our favorite hot and sour soup to date can be found at Wei Wei Palace but the soup here was a very close second. It was slightly hotter and a bit less sour than Wei Wei’s and very delicious.

The very large menu features dishes from Southeast Asia, Japan, and China. Other categories include soups, salads, noodles and rice, sushi, sashimi, and the restaurant’s Signature dishes. We both selected from the latter.

Scallop and Shrimp Hunan style was expertly sauteed with mushrooms and broccoli. And Thai Basil Chicken was equally as good. Vegetables in both dishes were crisp and not over cooked. Spice levels ran one to five, and we both chose level three. We could have gone a little hotter.

Our server was polite and prompt, and the food was well prepared. If you’re a fan of green curry, you’ll find a fine one here. In the summer, there’s a small outdoor dining area, and a food cart if you’re in a hurry. The restaurant also has delivery service. 

If you think the name of the restaurant is an asian word, here’s one last tip: don’t ask how to pronounce it. The answer is “X” “O.” Menus are online.

www.xoasiancuisine.com

Rak Thai Bistro, 5260 Northland Dr NE - 12/22/10

You’d be hard-pressed to stop here based on the exterior alone. The restaurant is located in a non-descript strip mall on Northland Drive at Plainfield. But upon entering, you will be greeted by a contemporary and minimalist interior with lime green walls, and light wood floors, tables and chairs. The room is long and narrow with nine tables for two crammed together along one wall, and four tables for four located on the opposite wall. This wall also holds two large screen TVs. Nothing else is hung on any of the walls. There’s a private dining area for a large group on your right.

There was one hostess/waitress/busgirl working and she seated us quickly along the table-for-two wall. Shortly thereafter, she seated a couple on our left and on our right. (Open tables were available elsewhere so this crowding was unnecessary.) The menu is refreshingly small and not over-whelming as in most Thai restaurants. It’s a two-page laminated sheet.

We began with two appetizers, five Firecrackers and five Crab Cheese. Firecrackers were new to the menu and not described. Our server told us the dish was a chili and shrimp wrapped in a wonton and deep fried. We heard the word “chili” but did not fully appreciate the implication. We each took a full bite and were brought to tears. After the first two, we pulled the chili out and enjoyed the chili flavor on the shrimp. The crab cheese was good but slightly over fried. Before these dishes arrived we were served tasty Lemon Grass soup.

Our server neglected to come back to take our main dish orders but we eventually flagged her down. Before those dishes arrived, we were served lettuce salads with a sweet, fish oil type of dressing; we were not big fans.  

Under Fusion Specials, Bangkok Bulgogi was a new item on the menu and consisted of sliced beef, onions, ginger, and garlic-sesame-soy sauce. The meat could have been a little more tender but the dish was otherwise quite good. The sauce was excellent.

Tangy Thai Cashew was listed under the Wok-Flame Tossed category, and besides cashews, the dish contained onions, bell peppers, bamboo strips, straw mushrooms and a tangy-soy sauce. Our choice of protein, from chicken, sliced beef, roast pork, tofu, veggies (protein?) or shrimp, was chicken. Everything was nicely balanced and flavors combined beautifully.

Dishes are well presented. Silverware, and lime green plastic chopsticks that match the walls, are provided with a cloth napkin. Spice levels are 1 to 5, and since it was our first time there, our server suggested Level 2. We went with 3 and were happy we did; it could have even been a little hotter so if you like the slight lip-burning hot, go with 4.

The menu promises a more detailed menu on the website but it’s exactly the same, and only one page of it displays. Two of the five categories on the website do not yet link to anything. One oddity on the menu was the inclusion of a cheezy noodle dish on the menu. Perhaps that’s part of the “fusion.” And to be fair, crab cheese or crab rangoon is now found on every chinese and thai menu; it’s well accepted and not questioned.

One server could not handle the entire room and we ended up clearing off each of our old dishes ourselves (by that time our neighbors were all gone since we had a major delay in getting our main order placed). The tables are very small and can’t hold more than one course at a time. Our server was busy yet very polite. We chatted with her a bit when she brought us our check, and she mentioned that the restaurant had been slow lately so the owners scheduled only one employee today; she didn’t mind because all the tips were hers but service suffered.

The restaurant is definitely worth a visit. The atmosphere is contemporary and sleek but it is not a place for private or quiet conversations. Take-out is an appealing option. They do not serve alcohol but the owners are attempting to obtain a liquor license.

www.rakthaibistro.com

Lai Thai Kitchen, 1621 Leonard NE - 3/9/2010

With a very modest location in a small strip center, Lai Thai Kitchen surprised us when we entered. There was a small, interesting Buddhist temple in the entryway, complete with offering, but nowhere were the typical Asian knickknacks; you know what I’m talking about. The room was tastefully and minimally decorated, deceptively modern from its facade. (It used to be a Chinese restaurant called Kim-Kim.)

The small room holds four half-booths along the front window, three booths against a side wall, and six or seven tables fill up the middle. Clean and neat, the place was vacant when we arrived for lunch, other than two visible employees (by the time we left, two people had stopped in for their to-go orders and two other booths were occupied). Seeing sriracha and hoisin sauces on the tables, along with the always-present soy sauce, was a good sign.

The menu is large and offers Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese dishes. Both being fans of potstickers, we started there and ordered them pan-fried, and received deep-fried. We’ve discovered that it’s difficult to obtain that mid-level of cooking between steamed and deep-fried, unless you’re making them at home. And we were disappointed, particularly since they were overly deep-fried. The ginger-soy sauce was very savory, however, made more so the soaking sesame seeds. We requested small plates for the potstickers but even after our request, we were left to awkwardly and messily eat over the appetizer dish.

For our main dishes, we chose one “house favorite,” Thai Steak, and the Vietnamese Pho Da Biet Bovien. Thai Steak was a mountain of food, with crispy vegetables and a garlic steak sauce. It was decent but not spicy enough. After requesting some hot sauce and adding some sriracha, things were much better.

There were four variations of the popular Vietnamese beef noodle soup on the menu and our server recommended the above-mentioned selection that promised “rare slices of steak, well-done brisket flank, and balls of beef.” Each Pho order also comes with a separate plate of bean sprouts, basil leaves, cilantro, a jalapeno pepper, and a lime wedge, items to be added to taste to the Pho. The broth was delicious and the noodles were fine. The slices of steak were not rare, however, but well-done; the brisket was tender and tasty. But the beef balls were barely palatable, mainly due to the texture. Perhaps the grade of meat was the problem or the other mystery items that were pressed with the beef. They were more like “fat-balls” and were without flavor or merit.

Service was fine on the whole, except for the plate thing, and the menu is varied enough to warrant a return visit. Most dishes are below $10.00; those with seafood range from $10.25 - $14.95, and we left $32.00 behind including tip. Menu is available online.

www.laithaikitchen.com

Angel’s Thai Café, 136 Monroe Center NW - 1/7/10

This new addition to the Monroe Center restaurant scene is in a good location across from Rosa Park’s Circle and is well worth a visit. Smaller and much more casual than the nearby XO, the restaurant was not busy today at lunchtime so we finally got a chance to try it (our previous attempt was met by a packed room with people waiting in line). There are roughly 6 tables and 5 booths so it does fill up quickly. Decor is minimal but that’s preferable to cheesy oriental-themed decor frequently found in Asian restaurants. The menu, unfortunately, in our opinion, is massive (50 entrees). They are divided into categories: Main, Curry, Noodles, Fried Rice, and Dinner-only entrees. Each entree may be ordered with chicken, beef, pork, tofu, or vegetables.

Two women and one man were tag-teaming the service; the women were brusk (and efficient) but the man was friendly and outgoing, happy to answer any of our questions. Without him, we would have felt that we were being rushed through our meal. He recommended two entrees that were his favorites and we went with them. Six spice levels range from none to hot, and we were leaning toward the “medium-plus” (level 4) until our server informed us that some people complain that “medium” is too spicy and overwhelming. So we backed it down and went “medium” (good call).

Hot and sour soup was brought out (unsolicited) before the appetizers and had just the right amount of tang and great flavor. We each have a favorite Asian appetizer so we had to pick Chicken Satay (4) and Crab Rangoon (5); both were great. The pastry of the Crab Rangoon was really nicely done and better than most. The Chicken Satay needs to come with a warning - this is not your thin, sometimes tough but tasty, piece of chicken on a stick - this is almost a whole chicken breast. Its description reads: marinated curry-flavored chicken breast charbroiled on skewers. So we missed the clue. Regardless, it was tender & moist and stayed hot due to its huge size, and had a good accompanying peanut sauce.

The first entree was Pad Thai Curry (stir-fried rice noodles, bean sprouts, green onions, eggs, curry sauce, crushed peanuts, and chicken). It was pretty spicy but very tasty. The second dish was the House Noodle dish, which consisted of Lomein noodles, stir-fried with chicken, beef, shrimp, carrots, peapods, bean sprouts, broccoli, and water chestnuts in the house sauce. It was another winner.

Prices range from $6.95 - $8.95 for lunches, and $9.50 - $11.50 for dinners. Appetizers are $1.25 - $4.95, Soups $2.95 - $3.75, and Salads $5.50 - $6.50 (we never look at desserts, sorry). Each dish was nicely presented, and we’ll definitely return to work on a few more of the remaining 48 entrees. The atmosphere is nothing special but it’s nice enough. Just don’t let them rush you through your meal (and avoid high noon).

www.angelsthaicafe.com