|
Volume CXXXII, Number 15 |
 |
Quite a Thai dish
KERRY ELSON
COLUMNIST
When the Foodie ordered Thai Dish's Drunken Chicken, members of her dining party made the requisite collegiate jests. Yes, indeed, the Foodie intended to eat herself to inebriation. She wanted to stumble out of the cozy roadside house with moist basil leaves and coconut shavings adhered to her cheek. The Foodie hoped she could evade bitter beer and instead get wasted on chicken.
Alas, the spicy dish did not fulfill the alcoholic promise that its name planted in her curl-topped head. But the ground chicken and green beans were drunk on the intoxicatingly aromatic broth in which they soaked. The intense flavor of the entrée sufficed for the swooning Foodie; she was happy to start the party later.
But this Howard resident knows better than to assume that good times necessitate booze. She could have fun chem-free style! Unlike at more pretentious places such as Henry Marty, the Foodie's dining party felt welcome to laugh out loud at Thai Dish. This tiny home, with white wood panelling and a Christmas light-bedecked porch, provides a comfortable space for lingering over meals. The Foodie felt as though she were dining in a living room, not a restaurant.
The Foodie presumes that Thai Dish is a family-owned establishment. This notion is supported by a Foodie Friend's sighting of a young Thai girl who took orders one night. Was the man taking the Foodie's order last Saturday none other than the Thai Dish partriarch? What an honor! That friendly patriarch, the host-become-waiter-become-chef, brought appetizers to the Foodie's table just as her hunger reached its peak. She excuses the somewhat slow delivery because she believes no one else was in the kitchen that night.
His butterfly chicken, summer rolls, and coconut soup enchanted tastebuds and whetted appetites for the delights to come. They were freshly prepared and oozing with the essence of basil, fish sauce (a salty accompaniment that often flavors Vietnamese and Thai cuisine) and hot pepper. The summer rolls, served cold, provided a pleasant contrast to the heavy, fried butterfly chicken. The plain, milky appearance of the coconut soup belied its complex flavor.
Padh Thai was the star of the evening. Though the Foodie prefers more spicy, brothy entrees, each Foodie Friend ordered her own plate of the peanut, bean sprout, and lime rice noodles. This version of the Thai classic even pleased the Foodie, who ordinarily avoids the dish for its heavy texture. It was light; the noodles were not swamped in gluey peanut sauce but rather dressed in it delicately. The Foodie will certainly return to Thai Dish of Pleasant Street, superior to Bangkok Garden of Maine Street, for its home-like atmosphere, reasonable prices, and cuisine that is confidently spiced.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |