Supper Club - Thailand

After a rather long absence from the Supper Club Marin, I was able to join in last night for the Thailand theme.  We are a group of both professional chefs and advance home cooks who love to cook and share.  We meet about every 6 weeks and bring a dish around a theme chosen after the previous dinner.  We particularly enjoy geographic themes and sharing a story or piece of history about the dish or culture.  Naturally I brought my camera for this to capture the beautiful dishes prepared by all.  Wish that I could have also captured the aromas!  Thailand food has some wonderful scents!  Here is a pictorial view of the delicious dinner with the name of the dish and the chef behind it!  I added some notes where the photo isn't self-explanatory.

Appetizers

Meang Khum (betel leaf wraps - Malabar spinach substituted) - Tom H. Tom couldn't find betel leaves, so found this interesting Malabar spinach.  It is a bit misnamed as it is not in the spinach family at all, but a tropical vine.  The taste is mild and spinach-like however.

Khai Luuk Khuey (son-in-law eggs) - Tom M. Tom did not know the origin of the name 'son-in-law eggs', but these deep fried boiled eggs with a pleasant sauce were delicious anyway!  I did a little research this morning and found that "Almost Bourdain" has some interesting possible stories.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce - Victoria.  Victoria elevated this chicken by putting a spice rub on the chicken and making a peanut sauce that balances sweet and salty deliciously. 

Salads

Thai Beef Salad - James.  Not satisfied that any of the recipes he found really captured the best Thai beef salad, James took elements from several that he thought made one that matched his favorite Thai beef salad tastes.

Som Tam (green papaya salad) - Eddie.  Eddie learned that green papaya is not merely an unripe papaya, but actually a type.  He brought in a green papaya and another variety and taught us about the differences.

Side Dishes

Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk - Janis. This mixture of vegetables was so bright and the taste of fresh spices rang through.

Jasmine Rice - Bill O.  Yes, a bowl of rice doesn't look like much, but if I could put a 'smell' button here people would really get the aromatics of good Jasmine rice which was imported from Thailand.  We learned that a very high percentage of the Thai population is involved in rice making.

Mains

Dry Beef Curry with Peanut and Lime - Gillian/Richie.  This beef was so tender and the mix of peanuts and lamb was far better on the tongue than I imagined.

Basil Eggplant - Anna.  I made this classic Thai basil eggplant diesh.  I used tamari and rice wine instead of fish sauce and granulated sugar to add some complexity and keep it a vegan dish.

Pad See Ew (River Noodles with Beef and Broccoli) - Kim.  Kim found FRESH rice noodles for this dish, and the noodles were so soft and absorbent of the mellow sauce.

Massaman Curry - Bonnie/Barry.  Bonnie hand selected fresh spices to make fresh curry for this chicken based dish.  It also was one of the most fragrant smelling of the dishes and delightfully fresh.

Dessert

Thai Banana with Coconut Pineapple Ice Cream - Stephanie.  Stephanie used both rice and corn starch for the batter base along with some 5-spice.  This was a wonderful dessert to end the meal with.

And a group shot of the table as we were settling in for the first course of Thai appetizers.  Next up is the Eastern Himalayas in July.

Happy 25th

Orchid Thai in San Anselmo celebrates its 25th anniversary today. I wrote about the conversation I had with one if its owners, Peggy Thongnopneua in this past week's Bread and Butter. Now for the dish on the tasty lunch we shared.

One of the rotating specials is asparagus salad. The ends had been carefully shaved so all the bites were tender and it had a very tasty creamy dressing with it as well. This dish definitely had a French flair and showed off Chef Tom Thongnopneua's experience at Le Central prior to opening Orchid Thai.

The spring rolls named propia tod came out next. These hot and crisp vegetarian bites were filled with silver noodles and vegetables.

The pièce de résistance was the salmon baked in a banana leaf with a chili green sauce and freshly steamed vegetables. The salmon was ultra fresh and the chili green sauce with hints of cilantro and lime did amazing things to the flavor. If this is on the specials menu, by all means order it, you won't be disappointed.

These Vegi Noodles consisting of pan fried rice noodles with mixed vegetable, ground peanut, tofu, scallion and bean sprouts, made a perfect foil for the rest of the meal.

If you have a chance to go by, be sure to wish the Thongnopneuas a happy anniversary, and I hope many happy returns.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last Inspected: February 26, 2010

Previously reviewed:
June 21, 2007

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Something new in Corte Madera!

SEA Thai Bistro has opened in Corte Madera where the old "Simmer" was located. I've heard the sister restaurant in Petaluma is awesome, so I hope to visit soon and confirm the same of this new and exciting venue.

Thai in the Heartland

Last month I visited Fayetteville, AR for a short business trip and enjoyed the atmosphere of a place new to me. The first night we arrived, we were given an enthusiastic recommendation of "A Taste of Thai" from the hotel staff. They weren't the only ones who knew about this place as we found that we had a short wait to secure seats.

We started with a cup of the House Vegetable soup which contained chopped small zucchini, cabbage. cauliflower, and celery with clear vegetable broth. I always have a small fear that these type of vegetarian soups will be thin and watery, and was pleased to find this one was light and flavorful.

We then had some Poh Pia Tod, which is Thai Spring Rolls. The rolls were filled with clear noodles and mixed vegetables, deep fried and served with sweet and sour sauce with ground peanuts. These came to the table piping hot and were quite a tasty treat.

I tried the Pad Woon Sen Tofu as my main dish which is stir fried crystal bean noodles with fried tofu, black mushrooms, bamboo shoots, cabbage, carrots, celery and green onion. I really enjoyed this light, yet filling dish.

An eggplant fan, Michael tried the Ma Kur Yao. This dish featured sliced eggplant sauteed with tofu, garlic and basil. Although he didn't feel it deserved superlatives, it was a solidly good dish.

We enjoyed our time and the friendly service, and no doubt we'll visit this place again and try out more of their extensive vegetarian choices on a future trip to Fayetteville.

Jahn Tohng Reincarnated!

I literally did a quick double take and quick turn around when I saw the sign saying Calgang a.k.a Jahn Tohng was open in Northgate One in San Rafael. I was very impressed with Jahn Tohng (Jahn Thong) when it was open in the nearby Northgate Mall, but it disappeared in the rennovations and I feared it would not open again. But there it was, and it was lunch time!

The three item combo is a bit more expensive than it was in the food court days ($9.50 vs $7.50), however it is in a sparkly new and more upscale place. The combo starts with a salad, and then three items of your choice comes with rice.

I chose Crispy Taro Balls with a chili sweet and sour sauce, MeeSiam and Pah Loh. All dishes which I've never had before. The crispy taro balls were like potato straw haystacks with a taro taste finish. These were quite crispy indeed, and paired well with the sauce. The MeeSiam was sauteed think rice noodles with bean sprouts and vegetables which was in a light coconut curry sauce. I loved it. And the Pah Loh was over the top! This five spices stew with tofu and shitake also had daikon radish and a very light spicy broth. It reminded me of a Japanese dish, Oden, but with a clearer broth and a very nice spicing. I would choose it again in a heartbeat.

The staff was so gracious and service was impeccable. I look forward to future visits, blogged or not.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Calgang has not yet been inspected.

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Tucked away and good

I was in the mood for Thai food one evening while gallivanting around San Rafael, and remembered Signature Thai was a tasty place I hadn't visited in awhile. And it's tucked away on a rather quiet street.

The specials menu had an intriguing dish "Curry Puffs" described as crispy sticky rice with curry. I was imagining something like a pastry filled with crispy rice mixed with curry - NOT! These were more like Thai empanadas. Vegetarians - beware. There was nothing about meat listed in the description, however from the best that I can tell, there were potatoes, and finely ground pork and minced chicken with curry inside. Very different than what I imagined. The wrappers were more crisp than would be expected of regular wheat pastry, or even rice leaves. I am thinking that the wrappers were made of sticky rice, and the curry referred to the filling mixture. The sauce was peanut with some spice! It went very well with the Curry Puffs. This appetizer was VERY good, but far from vegetarian. I asked the waiter what was in them, and he replied that he didn't know as his mother makes them. I also noticed a young man sitting and studying, and he popped up to serve customers when it started getting busier. Obviously a family run restaurant.

I decided to try something that looked a little different, Massaman Curry as the main course. It was described as "Our different style of brown curry sauce, this reflects the Southern Thailand influence with cashew nuts, potatoes, pineapple chunks, carrots and onions." Wow, another peanut based and spicy sauce. It was great! The service was prompt and friendly and it is a recommendable place to dine.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0

Noncritical: 0

Last inspected: 10/27/2008

Previously reviewed:
December 27, 2006

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Easy lunching

Arawan Thai in Sausalito has a lunch menu full of fun and delicious choices. Their lunch list consists of a series of two smaller version dishes in a variety of combinations, and it includes salad and a tapioca dessert as well.

The perky fresh salad was not particularly special except for the amazing peanut based dressing.

The balance of the meal is pictured above. The Spring Rolls were crunchy and the filling well seasoned. The main dish was Spicy Basil Tofu, which I was hesitant to try in the past because of the 'spicy' moniker. I've been 'burnt' before with hot Thai dishes, however, this one was spiced just right for my taste. There was a little heat, but it wasn't mouth-burning. Having such a colorful variety of vegetables and basil leaves with the braised tofu made it a dish I'd request again. The small bowl of tapioca pudding is in the right upper quadrant of the photo. It is a smooth tapioca with bits of taro included in the milky sauce. The service was prompt and friendly, and the dishes all arrived in the appropriate temperature range. It's easy to come back here repeatedly!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 2
Noncritical: 3
Last inspected: 5/26/2009

Previously reviewed:
May 14, 2008
March 5, 2007

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Thai on a beautiful afternoon

Dad and I were in the neighborhood one sunny day, and the recommendation of Maxine, on staff with one of Dad's physicians, triggered a recollection of the lovely R'Noh Thai, and recognition that it was quite close by in Larkspur.

We sat on the deck and had an expansive view from under the yellow umbrellas.

There was a $2 add on for a list of appetizers, so we had to add. I chose the Fresh Roll.

Dad was craving the Spring Rolls. Both appetizers were delicious!

Dad followed the Spring Rolls on with BBQ Chicken and Almond Rice. I'm thinking that Dad liked it as he asked "Why don't we come here more often?"

I loved the fresh green salad on the plate with my rice.

The Yellow Curry with Tofu was very smooth and very flavorful and bursting with colorful vegetables. I loved my lunch and was glad that Maxine brought up this place!

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 0
Noncritical: 1
Last inspected: 7/24/2008

Previously reviewed:
January 2, 2007

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Thai Restaurants in Marin

photo credit: istockphoto

Well I managed to do it again, that is visit all the Thai restaurants in Marin at least once. Marin is fortunate to have a large number of very good Thai restaurants. I last summarized a list of reviews on November 26, 2008. Links to reviews on this blog, or other information about the restaurants appears organized by city below.

Thai Restaurants I've discovered

Corte Madera
Tub Tim Thai

Fairfax
Siam Lotus

Inverness
Thepmonggon Thai On The Bay

Larkspur
R'Noh Thai
Tha Siam

Mill Valley
Thep Lela

Novato
Chao Praya
Thai Bistro

San Anselmo
Lanna Thai Restaurant
Orchid Thai

San Rafael
Bankok Thai Express
Bay Thai Cuisine
Citrus & Spice
My Thai
Royal Thai Restaurant
Signature Thai
Thai Smile

Sausalito
Arawan Thai Cuisine
Kitti's Place
Thai Terrace

Other Greater Bay Area Thai places I've reviewed

San Francisco
Be My Guest

East Bay
Da Nang

Sonoma
Rins Thai
Sukhothai
Thailand Thai Cuisine

Thai find in Boyes Hot Springs

I was in Sonoma the other day at lunch time and decided to try out Thailand Thai Cuisine in nearby Boyes Hot Springs. I was greeted very nicely and shown a lovely table.

I had noticed how well kept it was outside, and thought it boded well for good food inside.

The inside had lovely touches too, such as these orchids in the window near me.

I was tempted by these Thai Samosas, which I was assured had a Thai touch inside. They did, taro root replacing the usual potatoes for example. These were delightful and filling so I stopped after a couple and enjoyed the rest at home the following day.

The Shitake Noodles, described as steamed small rice noodles in green curry sauce with shitake mushroom, eggplants, carrots, bamboo shoot, bell peppers, zucchini, calamari, prawns, scallops, basil were totally delicious! Besides tasting good the service was prompt and friendly. I'll be by here again when visiting Sonoma!

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 1
Noncritical: 2
Last inspected: 4/16/2009

Quality persists

Dad and I stopped by Tha Siam at Larkspur Landing the other evening for dinner. The interior is meticulously maintained, and the paintings made with metal shimmer, and look as bright and new as the last time I visited. It is truly a unique and inviting space.

We decided to start with the Vegetarian Spring Rolls, which were excellent and had a pleasing crunch.

We followed it with a simple Yellow Curry with Shrimp.

Which paired beautifully with Brown Rice. The rice had a nuttiness to it, and the mild yellow curry created a smooth yet complex taste sensation.

We also ordered the Shrimp Pad Thai. It hit a perfect balance between sweet and sour. The tofu was also nicely prepared by frying the blocks before cutting and stirring into the mix. This is a lovely Thai restaurant to visit when you have a chance.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 0
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 5/29/2008

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Previously reviewed:
January 3, 2008
February 21, 2007