Monday, February 09, 2009

Oh what a beautiful day!

Thepmonggon

Winding up at the beginning of Saturday's mini-trip, Dad and I headed from Mill Valley to Thepmanggon Thai on the Bay in Inverness. Door to door,it was a 58 minute ride through hills, around a mountain and through redwoods to the west side of Tomales Bay. A Scotsman, Judge James Shafter, came here and named it after a place in Scotland. Some of his family still remain in this peaceful spot on Tomales Bay.

Thai Iced Tea

We arrived after usual lunch hours and so there was only one other party in the restaurant. Lucky them had been kayaking and their package included lunch at Thepmanggon. Noticing that it would not be a problem, I requested that our meal come in courses, and slowly so that we could savor the meal with the view. The staff timed the courses perfectly, starting with the Thai iced teas we ordered.

Thepmonggon Interior

As we sipped we noticed how the interior, which had previously been a seafood restaurant called Barnaby's, had been transformed to a Thai hideaway. I also picked up a take out menu, and noticed that the restaurant had thoughtfully listed the health benefits of Thai ingredients:

Galangal (Thai ginger)
*Assists in digestion
*Cures hiccups

Lemongrass
*Reduces fevers
*Reduces headaches

Coconut Milk
*Lowers bad cholesterol while promoting good cholesterol
*Boosts immunity

Turmeric
*Helps those with arthritis
*Improves cardiovascular (heart) conditions

Thai Chilies
*Helps you sleep better
*Keeps your heart healthy

Taro Egg Rolls

So we were definitely psyched for the meal! And soon our Taro Egg Rolls arrived. Stuffed with bean thread noodles, cabbage, taro, and carrot these light and crispy rolls were a hit with us.

Thepmonggon Tom Kha Soup

The Tom Kha Soup served next transported me back to a very enjoyable time in my life when I first tasted this soup. I was spending a fun weekend in Pt. Townsend, WA and discovered it in a Thai restaurant there. This has to be the best one I've had since. The spices were so well blended and it was brimming with fresh and flavorful ingredients, with the protein choice being tofu. Dad and I savored this one especially slowly. I also loved the presentation in a traditional clay pot.

View from Thepmonggon dining room

And while we were sipping we enjoyed the lovely view outside the window next to us. Dad was reminded of his young teenage years being a helper at a local resort, the Purple Pennant in Lake Steven, WA which was within walking distance from his home. I listened intently as he brought up details I hadn't heard before. Apparently, along with doing some room and boat cleaning, he helped guide guests to the parts of the lake that had the most fish.

Asparagus Prawns

As we were musing, the next dish arrived with a bowl of rice. The Asparagus Prawns sauteed in red curry sauce with Thai herbs and bell peppers was absolutely divine. The server had inquired about the spiciness level we liked, and the chef got it prefectly, mild yet with a hint of spiciness. Everything was so fresh and easy on the eye!

Masaa Mun Curry

The other dish we tried wa Masaa Mun Curry, and we requested it with tofu instead of chicken. It also contains potatoes, carrots and onions with a topping of peanuts. The sauce seemed to be peanut based, and was quite good, and rich. We thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely, relaxing meal that was well-paced and given with thoughtful service. Thepmanggon is on the north end of Inverness, but well worth the extra way to enjoy.

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 3
Noncritical: 11
Last inspected: 1/15/2009

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