The cuisine of Thailand is based on five fundamental flavors: spicy, sour, sweet, salty and bitter. The careful and precise marrying of coconut milk, lemon grass, chili peppers, galangal, turmeric, cumin, lime juice and various meats has traditionally served as the basic structure for Thai food, but over the years this foundation of recipes has been expanded upon and highly popularized in the West.
Thai cuisine has found quite a large following in the United States, and Palo Alto is in no way deficient in quality restaurants that aptly celebrate the traditional Thai culinary tradition.
Siam Royal
Just reopening from long-term renovation, Siam Royal offers a more spacious and artistic ambiance than before, boasting many illustrious statues, paintings, friezes and decorative fans of Thai historical or cultural relevance.
The service is prompt and attentive, and most dishes arrive within 15 minutes of being ordered.
Particularly enjoyable is the wide range of appetizers offered, including rich and succulent fish cakes, fried potatoes, heartily grilled and peanut-sauce-adorned chicken Satay and deeply satisfying egg rolls with crunchy exteriors and fresh vegetable interiors.
The main courses are as varied as at any other reputable Thai venue, but Siam Royal succeeds especially well in its preparation of coconut and lime based soups, such as the Tom Kar, which tastes something like a hot piña colada.
The fried rice retains a hot and saucy "fresh out of the oven" feel to it so rarely found in the Americanized, overly abundant fried rice dishes of so many other eateries.
338 University Avenue
Krung Siam
Though somewhat cramped at times, Krung Siam offers traditional and delectable meals to its patrons.
Krung Siam offers more obscure, and seemingly more traditionally Thai and less Westernized, options than several other restaurants.
The appetizers may seem strange to the average American tongue, but with an open mind and palette, the flavors come off truly delicious.
One particular appetizer, Sowkobpor, whose Thai name translates to "the young lady," consists of shrimp wrapped and fried in an eggplant leaf.
The result is a mouth-watering appetizer that should not be missed.
Krung Siam also offers Thai iced tea and coffee as beverage options.
423 University Avenue
Thaiphoon
The most enjoyable aspect of Thaiphoon is its ambiance.
The front foyer of the restaurant offers some of the only spacious outside dining found in Palo Alto Thai restaurants.
A calming fountain trickles through the mouth of a large chiseled face, contributing to the serenity already so pervasive in the outside eating area.
The food is of decent quality, with a quality menu.
The Thai iced tea and coffee is especially sweet and rich at Thaiphoon, and the dessert is no different.
An interesting post-dinner choice might be the mango and coconut ice cream, which has a light and creamy taste, enhancing the tropical fruit flavors.
543 Emerson Street
Bangkok Cuisine
Though something of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Bangkok Cuisine still offers an enjoyable variety of food and nice ambiance.
The restaurant boasts a kind, attentive staff, as well as a serene and enjoyable exterior patio area where customers may enjoy their meals.
As traditional Thai delicacies go, Bangkok Cuisine cooks up a delicious Pad Thai, whether it features chicken, beef or shrimp.
Traditional, saucy and flavorful noodles, rich and diverse sauces –– the options seem endless.
Bangkok Cuisines is also an especially good choice for the curry enthusiast. A wide assortment of traditional green and red curries are offered for all varieties of meat and vegetables and all ranges of flavors, mildness and spice.
407 Lytton Avenue
Thai Garden
The farthest removed of the Thai restaurants in Palo Alto, Thai Garden lies on the edge of town near Mountain View.
It offers the most spacious dining area and the most comfortable seating, as almost every table employs private booths instead of chairs.
The food is spicy and tangy, resonating poignantly with the traditional five flavors. The Pad Thai is distinctly different in taste from that at other restaurants. It is less sweet and more zesty.
The rice is served steaming hot in a large steel bowl, the perfect accompaniment for the ginger chicken or shrimp curry.
Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Thai iced tea and coffee at Thai Garden come with the option of exceptionally sweet tapioca pearls.
Source: www.voice.play.net (10 Mei 2007)
