Kob Jai Thai

 We ate practically alone in this glorious restaurant...the colors of Thai culture here in the Kob Jai Thai restaurant surrounding us. I needed the solace of vibrant food on this eve of a saddening event in my life several years ago. The flavors of the food and the friendly service helped me concentrate on all that is still good in my life. The egg rolls were crispy and hot, the chicken wings were fresh and tasty but my entrée helped bring back sweet memories of Bangkok. I ordered something new: Garlic Pepper with Crispy Chicken. The plating was superb and the new taste was enlivening. A contrast of sweet and peppery floated over the Jasmine rice while the crunchy chicken made this dish alive. My day was now complete and I will live through tomorrow with these tastes still in my mouth.

East West Grill Truck

 Was ravenously hungry so opted for the East West Grill Food Truck  at Real Art Ways Creative Cocktail on Thursday early evening. I was the first to order and got the Bahn Mi [original version instead of pulled pork, etc]. The fillings were fresh and tasty with just the right amount of meat. The bread was, however, too crusty/toasted perhaps to up its freshness level. Being first in line to order I would have expected the bread to be better. It did stave off my hunger attack and the line at the truck for the rest of the evening was unending!

blognote: no website for the truck

PRAI KITCHEN

 Ended up at Prai Kitchen after attempting to have lunch at the Artisan in the Delamar Hotel and with no parking in their lot and no valet parking for lunch guests went here. What a great surprise that was. Really thought I was back in Bangkok. Always order some variant of Pad See Ew the first time I eat at a Thai restaurant. Their Duck Pad C U [as stated on the menu] is the best. Thought since it was on on the lunch menu there wouldn't be a lot of duck...no way...it was filled with succulent duck! The noodles were excellent and the choice of vegetables was perfect. The included salad was very fresh and the peanut dressing was right on. Will definitely go back for the Tamarind Duck.

blognote: great service

Kob Jai Thai Restaurant

Took a bus load of my elder neighbors here for a fantastic lunch. They sat all 13 of us at a beautifully appointed long table. Eating here at Kob Jai is a great experience. The food is fresh and true to the Thai taste. I ordered my favorite Pad See Eeu but had to switch with my neighbor's Crispy Chicken over Fried Rice. She felt it was too spicy and loved mine and hers was perfect for me. 

KOB JAI Thai Restaurant

Attended Grand Opening of Kob Jai Thai in Rocky Hill and it was going to be a good place to go. The interior had been beautifully done in interesting colors. The menu was pretty typical and I tried my usual 'first time to a new Thai place' menu item: Pad See Eew [now shortened to Pad C U]. I was done in a very familiar way. The only problems were the sweet soy sauce was a bit too sweet and there was bit of eggshell in the noodles. Nothing disastrous so I need to return for a better choice of a new item. 

bloginfo: No website yet.

blognote: Parking might be difficult during the day with other stores open.

The King and I Thai

Pad Thai Noodles

Banana Pockets

This was one of the stops on my Thomas' Tour de Jour secret lunch trip. Linda at the King and I Thai Kitchen made us a special dessert for a terrific lunch. This was a mini-order of Banana Pockets with added ice cream. The Pad Thai Noodles were popular but the Massaman Curry was the new hit!

0 Degree Ice Cream

Just heard about the opening of this new addition to eating at 312 Main Street in good old Middletown, O Degree Ice Cream. Thai ice cream formed on a frozen plate and beaten into sheets from your chosen materials and then rolled into rose shapes. I had 'I love you a latte' which consisted of coffee and condensed milk. Then I added two of the many toppings: mochi and walnuts. Great concept and you end up with a corsage of deliciousness [$7]. There are ten different motifs and many are based in chocolate. Will have to return.

King and I Thai Restaurant

Serendipity calls! I was in Hartford at a Photo Exhibit and got a text from someone who was also in Hartford and hungry. We ambled over to the restaurant and both had great meals. Each one was the Chinese Long Eggplant [$16.95]; hers with salmon and mine with duck, hers with brown rice and mine with jasmine. The crispy duck slices were delicious but hers looked good also. Only my second time here but this is a winner.

September 6. 2016

How many times have I driven by this restaurant and said that I have to visit it. Well I finally did!. The King and  I Thai restaurant is set back from the street on upper Park Street in a little house. That's where the little ends...the flavor is big.

I had the best Pad Se Ew ever [including Bangkok] this time with beef and Chinese broccoli [$9.95] The noodles are big and rustic holding the flavor which is just sublime. Will visit again and again.

blognote: BYOB

East West Grille

Unexpected out to lunch today at East West Grille one of my old stand-bys. Going back to my latest visit here last January I see that I ordered the same thing for main course and same thing for appetizer the time before that. Next time will try to order something new but I really do love these. My dining partner had the Salmon  Mango Curry[$13.95] and that looked very good. She has enough left over for her dinner tonight. My meal started with Asian Cigars [$5] and then Vietnamese Pancake with Pork [$7.95].

We each had a Chang Beer [$5] and it was quite good. A little early in the day for a beer but when in Bangkok...

East West Grille

Lunch today at East West Grille one of my favorites!

We ordered the Lao Crispy Egg Rolls with pineapple sauce but ended up with the Vietnamese Fresh Rolls with tofu [$5] because of no more wrappers in the kitchen. Good but not what we really wanted. I had the Vietnamese Pancake with tofu seen above [$8.75] and it was delicious. The other order which I will have next time was the Green Curry Rice with tofu [$8.25]. A cup of nice warm tea for each and the meal was complete. Lots of good conversation and planning. Terrific day!

Puket Café Thai Cuisine

After theater snack on the way home, stopped at Puket Café and had a nice meal. An order of Crab Rangoon [$5] was delicious.

Then I had Tom Kha Seafood Soup [$12] which had a very small amount of seafood: two small shrimp, two small scallops and four chewy pieces of cuttlefish. The broth however was very tasty and the remainder came home to be used with some jasmine rice. He had the Larb with chicken [$14] and I had never had this before and really liked it. Guess I needed to be with someone with Lao blood to appreciate it but will order if again on my own any time. It was very fresh tasting with the lime, mint and cilantro.

Puket Café

Ran in for a quick early supper to Puket Café in Rocky Hill. Only one booth of three diners and someone at the bar; lots of loud convo coming from the bar and kitchen. Guess they were getting ready for the dinner rush. Lots of repeat diners here evident from the greetings and knowing what their favorite food choices were. 

Ordered the Crispy Pad Thai with Tofu and Veggies [$11]. This was a large serving of zucchini, pea pods, carrots and fried tofu over crispy noodles and sprinkled with crushed peanuts. Everything was very fresh and the sauce had enough flavor to really enhance the dish.

Mint Thai

Ate at Mint Thai in Wethersfield where the original Puket was located. Oh how I wish Puket had still been there! The food at Mint Thai was seriously lacking...flavor, spice, taste, etc. It was a seriously lacking meal. So glad I had a Groupon to take up some of the lack.

Started with two apps: Fried Calamari and Thai Wings [both $5.95] and both very tired and lacking. My Ginger Fish [$16.95] was Red Snapper and a whole fish but it must have been 'swimming' around the kitchen for a week or so. It was tough and flavorless while the fresh vegetables and ginger tried to help out. The other dish was Panang Curry which turned out to be the best of the night.

Sorry but will be back at the other location of Puket in Rocky Hill very soon!

The Thai Place

On our way to visit the Peabody Museum in Essex we had lunch at The Thai Place in the Museum Place Mall. There was no one there just before noon but filled up soon. The meals were good especially that it was a $6.50 lunch. It was all well prepared and filled up but not memorable. I had the Garlic Chicken with vegetables and white rice but the garlic was sorely missing. The other two dishes were a Vegetarian Fried Rice and the Sesame Chicken. This dish was probably the best of the three but just a bit too sweet but crunchy and interesting.

East West Grille

Had a great, long-awaited-for lunch today at. East West Grille. I have eaten here before and while everything is always good, today was especially good!

Started with an order of Vietnamese Spring Roll [$5] with tofu. They were plated like sushi and the sauce was delicious.

Then on to an order of yellow [mild] Pumpkin Curry [$8.95] with tofu and lots of fresh vegetables: onions, zucchini, carrots, green beans. I had the purple sticky rice to go with it and there was even a little to take home for a snack-dinner.

Tamarind

Dinner this evening with a friend; successful in some parts not so in others. Let me explain. Apps should come before anything else and then Salads should follow. This was not the case and the table was too loaded with food all at the same time. Service needed to be a little more careful in the removal of finished dishes.

Papaya Salad

We started with an order of Basil Shrimp Roll [$5] good but nothing unusual. Then onto Crispy Calamari [$7] which was fresh and excellent with a great dipping sauce. Salads were Papaya [[$8] mine and super delicious with skewered shrimp and the Mango Salad [$6] which was really a salad with mango on top. One entrée of 'Amazing' Roast Duck [$19] which was actually amazing and my order of Singapore Mei Fun [$10]. I really like mei fun but this was some other very thin noodle. The red curry was quite strong and with the few shrimp thrown in for good measure, it was not that good. Ended the meal with a pot of House Special Green Tea [$5.50 for two].

Manto Salad

3/30/2012
Had lunch today at Tamarind in Wethersfield. Lunch special [$8.95] is a good value with choice of appetizer [chicken satay, vegetable spring roll or shrimp satay], entrée and choice of rice [brown, white or vegetable fried rice]. We shared the shumai and spring rolls both good and fresh in a miniature version. One order of Mango Chicken which was excellent. My order of Lemongrass Prawn was tasty but the lemongrass was not prepared properly in that the woody, fibrous stalk pieces were not edible. Decor is great and the service is good but a bit hurried.

bloginfo: Lots of diners here today at lunch in this newly opened restaurant specializing in Malayasian and Thai food.

Puket Café

Taken out to dinner this evening at Puket Café in Wethersfield [not the one in Rocky Hill]. Three entrées: Teriyaki Salmon, Pad See Ew with shrimp and my Eggplant with grilled pork and sticky rice.

Wonderful fresh food in an exotic atmosphere.

Tamarind Grill and Bar

This small Thai & Malaysian eatery in Hartford is perfect for after theater dining. We ate here today after the Sunday matinée at Hartford Stage. Tamarind Grill is the sister restaurant of Thai Palace [review 4/12/12] in Bloomfield. Well this is the younger beautiful sister. We had a very nice meal and with a Groupon for $40 we ended up with quite the bargain.

Mango Shrimp

Crispy Eggplant

There was a Sizzle Duck app [$5] with one piece of roast duck in a Thai pancake for each of us, Pad Thai  [$10], Mango Shrimp [$15] with some large shrimp involved, Beef with Thai Black Bean Sauce [$13] served over spinach and my Crispy Eggplant [$11] which ended a pile of deep fried eggplant sticks and delicious. AWhite Lotus martini was ordered and judged delicious by one and strong by another and since it had coconut in it declined by myself.

bloginfo: Parking could be a problem during the day but plenty of spaces early in the evening.

Thai Palace

Had an early dinner here at Thai Palace after the Metropolitan Opera HD production of Verdi's La Traviata at the Digiplex Theater. The opera production was superb but the dinner was a bit lackluster. I had my favorite Pad Se Yeu [$10] as I love the broad rice noodles [Chow Fun in Chinese]. There was nothing wrong with it but it was quite bland. The other diners had Phat Goong Hoyshell [Shrimp and Scallops $15], Thai Rice Noodle [$10] and House Stir Fried Pork [$11.50]. They seemed to enjoy the meals but the Thai Rice Noodle was also deemed a bit mild.

Puket Café [CT]

Lunch here again. Nearby, good food, great prices and nice people.

One small bowl of Tom Yum soup with shrimp [$6], my small Tom Kha soup with chicken [$4] and two apps: Calamari [can't find on the online menu] and Crab Rangoon Shumai [$6]. The first soup was spicy and mine was sweet; the calamai was nice and fresh, the shumai very tasty [both had the same dipping sauce].