Review and photos by Ted Broussard
Keeping it True
After what seemed like forever, the former Orange Door at the far end of Pacific Avenue near Matador, has finally been transformed into Thai Pepper. With Indochine and Galanga Thai serving excellent Asian food downtown, this new kid on the block has a couple of things going for it to signal that it’s going to be a hit. Boasting a beautiful interior makeover, large variety of dishes on the menu and a somewhat heavy hand on the spice jar, Thai Pepper is a very welcome addition to that part of downtown.
It’s amazing what a talented interior designer can do with a long, narrow space. Paint a beautiful mural of rafts floating on a long brick wall, choose bright orange and pink fabrics, throw in several booths to cozy up the joint and you have a fresh, tasteful and inviting environment perfect to savor the delicious food.
And delicious it is. On two recent visits, one for dinner and one for lunch, I was consistently impressed with the flavor, presentation and service. For our dinner visit, we chose Pumpkin Curry ($14.95) -- a rich, delicious thick curry over brown rice and perfectly cooked pumpkin cubes, and Spicy Catfish ($16.95) -- the most tender on the inside and crispy on the outside catfish I’ve ever had. And being from the bayous and all, I’ve known a few catfish in my life. It was excellent!
While I thought the entrée prices were a little spendy, the lunch combination is quite a good value. With a choice of 9 options, each lunch combination includes a cup of soup, Pad Thai noodles (no meat) and your choice of white or brown rice or mixed salad. We tried the Chicken Cashew Nut stir-fry ($8.95) and loved the crunchy/tender vegetables and rich sauce. The soup of the day was Tom Ka and was delicious with small pieces of tofu and a noticeable but not overwhelming flavor of lime juice and coconut milk. The Pad Thai sample was good but not remarkable, although I would be willing to try the entrée size one day with a meat choice to see if that makes a difference. Our other lunch choice (not part of the combination deal) was Panang Fried Rice with Panang Sauce, peas and carrots served with fried Tilapia ($11.95). I was a bit disappointed with this dish. I found the tilapia a tad dry and bland and they were just a little stingy with the Panang Sauce. I could have used a lot more of that on the fish. The fried rice was excellent but again didn’t really showcase the panang sauce flavor.
So how spicy do you like your Thai food? We’re in the solid medium camp but based on these two visits, I’m thinking Thai Pepper takes their name very seriously. I’ve lowered my level by one star so far and I’m planning on going for mild next time to see if it’s just me or if they have a consistent heavy hand.
Our service was excellent on both visits. The owner greeted us on our first visit and clearly showed her interest in making sure we were satisfied. Currently, only wine and beer are served but spirits may be added in the future due to the neighborhood competition for a full bar. Thai Pepper is very good. It’s great to have another Asian food option in walking distance and their menu includes many items not always offered at Thai restaurants in the area. The physical space is beautiful and the food is delicious. Sure you need to plan accordingly for the spice level, but I’m thinking that’s what puts the “True” in Thai Pepper True Thai Kitchen.
No comments:
Post a Comment