A Taste of Thai
By Aubrey Kirkham
“Sa wat dee! Table for two?” I shuffle across the warm tile after the waitress to the table, picking up a pair of chopsticks on the way. The walls are husky gold, the same warm color of the yellow curry cooking across the bar. Posters of Thailand—the smiling people, the waterway markets, the “Glow of the Golden Grace”—put faces to the appetizing smells drifting in from the open kitchen. Ah. Original Thai—the only Thai restaurant in Rexburg.
I sit down and scan the menu, watching a family of four chow down on Spring Rolls ($5.00) and Crab Rangoon appetizers ($6.00), both favorites of mine. My mouth waters. I love Crab Rangoon, especially with the red jelly sauce served at Original Thai. My eye flicks past the soups and salads—a little too exotic for my taste—and rests on the curries. Panang Curry ($9.95): “Rich, strong, zesty Thai curry with a touch of coconut milk, bell peppers, and kefir lime leaves.” I imagine the dish, translating the menu jargon: soft, savory reddish sauce cradling chicken and small vegetable bites. Curries come with the option of tofu or rice. I pause, tempted, before scanning for a familiar favorite: Pad Thai noodles.
Pad Thai ($9.95): “Most famous noodles dish with eggs, green onions, carrots, bean sprouts, chicken, AND shrimp.” The plate of safe, delicious fried noodles, similar to Chinese lo mein, tantalizes my palate. Okay, I’ll bite. Literally.
I chew my noodles reflectively. The best part of this restaurant is—Oh, thank you. The waitress smiles as she refills my glass—the variety. Where else in Rexburg can you get authentic Mango and Sticky Rice dessert ($6.00)? Or a plate of 3-Pepper Drunken noodles ($9.95)? I dip my Pad Thai into the ground peanut garnish. The answer is: nowhere. Original Thai is original to Rexburg, a one-time restaurant started by a Thailand emigrant.
I lean back in my chair, immensely satisfied. The waitress waves as I leave.
“Kob Khun! Come again!” Thanks, Original Thai, I think I will.
I sit down and scan the menu, watching a family of four chow down on Spring Rolls ($5.00) and Crab Rangoon appetizers ($6.00), both favorites of mine. My mouth waters. I love Crab Rangoon, especially with the red jelly sauce served at Original Thai. My eye flicks past the soups and salads—a little too exotic for my taste—and rests on the curries. Panang Curry ($9.95): “Rich, strong, zesty Thai curry with a touch of coconut milk, bell peppers, and kefir lime leaves.” I imagine the dish, translating the menu jargon: soft, savory reddish sauce cradling chicken and small vegetable bites. Curries come with the option of tofu or rice. I pause, tempted, before scanning for a familiar favorite: Pad Thai noodles.
Pad Thai ($9.95): “Most famous noodles dish with eggs, green onions, carrots, bean sprouts, chicken, AND shrimp.” The plate of safe, delicious fried noodles, similar to Chinese lo mein, tantalizes my palate. Okay, I’ll bite. Literally.
I chew my noodles reflectively. The best part of this restaurant is—Oh, thank you. The waitress smiles as she refills my glass—the variety. Where else in Rexburg can you get authentic Mango and Sticky Rice dessert ($6.00)? Or a plate of 3-Pepper Drunken noodles ($9.95)? I dip my Pad Thai into the ground peanut garnish. The answer is: nowhere. Original Thai is original to Rexburg, a one-time restaurant started by a Thailand emigrant.
I lean back in my chair, immensely satisfied. The waitress waves as I leave.
“Kob Khun! Come again!” Thanks, Original Thai, I think I will.
