More about Thai OrchidThai Orchid's authentic cuisine is backed by a primarily Thai staff: co-owner/chef Eed Kanlayani (who owns the restaurant with husband Alan Mertens), three Thai cooks and Tuk, the hostess/server.Chef Kanlayani's professional cooking career spans more than 30 years; she ran her own restaurant in Bangkok before coming to America seven years ago. Thai Orchid's Bangkok-type cuisine reflects Eed's early cooking training from her mother. The restaurant seats 82 and features an outdoor patio. Inside, the decor includes photographs of the Thai king and queen as well as many items that Eed Kanlayani imported from her homeland, including several teak carvings. A serene Buddha greets diners as they enter; staff members make sure that the customary fresh fruit and water are kept in front of the statue. "People enjoy the ambiance," Alan Mertens notes, including a 100-gallon saltwater aquarium. Alan says the restaurant's most popular dishes are pad thai, satay, curries and fresh rolls -- but his favorite is rad nah talay, wide rice noodles with mixed seafood, garlic and broccoli. |
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{ cuisine: Excellent. service: Excellent. value: Excellent. ambiance: Comfortable, welcoming, authentic. cost: Very reasonable (Entrees, $7.95 to $12.95). 2238 Mission St., Santa Cruz. (425-2206). www.thaiorchid.com. Hours: Lunch and Dinner daily: Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Beer and wine served. Catering available. } |
Everyone knows that the best cure for a cold is your mama's chicken soup. Lacking that magic potion, however, I'd vote for a steaming bowl of tom kha, a wonderfully tangy, slightly spicy Thai soup.
Because I'd been fighting a cold for weeks, a trip to Thai Orchid restaurant on Mission Street was overdue; I invited my friend CeCe, who had never tasted tom kha before, to join me.
We were greeted by Tuk, the graceful Thai hostess/server who has been with the restaurant since it opened in December 2002. She seated us at a cozy little table and soon reappeared with tall glasses of Num Ma Plow, fresh coconut juice $1.95 replete with velvety slices of baby coconut -- another new experience for CeCe, who embraced the light, refreshing drink. We also ordered Tapioca Black Pearl Thai Iced Tea $1.95, which I dubbed "Gummi Tea" for the dark, chewy tapioca pearls in this sweetly smoky, milky drink.
Deciding to share several small items and an entree, we ordered two starter specials -- Curry Puffs $6.95 and Fresh Rolls $5.95 -- plus Som Tum green papaya salad, $6.95, Ka Nom Jeeb steamed wontons, $6.95 and an entree special, Red Pumpkin Curry $8.95 with brown rice $1. And, of course, tom kha, in the form of one of the night's specials: Tom Kha with Artichoke and Prawns $12.95, a deluxe version of my second-favorite cure-all soup.
Although we didn't order Satay $6.95, we admired this obviously popular Thai Orchid appetizer as it was delivered to several tables -- the grilled, skewered chicken flashily speared into a central orange half, like meaty flags of all nations.
Tuk choreographed our meal well, not overwhelming us with too many dishes at once. We started with curry puffs, flaky little hot pastries containing tofu, taro, pumpkin, mushrooms and shredded veggies. Our fresh rolls came next, the soft rice paper encircling an intriguing mix of tofu, cilantro, mint, lettuce, sprouts and crisp apple julienne. I love fresh rolls, and these were some of the best I've had.
I also enjoyed the refreshing and slightly spicy green papaya salad with its crunchy papaya and carrot strips, topped by crushed roasted peanuts and special Thai dressing. And CeCe relished the stout little meaty wontons, studded with bits of shrimp, mushroom and bamboo shoots inside their tender wrappers.
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Our tom kha arrived in a metal tureen with an open flaming center. Tuk ladled out large, very tender prawns and piquant chunks of marinated artichoke; the sweetly silky, slightly citrus soup base beautifully supported complex flavors of lemongrass, mint, galangal and cilantro. My cold symptoms subsided immediately -- and CeCe became an instant fan of this exotic-yet-homey comfort food. |
The pumpkin curry entree provided a lovely autumnal Thai touch, pieces of soft green pumpkin and chicken breast swimming in a gorgeous, rust-colored sauce rich with coconut milk and basil. We only ate a few bites of this lush, sumptuous dish because I was determined to offer CeCe another new flavor experience for dessert: Sweet Sticky Rice with Ripe Mango $3.95.
"Oh, I couldn't," CeCe moaned when Tuk presented the plate draped with generous slices of mango and a block of mint-topped rice. "Just one bite," I urged, and watched her expression transform as the warm sweetened rice and the lush citrus coolness met in her mouth. We nearly finished the dish.
Thai Orchid has a quiet talent for well-prepared, nicely presented, consistently rewarding food. Dishes are basically mild but diners can request more spice heat. And their tom kha, while perhaps not curing the common cold, certainly makes the duration much more pleasant.
Ann Parker is a freelance writer and public relations consultant; she welcomes your comments and feedback.Suggestions for reviews of area restaurants? Contact her at atparker@pacbell.net.
You can read the original Sentinel review here.