On a recent trip to Salt Lake City, a colleague and I hit the Thai food jackpot at Simply Thai Restaurant (http://simplythaiutah.com/) in the southern suburbs of Salt Lake City. My colleague and I both enjoy Thai food, although he is much more knowledgeable than me. On the basis of Internet reviews, he identified Simply Thai as a good possibility. It turned out to be fantastic.
We both felt that it was the best Thai food we'd ever had in the U.S. It was so good that we returned the next evening. The second experience was every bit as good as the first.
Our initial impression when we walked into the restaurant made us wonder how much Thai influence there was. There was not the slightest hint of Thai ethnicity among the staff we saw.
Our misgivings were soon dismissed when we tasted our first course - two different soups. He had Tom Yum - spicy hot and sour soup with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, red and green bell peppers, baby corn, lemon grass, and spicy lemon sauce. He asked that they make it extra spicy. He is normally disappointed when he makes that request. This time, he was not. He said that it was the best Tom Yum he had ever had. He ordered it again when we returned the following evening. This soup can be ordered with chicken or tofu. A cup is $3.95, and a bowl, which serves 2-4 people, is $11.95.
I had Tom Kha - creamy coconut soup with sliced chicken breast, galangal (Southeast Asian ginger), mushrooms, onions, cilantro, red and green bell peppers, baby corn, and lime sauce. I asked that prawns be substituted for the chicken. I love Tom Kha. This was by far the best I have ever had. In addition to the wonderful taste of the soup, the prawns were terrific. I ordered it again the following night. The prices for this soup were the same as those of the Tom Yum.
My colleague's entrée the first night was Pad Gra Tiem Pik Thai - stir-fried meat in garlic and black pepper with carrots, onions, and bell peppers for $12.95. He substituted tofu for the meat. He had the highest praise for this dish.
On the first night, I chose Pad Him Ma Parn - stir fried meat with onions, bell peppers, carrots, scallions, celery, and pineapple for $12.95. I chose beef as the meat. It was fantastic.
Both entrées were served with as much rice as we wanted.
The second night, my colleague's entrée was Gang Massaman, a Thai curry with beef or chicken, coconut milk, potatoes, and roasted cashews for $13.95. He substituted tofu for the beef or chicken. He also asked that the dish be made very spicy hot. It was. He is very familiar with this dish and prepares it at home. He considered it among the best he'd ever had.
My entrée was Ghang Khua Sub Parod Thai, a mild Thai pineapple curry with red curry, coconut milk, pineapple, carrots, bell peppers, Thai basil, baby corn, onions, and cashews for $14.95. As you might expect from the other dishes, this one was terrific as well.
The owner, a woman of Thai origin, was very sweet and very solicitous of her customers. She emphasized that she does not use MSG in her cuisine.
When we were effusive in our praise of her food, she offered us both homemade Thai coconut milk ice cream for dessert. My colleague was too full to try it, but I did. It was very nice.
We had different servers each night. Both of them did an excellent job.
Simply Thai is located in a strip mall at 37 West 10600 south, Sandy UT. The lunch and dinner menus are both available on the web site above.
No comments:
Post a Comment