Royal Orchid

Tonight, I picked up take-out from Royal Orchid, " The Best Thai Food," in Roseville. I first heard about this place through a friend and had my doubts....Thai food in a strip mall? When you go inside, you may continue having doubts as the ambiance is less than perfect. However, there are always people in there because the food is great and so is the service!

I decided to go with Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken- very spicy (fried rice with a touch of class; fresh chunks of pineapple, diced carrots and onions with your choice of meat, served in a pineapple bowl. Topped with cashews and garnished with cilantro and green scallions). I'm not much of a fried rice girl, but am trying to keep things exciting and this was one of Royal Orchid's four signature entrees (sounds fancy, right?!) This fried rice was awesome. I was nervous to do something without sauce (I go gaga for sauce), but this rice had a ton of kick.

Because I ordered take-out, I did not have the opportunity to see it served in a pineapple bowl (sorry, kids!). The one questionable component was that there were raisins in the rice. The menu definitely didn't list raisins....they were good though!

Decor: eclectic
Prices: average ($10-$15)
Spice level: Just right!

More information:

Royal Orchid
2401 Fairview Avenue N
Roseville, MN 55113

www.thebestthaifood.com

Chai's Thai

Chai's Thai barely shows up in google...I couldn't find their website....we struggled with parking...the place is tiny....but man oh man it is full of flavor!! I love trying new things, but we went in a touch suspicious and ended up happily surprised by the bright green walls, white accents and hip furniture.

To start, we ordered spring rolls (we are daredevils, eh?!) and they were amazing. Watch out, Tum Rup Thai- these have more flavor and better dipping sauces. YUM.

For dinner, I order Pad Thai- extra spicy (Traditional Thai noodles, green onions, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts with shrimp and chicken), which came with chicken AND shrimp....already off to a nice start! The presentation of the food was beautiful- the noodles were on a large banana leaf on top of a very cool glass plate. The spice level and flavor really wowed me. I drank TONS of water and diet coke while I ate (more than normal for people that know me). I absolutely can't wait to sweat and sniffle through my leftovers tomorrow.

My dining companions both had Panang Curry with chicken- medium spicy (Chicken or beef in Thai red curry and coconut milk with fresh basil, chilies and other herbs). They absolutely loved it and were almost to the point of licking their plates...I thought it was good- nice and thick curry is my favorite- but a touch sweeter than I prefer. The staff was very accommodating and willingly added vegetables for my health-crazed gal pals.


Although I usually pass on dessert at Thai restaurants, the presentation at a nearby table was so enticing we decided to go for dessert. Based on the server's recommendation we tried Sticky Rice with Mangoes (I felt like I was back in Thailand- rice for dessert!). This dish was delicious- sweet and warm with a touch of coconut milk drizzled on top. Chai's Thai is worth it just for the dessert.

Decor: tiny, but very hip and welcoming
Prices: below average (meals $9- $15)
Spice level: I was sucking on ice....loved it!

More information:

Chai's Thai
414 1/2 Cedar Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN

www.chaisthai.com

PS they have a sister restaurant in St. Paul- I'm excited!

True Thai

True Thai, "Authentic Cuisine from the Golden Kingdom," had a home run with its appetizers. My dining companion and I tried two: Palace Style Wontons with tofu (Fried wontons hand tossed in a sassy sweet and tangy sauce, then drizzled with fiery sriracha sauce) and Fried Egg Rolls- Golden Kingdown Style (the best egg rolls in the world! <--obviously I had to see!) The egg rolls were very good, maybe not the best in the world, but definitely worth trying. The Palace Style Wontons were AMAZING- spicy and sweet and just full of flavor. A must have.






For a main course, I had Panang Curry with Shrimp- extra spicy. The flavor was great and the shrimp were delicious, but the curry was so thin and broth-like and I definitely prefer my curry to have a thicker consistency.





My companion had Stir-fried Sukiyaki Noodles with chicken (Look out Pad Thai – there's a new noodle dish in town! Silverthread noodles in a spicy Sukiyaki sauce with egg, white button mushrooms, red cabbage and green veggies). Although True Thai is one of her favorite spots, this dish was lacking that Thai punch of flavor we both love. It also came with rice...which was sort of odd. A noodle dish with a side of rice? Also, isn't Sukiyaki Japanese (I would know!) Hmmm...a bit curious!

Overall, it was a good meal...I just wish the appetizers would have been the main course. True Thai's new expanded restaurant is nice and features a variety of table sizes and booths. The service was notably slow, but did help me out when I forgot to ask for my dish extra spicy (regular spice level would have been absolutely tragic!).

Decor: Nice and spacious
Prices: average (meals $10- $20)
Spice level: they can make your throat burn (that's good!)

More information:

True Thai
2627 E. Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55408

http://truethairestaurant.com/

Supatra's Thai Cuisine

W-O-W!

Supatra's Thai Cuisine in St. Paul is outstanding. I sat on their patio tonight and enjoying limeade and Yellow Curry- spice level 4 (yellow curry simmered with dark meat chicken, coconut milk, roasted shallot, potato and green pumpkin). Although this dish could use more spice, the curry flavor was to die for. They green pumpkin had great flavor and the dish was served in a deep bowl, which kept everything soaking in the curry....I'm purring as I think about it! I also smiled when I saw the utensils, a fork and a large spoon- just how it should be!

My dining companion had Massamun Curry with chicken- spice level 4 (Thai spices, potatoes and peanuts). This dish was also amazing. Not too sweet, which I've found at some places....just the right amount of coconut milk. My friend is that type of girl that eats really healthy and never ever finishes her food, but she was close to licking the bowl!!

Supatra's atmosphere was nice too- loved the patio, use of color inside and the costumes that the servers wore. I am so excited to go back. Next time I'll see if they can do spice levels above the range on their menu. Is this place going to become a favorite? Only time will tell....two dishes is not enough information!

Oh and they have cooking classes....hmmm

Decor: inviting ambiance
Prices: average (meals $10- $20)
Spice level: average

More information:

Supatra's Thai Cuisine
967 W 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55102

www.supatra.com

Tum Rup Thai

Tonight I headed to Tum Rup Thai, "Uptown's Best Thai Experience." Although I was excited to enjoy their food again, I was curious to see how it would compare to Roat Osha since they have the same ownership and almost identical menu (odd, right?!).

I ordered Pad Nam Prig Sriracha with tofu, spice level of 6 (stir fried broccoli, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, spinach, onions and cauliflower in a sriracha sauce). This dish really blew me away. Lately I've been frustrated because I haven't been able to get food spicy enough for my liking. This dish was definitely spicy (I like to have slightly prickly lips and the sniffles...) and had a lot of flavor. It's hard for me to stray from curry, but I keep hearing that sriracha sauce is the best and I'm bound to agree!!

One of my dining companions had Pad Thai, which did mirror Roat Osha's exactly and they have the best Pad Thai in the Twin Cities. YUM!

I was really impressed with the spice levels. The menu offers 1-5, but our server said they can do better and they can! Whew- you can get spicy food in the Twin Cities!!

Although I will definitely return, Roat Osha is far closer to my house and has the same cuisine...but Tum Rup Thai definitely has a cooler atmosphere.

Decor: cool ambiance, good use of space
Prices: average (meals $10- $20)
Spice level: they can get it spicy!!

More information:

Tum Rup Thai
1221 W Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55408

www.tumrupthai.com

This Week's Plan

Monday night: Chiang Mai Thai in Uptown
Tuesday night: Supatra in St. Paul (this will be my first time!)
Wednesday night: True Thai in Minneapolis

Note: I don't always get to eat my favorite cuisine this often!!

Thanh Do

For my first official dinner in my journey of experiencing all Minneapolis-St. Paul area Thai food, I ventured to Thanh Do, "the new generation of Asian cuisine." This restaurant, located in a strip mall type area of St Louis Park, is all the rage for some of my friends and several co-workers. It is also the same ownership and Executive Chef as Azia, a restaurant on Eat Street that I love.

I ordered Bangkok Noodles with tofu, spice level of 4- highest (Your choice of meat, Bangkok style curry, tomatoes, mushroom, onion, scallion and fresh egg noodles). This dish was delicious. The tofu was cooked to perfection as were the noodles and vegetables. The noodle dish featured green curry, known for its sweetness (gotta love coconut milk), but this curry was not especially sweet, which was fine with me. Our server warned us about the spice levels, but unfortunately she was wrong- their highest spice level, while good, was not that spicy.

My friend ordered Pad Thai, a true staple in all Thai restaurants, which was good, but not as good as Roat Osha's, which has come to be my benchmark.

Will I return? Definitely, but I'm not in a huge hurry....

Question to think about: this restaurant featured several types of Asian food, not just Thai. Are Thai-only restaurants better?!

Decor: nice layout, clean space and tables
Prices: average (meals for $10-$20)
Spice level offerings: average

More information:

Thanh Do
3005 Utah Ave.

St. Louis Park, MN 55426

www.thandorestaurant.com

Purpose of Blog

Hello! Welcome :)

I am starting this blog because I am passionate about great Thai food! In the next year, I will be enjoying Thai food all over the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and blogging about my meals. I'll include details about service, atmosphere, location and more, but the true focus will be on the food.

I am excited for my journey!