I pulled into my driveway this afternoon with a question burning in my head...go inside for an hour or check out a new lunch spot before my 2 pm appointment. As my dogs are more similar to Cinnamon, the guide dog in Step Brothers than Benji, I opted for lunch and the elimination of the anxiety that is trying to get them calm when I left again later on. I decided to try Thai Terrace, a place I had seen on Yelp! before, but had never tried. Though I have made many (and I mean MANY) questionable decisions in life, this sure wasn't one of them. Let's go straight to the review, FFS.
Flair: simple, clean, upscale, and authentic are the words which come to mind. Though much of the decor is similar to other restaurants featuring Asian cuisine, Thai Terrace separates themselves from the pack by its refined look. They aren't over the top, they aren't bare bones. Like one of the chairs in Goldilocks, it's just right. I give the owners credit for being reserved and mature while managing to be completely on point.
Food: Admittedly, I'm no expert on Thai cuisine. My level of comfort in discussing Thai food is like my level of comfort discussing soccer...I'm more than a casual fan, but I'm not ready to shout GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL with any sense of regularity. However, I am an expert on eating and things that taste good. This stuff tastes good. Like, super good. The green salad was, again, simple and unassuming. However, it was fresh. It was crisp. It was light. The dressing was incredible. The lemon and ginger taste was so pure and real, I could almost smell the lemongrass and ginger being chopped. I asked my waiter (who moonlights as the owner) if it was made on site. He remarked that all food is prepared fresh and the he, personally, does all of the shopping. There is no big chain food supplier. The food is authentic and healthy. The Tom Yum soup could also be called the Yum Yum soup. The broth was fantastic...spicy, tomato-y, and supported by a delicate balance of cilantro. Beautiful. The chicken tasted like it had been prepared simply for that dish. While I generally prefer soup when it's 39 and not 93, I didn't mind the temperature disparity at all. The Thai Basil completed my lunch special, and boy was it a show-stopping finale. No need for an encore for this gastronomical concert...it was like a Grateful Dead show where everything just seemed to meld into one another. Maybe it was the chili oil, who knows. I do know that the dish was pretty epic. The sauce for the main part was sweet, spicy, and touched with a perfect amount of Thai basil (which, I learned, is pretty difficult to find. There was another element to the dish I won't divulge, but if you get the owner between rush times, maybe he will share it). The shrimps were cooked perfectly. Enough sticky rice was provided to e sure I was able to clean all of the sauce off of my plate. My only knock was that the eggplant was a little over cooked...but eggplant can be tough. However, using my Step Brother analogy again, I'll say that if that spice level was a 2, I don't want to see it go to a 4. Don't think I'll have any allergy trouble until 2024.
Service: it was really enjoyable sharing a few words with the owner. I appreciated him taking the time to explain the dishes and how they are created. I appreciated the honesty and hospitality.
Did Thai Terrace and I become Thai food best friends? Yup. Will I be back for dinner some time soon? Yup. Just hoping I don't run in to Chris Gardocki on the way there. read more