It’s a mean kind of cold outside, and you know how that old saying goes, “When the temperature hits zero, it’s time to stuff yourself sick with Thai curry” So my pal Wally and I skipped our usual multi-pitcher fueled bimestrial reunion at the Muddy Pig to go warm up over some curry at True Thai in the Seward Neighborhood instead.
We arrived before the dinner rush at around 5:30, so it was nice and mellow. As far as the swank-o-meter goes, I would put it a couple notches below Chang Mai Thai or Tum Rup Thai, and maybe a couple notches above the hole-in-the-wall-yet-very-authentic places you can find nestled inbetween the many Vietnamese restaurants on Nicollet and University Avenues. If these references don’t mean anything to you, then I will just say that it is perfectly fine atmosphere for probably any occasion. It is the little black dress, or O-negative blood type of Atmospheres.
Anyway, we were both in kind of a “this is a school night and I recently had a hangover from hell” mode, and were specifically not drinking, but I had to have one Singha Beer, because I love saying “Singha Beer” ever since hearing “House of the Gods” by The Pogues. I am trying to branch out from the spring rolls that I normally order as starters at Thai restaurants, so we tried the fried purple yams for an appetizer. These were tasty in that kind of deep-fried way that things can be tasty, accompanied with a fishy sweet and sour sauce. I imagine them being served at some kind of exotic Thai street carnival in-between the umbrella painting and fruit carving stands. Purple yams don’t really taste any different to me then the usual yellowish variety, but they look way cooler. Kind of electric purple, like beets or grape popsicles.
I need to pause here to deliver a brief rant on how awesome our waitress was. Dara’s mostly glowing review from 2003 gave the service a bit of a dressing down. If our amazing deliverer-of-curries was representative of the overall wait staff, then they have definitely turned things around in that department. First of all, at the very start of our server-patron relationship, she asked if we were going to want separate checks!! We didn’t, but that is such a classy move. Then she was totally on point with refilling our rice platter throughout the meal, which is very important as rice is the delivery mechanism for curry. If the curry is the Gin, then the rice is the tonic, and it is important that you maintain the proper ratio. Not only did she keep the rice flowing, but she made sure to let us know that on the off chance the rice should run out before she was able to fill it again, it was perfectly acceptable to her if we were to go traipsing through the restaurant looking for her, demanding more. It was almost comical. And, then in the final act of classitude., Wally’s sunglasses drifted away from his personal space to the other side of the table, and she was all “Don’t forget your glasses” and picked them up, and placed them right in front of him. Like, “No one is forgetting anything on my watch!!!”, I saw her think. I don’t think Wally would have forgotten them, since he is not a space cookie like me, but still, awesome.
True Thai had some curry options that I hadn’t seen before. In addition to the usual quartet of red, yellow (Panang), green, and Masaman, they also had a Pineapple curry, two Varieties of Seafood Curry, and a spinach and roasted peanut option that is usually listed as a regular entrée at other Thai restaurants, but True Thai seems to think it belongs listed with the other curries. This is their right and I am in no position to argue; I just want it to be known that I pay attention to these things. I tried the pineapple curry with beef. I wish I would have gotten chicken or mock duck instead because the beef was kind of leathery, and that actually is more the rule then the exception in my experience with beef and curry, and my theory as to why this is, is that the beef sits in the curry for to long, and for it to turn out just right, they would need to put the beef in raw like they do for Pho Soup, and let the Curry cook the meet after the fact, but then they don’t feel comfortable doing that since it is raw meat and all…. Anyway, the curry itself was dynamite; sweet & velvety. Wally opted for the Masaman curry, which is a less spicy, kinder, gentler curry served with potatoes. I stealthily speared a giant potato chuck off of his plate to get a sense of it. Although, I prefer the spicier options, this would definitely be the way to go if you were recovering from an ulcer, or the like.
We packed ourselves so full that we had to go to the mall afterwards just to have a warm place to walk it off. The Rockstar bringer of curry brought us our check…and…fortune cookies. Fortune cookies are a Chinese tradition, and although I guess it is not all that surprising to be given them at an Asian-but-not-Chinese restaurant given the collective cultural ignorance of my countryfolk, and really, who cares; But I do cringe when I imagine the relentless parade of Joe 6-Packs demanding fortune cookies after their meal, and the moment the owner(s) decide it is just easier to give them out then constantly give impromptu geography lessons. So far, at least, thay have managed to keep Chow Mein off of the menu.
True Thai
2627 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis
612.375.9942
www.truethairestaurant.com
Glad to read the service has improved at True Thai.
Was it because the owner guy wasn’t there? I’ve witnessed the owner grab server who was about to refill water glasses and send the server off to perform some pointless task, such as lighting candles at unoccupied tables.
I’ve avoided the place because the owner guy was such a jerk but I might stop in. The food certainly is good!
Comment by Scott McGerik — December 11, 2005 @ 2:10 pm
Are you referring to the “farang” at the register? That’s the owner’s husband. If I could only remember a Thai phrase for telling him off, I would share it with you. Instead just take his attitude for what it is worth and say “mai pen rai” (Thai for no big deal)
I actually ate here a few months ago and was very impressed. I was lucky enough to get a Thai waiter who knew what I was talking about and explained to him that my mom is from Petchabun (Northern Thailand). I will respectfully dispute the claim from the owner that she is the only Thai restaurant owner in the Cities that makes her curry pastes from scratch. I have a feeling that a certain friend of mine who runs a Thai restaurant in Roseville would beg to differ.
Having eaten Thai food for most of my adult life, I would say, next to my mother and assorted Thai relatives, that the cooking at True Thai and the Royal Orchid in Roseville are the two most authentic Thai places in the Cities.
Now if you want to know the best Thai place in the States, I’ll tell you. When in Los Angeles, take a trip to the Wat Thai Los Angeles on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Not only will you be hanging with the Thai homies, but you’ll get some real serious eats that you may not see at your local Thai restaurant. Kind of akin to foodstalls in a Bangkok or Chiang Mai marketplace.
Comment by Matt Mirmak — January 24, 2006 @ 1:00 am
I have eaten lunch at True Thai on several occasions during their buffet and have been equally impressed on each and every occasion. The food on the buffet was hot, fresh and very flavorful. I was genuinely impressed that the buffet items were not Americanized like at many Asian restaurants. The foods I tried were hot, spicy and full of flavor, a far cry from the Chun King kind of generic Chinese food you get at the many China star(Moon, garden, Panda, dynasty) restaurants that are more the Old Country Buffets of the Asian community.
I have only ordered from their menu on one occasion and was not disappointed. My only wish is that this restaurant was in a more accessible location as it is off the beaten path from any of the major arteries running through Minneapolis, and as a Farmington resident, it is equally difficult to justify the drive when there just getting there requires one to drive on many residential and heavily congested city streets. In respect of the service, I am one who is a keen judge of the kind of service I receive at a restaurant and I am the first person to be harsh when it comes to how I am treated. In any of the visits I have made to this restaurant, I have never once felt unappreciated or unwanted.
Comment by Aarons — January 19, 2007 @ 2:32 pm
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for your kind words about our restaurant. We’ve linked to this review from our web page, but I also wanted to let you know about some new items on our menu.
Currently, most of our guests who own their own restaurants come for our Thai Duck, a succulent serving of split duck with a special sour-sweet-hot chili reduction sauce.
Other new items include Fried Corn Cakes, a Thai Omelette, Thai style Pepper Steak, Yellow Curry, Stir-Fried Sukiyaki Noodles, and Salt-Encrusted Grilled Jumbo Shrimp.
With the addition of Yellow Curry, I think we now feature more kinds of curry than any other Twin Cities restaurant. We are also selling curry stock to customers who want to make their own curries at home.
Thanks again for your favorable review. For more updates, please visit our new blog, Anna’s True Thai News.
Comment by Anna Prasomphol Fieser — July 11, 2007 @ 2:32 pm