Give It A Thai

Eat It: May 12

Thai Ta Ra a delight

By Rachel Birdsell
TFW Contributing Writer

PREAMBLE RAMBLE

Thai Ta Ra is another reader-recommended restaurant.

We’ll refer to the reader who recommended it as Paul, because that’s what his name is. Paul told me Thai Ta Ra would be my new favorite Thai place. I’m not sure if that happened, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I have to say that when I saw where Thai Ta Ra was located, I had immediate misgivings. It’s in the Sunrise Inn on the corner of Thompson and Sunset in Springdale.

I’m not normally one to judge a restaurant on its appearance because I’ve had some wonderful food in some not so wonderful locations. Even though I almost turned around and went somewhere else, I forged ahead. That’s how much I trust your judgment, readers.

Now on to the food.

I ordered the Pra Ram Long Song which is sliced chicken breasts in peanut sauce. It came with a side of steamed vegetables and rice. You can order how hot you want your food by the number of stars. I like peanut sauce dishes only somewhat hot, so I ordered mine “2 stars” hot, which is medium. The heat built with each bite, but it was never so much that I had to take a break to recover. You can go up to 4 stars in the heat department, but I don’t think I’d ever venture over 3 stars.

The Pra Ram Long Song was divine. There was plenty of poultry on my plate, so I didn’t have to go searching for it under a rogue piece of cabbage. The peanut sauce was creamy but had crushed peanuts in it for a little bit of a crunch. It was some of the best I’ve ever had. Seriously good stuff.

The steamed vegetables were broccoli, green beans and Chinese cabbage. They were tasty and fresh, but they just seemed to be an odd pairing with my Pra Ram Long Song.

I almost forgot the chicken and rice soup. It was hands down the best I’ve ever had. Much more flavorful than you typically get, and it seemed to be much fresher than the norm, too. It had plenty of chicken and rice, but I think it was the fresh green onions and cilantro that made me fall in love.

THE SPORKCAST

(1-5 sporks)

ATMOSPHERE: 3 sporks from 1982 that had water stains on the handles. I wish the atmosphere at Thai Ta Ra matched the food. This shouldn’t stop you from trying them. I just wouldn’t recommend going there for a first date. It is very quiet there, though, and was peaceful and relaxing.

FOOD: 4.65 sporks with tiny Thai peppers in between the tines. The food is awesome. I could eat the Pra Ram Long Song at least once a week — maybe twice a week. And for my vegetarian readers, there are vegetarian options on the menu. Also, if you happen to be a duck lover, there are numerous duck entrees for you to try.

STAFF: 4.85 very quiet sporks. Shh. My server and the other women working there were all fantastic. They all made me feel welcome and made sure I had everything I needed.

DOLLARS SPENT: Roughly $9 — a very well spent $9. The menu is pretty extensive, but the most common price is $8.50. They offer lunch specials during the week for $6.95

CHANCE OF RETURNING: I’ll definitely go back to Thai Ta Ra — awesome service and fantastically fabulous food.

SUPER SECRET INFORMATION: If you like Thai Ta Ra on Facebook, you’ll be privy to exclusive Facebook specials.

If you know of a great eating place, drop me a line at rabirdsell@gmail.com. I’ll check it out and let you know what I think.