The New Thai Kid In Town

Eat It: Twin Kitchen

Twin Kitchen wows with Drunken Kee Mow

By Rachel Birdsell
TFW Contributing Writer

Preamble Ramble

There’s a new kid in town, and I think he may end up being the biggest, baddest one around.
Twin Kitchen is a Thai restaurant that opened in the building that once housed Greenhouse Grille. It’s on the west side of the curve on Archibald Yell Boulevard, directly across from Napa Auto Parts. I think once people hear about this place, it will need to move to a bigger building.

Food For Thought

Almost instantly after I was seated, a plate of two fried spring rolls appeared. And you know what? They were on the house. Free. Gratis. They were also delicious and free. Did I mention that they didn’t cost me anything?
I decided that next up should be The Firecracker appetizer which is five prawns served with seafood sauce. The prawns were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was divine. It was filled with fresh garlic and packed a little bit of heat. The fish flavor was pretty strong at first, and I thought maybe it was going to end up being too fishy, but it instantly dissipated and the garlic and heat took over. Excellent appetizer, but maybe not quite worth the $10 price tag.
The entree I opted for was the Drunken Kee Mow with chicken. It was rice noodles, bell peppers, carrots, onions and fresh basil leaves. You can order your entrees with a heat index of 1-5. I decided to play it safe with 3. I’m glad I didn’t dial it up a notch. I took a bite of the Drunken Kee Mow and I instantly blurted out a few words that I’m not going to repeat here because I’m feeling rather ladylike at the moment.
I can tell you that it was hands down the best Thai food I’ve ever eaten in Northwest Arkansas. It had so much flavor, and the fresh basil leaves really set it off. I also loved that the veggies in the dish were fresh before they were cooked. This dish was magnificent. If I learned that the secret ingredient was baby tears, and that they had to make the baby cry to collect them, I’d still want the Drunken Kee Mow.
Seriously though, once you eat it, it will be like you’re tasting Thai food for the very first time and you’ll say to yourself, “So that’s what Thai food is supposed to taste like.”

The Sporkcast
(1-5 sporks)

Atmosphere: 4.75 sporks that are quietly singing Thai lullabies. The restaurant is small, quiet and casual. Thanks to all of the windows, it doesn’t feel as undersized as is it.
Food: 4.99 platinum sporks with Johnny Depp decals on the handles. My plate was full of so much food that I couldn’t finish it. I was never more saddened at having to leave food on my plate.
Staff: 4.95 chorus line sporks doing the happy dance. I got the impression that the two guys working the front were the owners. In any case, they were welcoming, genuine and very gracious.
Dollars spent: My ticket was tallied at $20. Half of that was the appetizer. My generous, magical, baby-tear infused entree was a mere $7.95. I don’t know of anywhere else you can get such amazing food for such a low price. Most of their entrees are around $8.
Chance of returning: Yes, yes, OH GOD YES!

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.