Came to Dome Pochana with teacher friends from Olive Vista Junior High School back in the 1980's. Not too much has changed except the interior decorations may be a bit spiffier. The food seems as though it has stood the test of time & the "tried & true" are still the hits on their menu listing.
Because the clientele is mostly non-Thai, to be on the safe side, none of the dishes ordered will be fortified with that powerful elixir, Capsicum, relative to the deadly Nightshade. If having a piquant sensation is "de rigueur" to your eating habits, make sure to say that you want the food to be medium hot or HOT. If you don't, the Thai food will come out Wussifed.
The Thai waitress was most hospitable, friendly as well as thinking ahead to make sure that I got the most kind service throughout my stay. I wanted to order the Green Coconut Chicken Curry & the Pad Ka Pao Pork (Pork sauteed with mint leaves).
To get the most out of the deal, the waitress suggested a dinner special that included Wonton Soup or salad, fried appetizers, egg fried rice or steamed rice, with the Green Coconut Chicken Curry. The Pad Ka Pao could be ordered as an "a la carte" dish.
1) The cup of Won Ton Soup was delightfully hot in contrast to most restaurants now that serve soup tepidly warm since the lawsuit against McDonalds where a person put a cup of hot coffee between his/her legs while driving. The coffee spilled out & supposedly scalded his/her boink boink. The wonton skin was soft, diaphanous, velveteen while the center had a bit of minced spiced pork for a meaty finale.
The soup based seemed like a well modulated chicken broth with bit of soy sauce, & fresh cilantro added a strong herbal greeness. Also, sprinkling a bit of the white pepper added a smoky, heat that married well to the Umami filled broth. Nice way to start the meal.
2) There were two fried Won Tons which weren't quite as ethereal as the ones in the soup. Also, there was one vegetable fried egg roll. All these could be dabbed with a sweet sour sauce which looked very red from food coloring.
I wasn't too impressed by these fried foods which lacked refined flavours. The oil they were fried in could have been used many times before so that flavours & odors from the previous foods seemed to be infused.
3) The Pad Ka Pao Pork is a melange of onions, carrots, mushrooms, red & green sweet bell peppers, aromatic Thai Basil sauteed in oyster sauce, nampla (fish sauce), touch of garlic. I had to add in the chiles available from the various jars to up the chile piquancy as well as adding a bit of gastrique from the vinegar pickling the chiles to amp up the flavours in the Pad Ka Pao. This went along very well with the steam rice acting like a bland counter weight to the flavourful Pad Ka Pao.
4) The Green Coconut Curry is a rich, heavy dish since it is fortified with thick coconut milk. The sauce is lightly agrodolce (sweet/sour), creamy with pieces of green beans, carrots, slices of bamboo shoots and a bit of Thai basil. This dish reminds me of a more watery, runny version of the French Gratin. This is another dish that requires rice or some kind of starch to round out the flavour profile.
Ice Tea was the preferred beverage on a hot 90 degree day. I really made the waitress work since I drank at least 4 refills, but she still kept on smiling while she probably thought I was at least half camel.
Finally dessert was the Thai Ice Tea. The tea is exceptional for its natural deep orange/brown tint with a touch of smoky, roasted scent. The condensed milk adds a extra sweet, rich creaminess that melds well with the orange/brown tea. A great dessert if you're too full to eat a more solid sweet.
Again, the waitress was most forethoughtful serving the Thai Ice Tea in a take-out cup so that if I didn't finish, I could take it with me. I got to enjoy it later at home watching the Danish political drama series, Borgen featuring Pilou Asbaek. The food at Dome is a 3+ Yelp stars, but the extra friendly & thoughtful service by the most accommodating waitress adds that extra 1/2 star.
BTW, Orange Chicken & Sichuan Chicken are NOT THAI food.
PS It would help with the dining pleasure if the napkins were a little more substantial. The napkin used now is only good for only halfway through the meal. read more