I went to Phuket Thai Imbiss in the city center for the second time today. I previously had gone here last summer when it was scorchingly hot and enjoyed sitting outside eating a nice Thai curry reminiscent of my time spent in that lovely country. I was slightly inebriated when I ate here, however, so I never made a notion to review the place.
Today, I was sober and ready for some delicious southeast Asian food. My heart was set on Thai Lao, but they ended up being closed for the Easter holiday. Not wanting to walk all the way back to Selera near the Hbf for Malaysian, I decided to give Phuket another go.
I ordered the number 42, which is a Penang style curry with shrimp and extra spicy. I sat outside and the food came out to me promptly.
The food was okay, but nothing to go out of my way for ever again. The sauce was very oily and watery... not coconutty milk thick and enhanced like I'm used to when I am eating a good curry. The shrimp were well cleaned and cooked nicely. The dish had WAYYYYYY too many green beans on it though. I'm all for some green beans since I can't afford them at the store here in Frankfurt, but geez. It was like they received an extra five shipments of them and were just trying to get rid of them. And usually Penang curries don't come with many veggies, or veggies at all. The sauce wasn't well-developed or complex. I could taste fish sauce in there, which was to my liking, but I think the fact that they didn't add any chilis or heat (even though I requested it this way) left the whole thing feeling a bit flat. I also wish they would have used a bowl to serve instead of the plate. The tables outside are uneven and since the curry wasn't reduced properly and was so watery, it was hard to get the sauce to stay on the plate and not run all over me.
Something that left me a bit puzzled is that I ordered a Penang curry and my boyfriend ordered a Thai red curry, and the sauces tasted identical. Penang curries tend to be milder and contain peanuts, but there was no hint of any distinction from the Thai Red Curry. Both were too watery and bland. And consisted of the same heat level. Mine did have some peanuts as a topping, I should add.
The curry was definitely edible and I would probably go to this place if I was out drinking in the area... but I don't think I'll trek across town any time soon for another curry there. read more