I intended to take myself to Republic today, but, after driving around for about half an hour, unable to find it (yes- i know- i need gps), i decided to settle for Thai palace instead. I've read a bunch of the positive reviews here, and felt comfortable that i would have a good experience. Well- i did.
Initially, i couldn't recall if they served alcohol or were BYOB, and i almost chose ginza (right next door) instead, considering their windows were littered with neon beer signs, but i decided i really was in the mood for Thai, and chose to chance it. Well, fear not- i was greeted by a full bar immediately upon entrance. I sat at the bar, as is my wont, which i think puzzled the owner a bit. I had to explain that i was there to eat. As soon as we got that straightened out, it was game on.
I started with some ozeki nigori sake. It was a bargain at $8 for 375 ml. I like nigori sake- this is the cold, unfiltered stuff that looks like milk. It totally hit the spot. The menu is extensive, and i still consider myself a youngin' when it comes to Thai cuisine. I wouldn't say i was overwhelmed, just disappointed i only had one stomach and just so much money. There is a good variety of appetizers, soups (both as a starter or a meal), and then various entrees grouped by protein, noodles/rice, and house specials.
As I'm still recovering from a cold, i chose to start with their chicken noodle soup: a rich, savory broth spiked with dried onion, as well as silken tofu, strips of tender chicken, and thin glass noodles. The soup was delicious, comforting and an excellent opener. I looove glass noodles. I will say that i later saw some tom kha gai walk by, and was a little jealous, but I'll just have to return.
My go-to for an entree is drunken noodles- so spicy, sweet, and savory- i just love them. I'm an adventurous eater, and i always try to talk myself out of them so i can try something new which, until today, has proven entirely ineffective. I chose something else today because a) it was time and b) Thai palace groups their drunken noodles with the curry dishes, not the noodles, which is not how I'm used to seeing it. I didn't want to risk being disappointed if it was different than i expected. Instead, i got the Thai rice noodles. These were thin, vermicelli style rice noodles, served with chicken, shrimp, bean curd, red onion, zucchini, and egg. I ordered the noodles spicy, which sometimes is spicy, and can sometimes be medium because Thai restaurant proprietors know we westerners are often not so great with spice. Well-
These were awesome! The sauce was perfectly spicy, and, for just $10, a huge portion of noodles (i took half home), six plump shrimp, plenty of chicken strips, and a good amount of egg. (I honestly didn't notice any bean curd, but the dish certainly wasn't lacking, so i let it go.) I was a bit surprised there weren't more, or bigger pieces of, veggies, but that may just be what I'm used to. I love egg in noodle dishes, but always forget to ask for extra. My favorite bites of this included egg. There's just something about how it absorbs sauce- love it.
My meal closed with some cubes of pineapple, very classic. I really appreciated that these were served with a small cocktail fork, as opposed to the toothpicks you often find. Also- the young guy taking care of me was very sweet, polite, and efficient. In fact, when i requested chopsticks for my noodles, he opened them, split them apart, and rubbed them for me! I believe this is roughly the Thai equivalent to putting someone's napkin on their lap for them.
This place is a solid joint and had a steady stream of folks coming and going, for eat-in and takeout, many of whom appeared to be regulars- always a good sign. If i was ever in Bloomfield again, wanting Thai (or lost- ha ha), i would definitely revisit Thai palace. read more