Nestled below a psychic-reading place on a quiet block is a small gem called Thai Chef & Noodle Fusion, 2028 Chestnut St. It’s a quirky little spot with a funky combination of styles. The outside boasts a “Grand Opening” banner, though it’s been open since November, and a sandwich board announcing the specials. An illuminated pink-purple awning lets you know you’re at the right spot. Inside, the décor goes from the modern to the traditional, with a little Jacques Cousteau thrown in for good measure. The first thing I noticed as the hostess showed me to my seat was the napkins rolled into a really cool flower shape. In my heart I’m a party planner, so I made note to ask her to show me the secret before the dinner was over.
I took my seat and ordered the Thai iced tea ($2.95). Thai tea is sweetened with sugar and condensed milk and served chilled. It was sweet with a strong undercurrent of black tea, though again, big kid that I am, I paid more attention to the fact that they twisted the straw cover into a cute little heart shape than anything else. (Just call me Petra Pan; I refuse to grow up.)
The ceiling is illuminated with about a half-dozen mod-looking light fixtures and the walls are serenely painted with underwater scenes. Well, serene unless you’re one of the little fish being consumed by the great white on the side wall heading toward the restroom, but soothing for us big fish.
There are all sorts of subtle touches and little decorations adding to the tranquil oceanic feel. As some of you know, I’m a stickler for music matching the mood of a place, and Thai Chef had it perfectly. Traditional music was piped in at a level loud enough to give the place some ambiance, but low enough that you could have a conversation with the person across the table without shouting.
I started with the mushroom soup ($5.50), wild mushrooms in cream. Fantastic! I’ve raved that Friday Saturday Sunday has the best mushroom soup in town, but this is a close second. The consistency was both thick and smooth and the wild-mushroom flavor was present without being too earthy. Perfect.
My dining companion ordered the coconut soup ($4.50). It can be ordered with chicken, shrimp, assorted seafood or vegetarian; we chose chicken. The coconut soup, aka tom kha, was made with kalanga coconut milk broth and lime leaf. The combination of coconut milk and lime might seem odd to the uninitiated, but it produces a wonderful citrus flavor that makes a delightful light soup.
Next we tried the crab Rangoon ($7.95), dumplings filled with crabmeat and cream cheese and fried. The presentation was well done, with the accompanying vegetables cut into interesting geometric shapes.
We also tried the satay ($6.95), strips of grilled chicken on bamboo skewers marinated in coconut milk with herbs. They were served with a tasty side dish of peanut sauce and a crunchy cucumber salad. The trick with satay skewers is to get the chicken off the stick without poking yourself in the eye or catapulting your chicken across the room. As a professional, I actually managed to consume two skewers’ worth without incident.
Also from the appetizer menu, I sampled the chive dumplings ($5.95), which can be ordered fried or steamed. In fact, most of the menu can be tweaked to your preference. If you like your food on the satanic side, the chef is more than willing to give you a good dose of the hottest of the hot; or if you’re a wimp like me, they can take it down a notch or two so you can enjoy yourself without reaching for the fire extinguisher. The dumplings were served with a sweet and sour chili garlic sauce, but I opted to use the sweet and sour sauce that came with the Rangoon.
As if this weren’t enough, I was persuaded to try a few samples of the combo platter, called treasure of the Thai chef ($14.95), a combination of crab dumplings, the aforementioned chicken satay, moon dumplings, mee krob, Nadia’s rolls, corn and shrimp cakes (good for you spicy types) and golden triangles. My favorite was the mee krob, which looked like a ball of shredded carrots but was actually a delicious orb of noodles.
For dinner, there are a large number of choices for both meat eaters and vegetarians alike. Aside from an assortment of entrées, there are columns of curries, fried rice and pasta that can be ordered with beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables — you name it. I went with the yellow curry with chicken ($11.95). The curry was flavorful and chock full of fresh vegetables. I still have half of the order in my refrigerator, and I’m sure it will be just as good the second time around.
My dining companion ordered the crispy catfish ($19.95), which she seemed to enjoy. (It was hard for me to tell, as I was trying to keep from slipping into a coma from all the good food I’d consumed. And I needed to save room for dessert … )
There were some interesting items on the menu that I passed on, such as wild boar and “winning alligator.” I admit, I’m biased: I had alligator in Louisiana and, let me tell you, it didn’t taste like chicken. But that might have been because it was caught and cooked by my Southern girlfriend’s brother, Bubbah, in his swamp out back.
For dessert, and I’m glad I saved room, I ordered the coconut custard ($4.95), small cups filled with coconut milk and custard and baked, then served on a colorfully sauced plate.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how wonderful the service was. Our hostess introduced herself and then addressed us by our first names all night long. I noticed she did this with the other diners as well. My short-term memory would never get me past the first two tables. And if the fellow making local deliveries for the restaurant was any indication, the place is a neighborhood favorite.
I didn’t even need to consult the psychic upstairs to know that a return trip to Thai Chef is in my future.