May 2014
After returning from a trip to Thailand, serendipity awaited me—I’d be visiting four Thai restaurants, all located on San Francisco Street or Bangkok Street, as locals might come to call it. As on our trip, this nourishing task involved colorful stir fries and fragrant curries, eaten in friendly company. Each restaurant is owned by a Thai, whose culture makes meals a social occasion.
In Thailand, dishes are ordered and enjoyed family style—the more, the merrier. The meal doesn’t contain courses, but choices from many categories served together. These include a variety of meat and fish dishes, served with rice and noodles, plus soup and a simple fruit, such as pineapple or mango, for dessert. Within these dishes, a mix of sweet, salty, sour and spicy elements creates a satisfying meal.
Such is the case at Pato Thai Cuisine, where a strong clientele has been keeping its door swinging for years. General Manager Nathan Doungdao said customer input has a great deal to do with Pato’s recipes. “We strive for authenticity, but each restaurant (in Flagstaff) meets their customers’ tastes.
Pato’s veggie wraps are enticing and eaten like sushi rolls. The vegetable Panang curry is available with any meat, seafood or tofu and incorporates bell pepper, green beans, peas and carrots in thick gravy made of chili paste, peanut sauce and coconut milk. The tom kha gai soup, or chicken galangal soup, is a reddish, slightly oily coconut broth with two kinds of fresh mushroom, tomatoes, lemon grass, lime juice, cilantro and shrimp. The papaya salad is large with zingy sweet and hot flavors in a crisp, shredded mix of vegetables and green papaya. A favorite among regulars is the pineapple fried rice.
Dara Thai Restaurant has been a fixture for 22 years, although Chada Tirakul ran the kitchen and herself ragged for the first seven years to make it possible. She said the secret to success is, “I worked hard, charge reasonable prices, and I am honest with customers—they are my family.”
Green curry is Chada’s favorite dish. She uses French green beans, bell pepper, carrots, bamboo shoots and your choice of meat, all swimming in coconut milk and spice. A transparent noodle dish, called pad woon sen, is made from yellow bean noodles. It is light with chunky celery, onion, plus bean sprouts and egg. A customer favorite at Dara is #39 Evil Jungle Princess, a chicken stir fry with special Thai spices. In January, Chada opened another Thai spot called Red Curry, catering delicious dishes to a vegan crowd with stricter dietary desires.
Each of Flagstaff’s Bangkok Street restaurants has a warm ambiance with wood touches in banquettes, flooring and décor. They display a modest array of cultural pieces, like fabrics, carving and motifs. In the kitchen, dishes are made fresh, not pre-cooked and sauces are blended daily. Access to ingredients is through Asian markets in Los Angeles and locally, when available. They have fan bases in their own right, and most cook Bangkok style with sweeter coconut milk dishes.
Ewa’s Thai Cuisine opened late last year, but is not new to the local Thai scene, as Ewa was a former partner at Pato. She serves Northern Issan style dishes and favorites, developed from her longtime interest and professional education plus her mother’s devotion, scrupulously reproducing recipes. With her catering expertise, the mother-daughter duo delivers delectable dishes to a growing crowd. “The first product you sell is yourself,” said Ewa. It’s working.
“Tom kha gai is indicative of a restaurant’s quality,” Ewa said as she served the creamy, white soup. The complex flavors, featuring galangal, dance on the tongue. Ewa’s pad Thai’s tender noodles nest around vibrant veg and fresh, roasted peanuts, plus generous shrimp. Larb beef, lamb or chicken is an Issan specialty. The portion of ground meat, onion, fish sauce and mint is scooped up with balled, sticky rice, which counters the salty protein. Nam prig ong, a ground chicken tomato dish, accompanied with raw carrot, cucumber, green beans and romaine, demonstrates the use of quality meats in a savory meld of herbs and heat that doesn’t drive the dish. As for the popular menu pick, guests chose the fresh spring roll. Take a walk down San Fran on either side of the tracks, and you’re spoiled for choice as far as Thai cuisine. NAMLM Gail G. Collins