yum yum

Disclaimer: there were eight of us at this meal. I didn't have time to memorize or write down all of the names of the dishes. I barely got the photos, and am happy that I took them. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Thai Nongkhai was tasty. Everyone at the table agreed that there is so much flavour in their food, that it is like an explosion of flavour in every bite.

The dishes arrived hot, which seems like a simple thing, but it still doesn't seem to happen often! Unlike many similar restaurants we didn't leave feeling ill or wondering what we really ate. Really nicely prepared food, lovingly prepared and served. It is deceivingly in a strip mall. However, once you are inside, this place is warm, cozy, and makes you want to linger.

Really, the soup I had is based on being yummy! OK, OK, it is "tom yum" soup. But it was yummy. It is a broth based soup with chunks of tomato and mushrooms. Watch out for enormous pieces of ginger; this soup has a kick to it. This is definitely a soup to get if you think you might have a compromised immune system. It will warm you from the inside out!

This is the "tom kha" soup, coconut based soup:

The appetizer platters were my favourite part of the meal. Just plain fun. Purple dumplings, and little birdie shrimps. I don't usually like to play with my food, but the best part was that the food had an interesting presentation AND tasted great. Tender chicken satay too. The little tarts were tasty at the time, but unmemorable. The red curry paste spiced meat and vegetable stuff chicken wings were also loved by all, even a sometimes picky six-year-old!

The appetizer platters came with these sauces, and pickled vegetables. I enjoyed the sauce on the right with the chicken wings. It was a little sweet which completed the crispy salty wings.

Dr. S knows his wines, and made an excellent choice as it was a little sweet to complement the spiciness of the food.

OK, so you can't see the rice, and packages aren't everything albeit this one was unique. It was coconut rice, and exceedingly addicting.

This is the best preparation I have had of tilapia in a while - "pla tod rad prik." It is fried to a golden crisp on the outside, and the inside was tender and flaky. It was in a light sauce with a number of cilantro and green onions scattered over top, really top-notch stuff.

The shrimp pad thai was lovely, with everything you hope for in a pad thai. Just right.

Shrimp with basil and coconut milk. Again, well prepared with the shrimp at the right consistency, and the vegetables were cooked perfectly.

I have no clue what else was in this beef dish besides carrots and ginger. It was great with the coconut rice. I like that the beef tasted like beef, and didn't have a thick bizarre sauce, as is so often overdone. This dish exemplified the quality of all of the dishes - the ingredients shone through and the flavours weren't masked by starchy sauces.

Again, the sauce appears very rich. However, it was not too heavy and did not overpower the seafood and vegetables in this dish. I was ecstatic to have seafood which was not cooked to a rubbery mess, but was instead tender and delectable. This dish was also not too salty, but also wonderful with the complementary coconut rice.