PDX eats: Langbaan

Langbaan. there is nothing i can say about this place any better than what's already been said - a) i don't know Thai food well enough to even begin to describe what i ate, and 2) everyone agrees, it's GD delicious. after waiting i think 4 months after making my reso, i was so happy to find that it was worth the wait - i had a blast trying things on the tasting menu i've never had before (or would never normally order), and flavors i would never conceive of putting together. mouth party! 

we sat right up against the kitchen 
and were able to watch these uber-organized, calm prodigy chefs assemble these crazy dishes. almost as entertaining as it was yummy:

 

recipe: chicken pad thai II

so i was on the hunt for a pad thai recipe, forgetting that i already have one that i've beaned about. maybe it was a good thing i found my last recipe forgettable though - this one turned out to be good - REALLY good - and better than any pad thai i ever remember making. i used a recipe from See Brooke Cook, which i found through old trusty foodgawker.com. i added chicken to mine but outside of that followed the recipe mostly verbatim otherwise - it came out pretty damn close to tasting like a Thai restaurant version. can't ask for anything more than that!

ingredients list: 
- 1 chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 7-8 oz rice noodles
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 heaping tbsp peanut butter, microwaved until just melted
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1 cup cilantro (i had no cilantro so tossed in a bunch of fresh basil instead)
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

recipe: Thai sweet & spicy chicken

i took out chicken drumsticks for last night's dinner but had no good recipe in mind. we ended up doing a throw-together Thai chicken that actually came out REALLY good. savory, tangy, sweet, lil spicy, lil cilantroy (because i'm not sure there's an adjective for that)... it really had a lot goin on.

i didn't make the sauce until right before we made the chicken, but if i let it marinate a few hours before cooking i think the flavors would be even deeper. i might opt to blend the sauce ingredients first before marinating to get the chili pepper just all up in the sauce. yumz.

ingredients list:

- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

- 1/4 cup fish sauce

- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

- 2 tsp garlic oil

- 1 tbsp hoisen sauce

- 1 (heaping) tbsp brown sugar

- 2 tbsp sweet & sour sauce (i used leftover takeout packets... this was a true throw together dinner)

- 1 tsp onion powder

- 1/2 tsp cumin

- 1/2 tsp white pepper

- a few dashes of salt

- 1 red hot chili pepper, finely diced

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tbsp and 3 tbsp (roughly) cilantro, divided

- 6 chicken drumsticks (or whatever kind of chicken you want to use)

Sukhothai - Albany, NY

Sukhothai on Lark St in Albany has been on my to-visit hit list for some time after hearing of it and good things about it. we went on a friday late afternoon and it was pretty busy - surprisingly so. we split the Hoy Joh (crab wrapped in tofu with sweet & sour sauce) and i had the massaman curry as my meal. the app was fairly light & delish, and the massaman actually tasted just like the delish massaman we had on the scuba boats in Thailand. i asked for it a little extra spicy and it ended up with a just right mix of spicy & sweet. i didn't order a drink, but the well-stocked fridge of Sapporo and $5 saketinis that looked fab. definitely a go-back spot. 

recipe: chicken satay & spicy peanut sauce

last night i was still motivated to keep cooking - knowing i'd have 0 time on a week day to prep, i had prepped the marinade and sauce for this the night before.  the intention was to use skinless chicken thighs and use them for traditional chicken satay, however this plan went a bit south when i realized they were bone-in thighs - turning it into essentially a un-kababed version. grilled bone-in chicken is so damn good it kind of worked out for the best -- this marinade make the chicken super juicy and had an awesome flavor -- i want to re-make it again using chicken wings served in the spicy peanut sauce. i love kabob satay, but i kind of like wings even more and think it would be a fab fusion. 

both of these recipes were taken from Serious Eats - they have a nice kick to them, so if you like spicy they will be on par. 

ingredients list: chicken (adequate for 4 pieces of chicken)

- 1 stalk lemon grass, roughly chopped (or prepared minced lemongrass if you can't find fresh)

- 2 tbsp vegetable oil

- 2 tbsp fish sauce

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- 1 tbsp lime juice (preferably fresh)

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 2 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

- 1 tsp ground turmeric

- 1 tsp ground coriander (i did not have any so used a dash of cilantro)

- 1 tsp Sriracha

to make: place lemongrass, oil, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, turmeric, garlic, coriander and Sriracha in a blender, and blend on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.

place chicken in a large resealable bag and pour in marinade - leave in fridge and marinade 1-2 hours (i left mine for 24).

when ready to cook:

- if doing skewers, slice into long 1-inch strips and thread onto soaked wooden skewers

- or - just keep it whole. 

grill until juices run clear -- fairly quickly (5 min) for skewers, about 20 minutes over medium high heat if using bone-in chicken.

ingredients list: spicy peanut sauce:

- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

- 1/4 cup hot water

- 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste

- 2 tbsp brown sugar

- 2 tbsp Sriracha

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tbsp rice vinegar

- 1 tbsp lime juice (preferably fresh)

- 1 tsp minced garlic

- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

- 2 scallions, thinly sliced

- kosher salt to taste

to make: in a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter and hot water. stir in all remaining ingredients. it can be used immediately, or stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

recipe: chicken massaman curry

after Thailand, our craving for massaman curry was pretty insatiable. i had picked up a small jar of massaman curry paste in the airport so 50% of the work for cooking it was already done. i snagged the Chicken Massaman Curry recipe from Serious Eats. at first taste, it was good but super bland. we added in a bit more spice, and it was pretty damn good after that. still not the purist recipe that they served in Thailand (though i will keep trying), but a good fill-in recipe until my quest is finished. 

ingredients list: 

- 1 can (13 oz) full-fat coconut milk

- 3 tbsp massaman curry paste

- 8 chicken drumsticks (i de-skinned mine to save calories)

- 2-3 cups chicken broth

- 1 lb of red or yukon gold potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks

- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled & cut into about 1-inch chunks

- 4-6 tbsp brown sugar (adjust final quantity to taste)

- 3 tbsp fish sauce

- 2 tbsp prepared tamarind pulp (preparation instructions here) 

- 1 tbsp cinnamon 

- 1 tsp cumin

- salt & pepper to taste

- 4 pieces star anise (optional - i didn't have & skipped this)

to make: spoon about 3/4 cup of the creamy solid part of the coconut milk that rises to the pot of the can and put it in a large pot along with the curry paste. fry the mixture over medium - high heat until the coconut milk starts to turn oily. 

add the chicken drumsticks to the pot along with the remaining coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, tamarind pulp, and chicken broth (add just enough chicken broth to just cover the chicken).

bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium to a simmer. allow to simmer, covered, for 10-13 minutes. add the potatoes, onions, and seasonings to the pot. continue to simmer, covered, until the chicken, potatoes, and onion are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

thailand in food pics

january was honeymoon to Thailand. the mothership. i fully expected the food to be amazing (if i like Thai in albany, liking Thai in its land is a no brainer), and it proved to be just that. the one great thing about it was that when something in the menu is listed as SPICY, it is... wait for it... actually SPICY. they don't pander to sissies like we do here (i've been ordering chinese food "extra spicy" for spicy items... they still can't deliver. don't fear the spice!)the other shocking thing is the price... we could eat an entire meal (split app, 2 entrees, 2 drinks - Singha specifically : ) for about $15 USD. just one entree here (for casual takeout) is about $12 USD. i felt like a kid in Charlie's Chocolate Factory, if the chocolate river was curry sauce and the pad thai. 

tee hee! 

my only complaint: their burger. BLECH!!! apparently beef is not their strong suit. we went to what was rated the #2 Bangkok burger joint and well-reviewed on a (very critical) Bangkok burger blog, and it was BLEEEEH. not horrific, but not in anyway shape or form something to write home about. overseasoned (why???), a little tough even if it was juicy & not cooked to temp (they don't even offer medium rare... even at a nice steakhouse they start with "medium" as the suggestion... WHAT?) tried else for the same result. the BEST burger of them all... laughably... McDonald's Samuri Pork Burger. not beef... but highly enjoyable after a few Singha's. (this coming from a girl that can't eat McDonald's burgers in the US - the beef variety - without barfing)

when in rome, eat breakfast
like the romans do.

chicken something something.

red curry chicken that made my
nose run & my ears burn. but not burn enough
to overshadow the tasty tasty. gaaah!

massaman curry - my first meal when
i got to the island, then it seemed to be 
served on every boat we went on... 
all equally amazing. best staple ever.

drinks @ The Library, Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui. great. crafty cocktails, nice change of pace from some of the beer-centric downtown Chaweng spots. 

something something.

something something lamb @ Noori Indian. MMM.

mini cupcake offering 
to my mini buddah.

McDonald's Samuri Pork Burger

#2 ranked burger. what i wouldn't give
to start up a Thai burger joint.
1 good meat purveyor, would make a KILLING!

room service: chicken & stuff

Indian butter chicken, Noordi Indian in Koh Samui. Awesome.

Lobster Hot Plate chips... 
SO bad.

lot of brick oven pizza... this one was OK, 
the one at Pinocchio on Chaweng Beach 
was really good - like REALLY good even in NY. 
were very pleasantly stunned.

pork on a stick & shish ka bobs for farewell din. i think i paid $.90  total for it... god! 

Maesri pad thai sauce

i found this little gem of a sauce on a trip to the asian (primarily thai) market near work. it came with a complete how-to recipe on back - while i couldn't follow the quantities (they were metric) and didn't have bean sprouts or asian chive, i rolled with what i had. 

we sauteed some chicken, then shrimp & mushrooms in an onion & cilantro flavored olive oil and few dashes of chili oil, threw in some dried chilis, and an egg before dropping in the sauce and rice noodles. a little salt & pepper and bing! easiest din ever. 

it had a great flavor - sweet, teeny bit of spice, not overpowering at all. while ours didn't look like the typical pad thai we'd get out, it was a charming lil din - well worth grabbing a jar for quick weeknight eats. 

Blue Spice - Nov 2012

we hit up Blue Spice Thai restaurant in albany, ny a few weeks ago (i've been terrible about updating this lately) - it's a place i've been wanting to hit for a while, and luckily they popped up a groupon deal a short while back. while the service we had was admittedly a little slow, the meal we had was pretty darn good.  

i ordered the Blue Spice Duck which was nice and crispy and fatty (as it should be) and sweet & sticky. it was served with veggies and rice which made for a fabulous little mouth party. it was so long ago i can't give it much deeper of a description, but i remember it all on a positive note. sorry for the lame description, but in short, i would go back. 

Campbell's Thai Green Curry Sauce Mix

i'm never a huge fan of buying pre-packaged sides/sauces/anything, but this Campbell's Thai sauce caught my eye when i was shopping. i've been wanting to make green curry sauce for a while, but most recipes call for fresh kaffir leaves which apparently are non-existent in Albany NY. in the meantime, this little packet was a pleasantly surprising bandaid.

we cooked chicken and shrimp and sauteed green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and mixed it a bit of additional spice (crushed red pepper) into the sauce. served it over rice noodles. the sauce mix actually had a great flavor to it - nice & sweet but still spicy & savory. would have it again.  

recipe: baked spring rolls

it was just the 2 of us for Easter this year so we did a quick/casual din as we were spending 90% of the day painting and doing housework. i had leftover cabbage from St. Paddys day - other than Irish stuff, the only thing i know that uses cabbage is egg rolls. and spring rolls are -kind- of Eastery (spring?) so we made that as an app. the Baked Pork Spring Rolls recipe from allrecipes.com was pretty well reviewed with minimal changes, so we went with that (really liked that they were baked too... the frying factor is part of the reason i have never tried to make egg/spring rolls before). 

ingredients list (makes 12 rolls):
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1 cup finely shredded carrot
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (i subbed fish sauce)
- 2 tsp ginger root, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili sauce
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- 12 (7 inch square) spring roll wrappers
- 4 tsp vegetable oil

to make: preheat oven to 425 degrees. cook pork in a medium skillet over medium high heat until evenly brown, then remove from heat and drain any excess fat. in a medium bowl, mix pork, cabbage, carrot, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, chili sauce, and a pinch of salt.

mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. place 1 tbsp of pork mixture into the center of a spring roll wrapper, then roll the wrapper around the mixture, folding the edges inward to close. brush the wrapper seams with the cornstach mixture to seal. repeat with remaining spring rolls.

place assembled spring rolls on a baking sheet, and brush all sides with vegetable oil. bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, turning once at the 10 minute mark.
***
really liked these - they do miss a little something for being baked and not fried (sadly, i just love the flavor of fatty fat fried things), but these were still very fresh and yummy just the same. i'd pop them a 6******.

recipe: thai chicken noodle soup

this was din din last night, inspired by the chicken boob in the fridge that needed cooking, leftover coconut milk that need to be used, and a freezer full of chicken broth. i'm sure traditional thai chicken soup has more complex ingredients, but this was made using what i had on hand, so it's a nice 20 minute easy dish.

ingredients list:
- 1 boneless chicken breast
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (or more to taste... i only had 1/2 cup avail)
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 tsp basil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger 
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tbsp red chili paste
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt to taste

- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (i used baby bellas)

- 2 large cloves garlic, minced

- 1/3 box of Thai rice noodles
- cilantro for garnish
- olive oil


to make: bring chicken broth to boil in a large pot, then add all ingredients EXCEPT the sliced mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, rice noodles, and cilantro and continue cooking on high heat for about 15 minutes, until chicken has cooked through.


while soup/chicken is cooking, heat a small skillet over medium low heat, and saute the mushrooms in olive oil until golden, adding the garlic for the last minute of cooking, then add mushroom/garlic mixture to soup. 


remove chicken breast from the soup, and shred with 2 forks. return to pot, making sure soup is still boiling. add rice noodles, and remove from heat. let sit for 8-10 minutes, until noodles are soft, stirring frequently. add a dash of cilantro before serving. 
***
i wasn't sure how this would come out, but i actually liked it. it was a little too lemony for kyle, but i'm into lemony soups so it was just right for me... that can easily be adjusted though. it seemed like a lot of heat that was being added with the Sriracha/chili paste, but it was only a tiny little kick and kind of just right for this. i'd give it a 6.5 ******~. 

recipe: red curry chicken

love red curry... we tried Robert Irvine's Spicy Red Curry Chicken recipe from foodnetwork.com tonight for din dins. since i had just had red curry from the new Thai place down the street just 2 week ago i knew exactly what i was hoping it would taste like... and it was pretty damn close. i followed his recipe verbatim, except used bone-in chicken that i baked for the first portion:

ingredients list: 
- 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2-3 tsp Thai red curry paste (note: we used 3, but i still wanted it spicier. i like curry to reach runny-nose heat, this was just a small zing)
- 1 tbsp Asian fish sauce
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skins removed (or boneless breasts... whatever works)
- salt & fresh ground black pepper
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (his recipe calls from shiitake, i used baby bellas)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup water
- green onion, cilantro, or toasted peanuts for garnish

to make: preheat oven to 350 degrees. heat a large pan over medium-high heat, adding in 2 tbsp vegetable oil. season chicken with salt & pepper, then saute until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. remove chicken from pan, and place in a baking dish to cook at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

while chicken is cooking, in a small bowl whisk the coconut milk with the curry paste and fish sauce until combined. add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet, then sautee the mushrooms and red pepper until golden, about 5 minutes. stir in the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1 minute. add the cooked chicken, red curry mixture, and water and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, ensuring chicken is fully cooked through.

garnish with green onion (or whatever you like), and serve with rice or rice noodles.
***
we both really liked this. it did not have as much heat as i would have liked, so next time i will add additional curry (it may have been taken down a spice notch b/c i added a bit of cornstarch - i like a slightly thicker sauce). other than that, the flavor was on-point and tasted exactly like red curry should: yummy. it was hard to cook a robert irvine recipe without picturing him yelling at my kitchen skills, but i think just watching/reading/or thinking about him is supposed to be stressful ("i milked a whole coconut with my BAHHH hands and have FRESH milk in the amount of time it took you to open that caaaahhnnn of gaaahbadge!!! raaawwwwwrrr"). 7 *******.

Sri Siam Thai Restaurant

i've been patiently waiting for Sri Siam Thai to open for a while now... it's super-close to our house and has been teasing me with the "coming soon" signs for months. i -think- it just opened earlier this week - as soon as i saw the open sign it was go-time.

we didn't dine-in, although it seems very cute inside. we ordered some spring rolls, samosa, and pad thai to split, and loved all of it. the spring rolls/samosa were fried just right - they were not too greasy at all and were perfectly crisp. flavor was awesome (i had never had samosa before... delightful little chicken/potato concoction). everything seemed very fresh, great flavor, and when were done we were pleasantly full, not that oh-god-i-ate-too-much grease and sugar feeling from chinese.

we will def be returning... it's so conviently close i'm scared to see how often : ) the red curry is on tap next mmmm.

House of Tsang thai peanut sauce

every time i go to the grocery store lately, i end up leaving with a random bottle of thai sauce or dip or something. last time was the House of Tsang Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce. um... YUMMM. it's better than i expected it to be with the sweet peanut like you'd expect, but it has the perfect amount of zippy spice to it. umami! 


i made a few wraps out of it - some marinated chicken (soy sauce, honey, ginger, cumin & cayenne), lettuce, carrots, wonton noodles, and this sauce. served with a lil garlic cous cous awesome! definitely my new favorite dip for pretty much everything. 


reading about the new Chicken McBites today gave me a pretty bad nugget craving, and i'm tempted to cave and get some just so i can dip dip. 

recipe: thai spicy chicken

i think Monday was the only night this week that i peeled myself away to from my desk to cook anything... i can't even remember 100% what i added here, just whatever thai-ish & spicy ingredients that seemed like they would play nicely (and an attempt at coconut sauce which didn't play out well). served with a pre-prepared coconut almond basmati rice (would be nice if i made it, but no time!). 

ingredients list:

- 4 chicken thighs, skins removed

sauce shout out!

- 2 tsp Sriracha sauce

- 2 tbsp Thai Chili Roasted Garlic Sauce (Central Market)

- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce

- 1 tbsp minced ginger

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1.5 tsp cumin

- 1 tsp tumeric

- 1 tbsp lemon juice

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp pepper

to make: place all ingredients in a small bowl except the chicken. mix in chicken, marinating for an hour+ if desired. preheat oven to 350 degrees, and cook for 45 min - 1 hour, until chicken is fully cooked through. serve!

***

this chicken had a ton of spice from the Sriracha - since it was a 5 minute throw together i was pleasantly surprised by it. i didn't let it marinate but the flavor was alllll up in it - YUM! what i had attempted for the sauce was simmering coconut milk with cumin & dried chilies... i ran out to the gym while the chicken was baking/sauce was simmering (kyle watched it, i'm not burning my house down)... but when i got back the sauce was super thin, not the magical cream sauce i was hoping for. i guess i didn't think that one through... nor did i have time to play with it. so it didn't become a spicy chicken + sweet cream sauce dish, but it was still yum (the sauce basically ran into the rice which worked out well for the rice). 6******.

recipe: tandoori chicken drumsticks

i had drumsticks in the freezer, a thai/indian craving, and a flurry of great recipe ideas from foodgawker.com at the ready. tonight's FG-inspired recipe is from Modaretto.com, scaled up for 3 ppl, and served with coconut rice.

ingredients list:
- 6 chicken legs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (i used the tubed-variety)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp cardamom
- 1 & 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 & 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 & 1/4 cups yogurt

to make: remove skin from chicken, then mix all remaining ingredients in large bowl or zip lock. add chicken, and stir until the chicken is fully coated. allow to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

when ready to cook, preheat oven to 415 degrees. line a baking sheet with tin foil, placing a wire rack over top (sprayed with cooking spray) to cook the chicken. reserve marinade. bake chicken for 20 minutes, then brush on both sides with the reserved marinade, and turn chicken over. bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until juices run clear.

***

i really liked this one! i hadn't looked at the recipe before dinner, so didn't marinate it for too long. the flavors were really nice as-is, but i'm sure they would have been even deeper & yummier if i let it sit overnight. next time i will add a little additional heat - it was great as-is, but i want the same heat level of the chicken to the sweet level of the rice (if that makes sense). popping it a 7.5*******~.

recipe: coconut rice

even though i'm not a coconut lover, i am a lover of coconut rice. lately everything i've been craving is cumin and spice-injected thai food, and i love the idea of the sweet sweet on the side... such a happy mouth party when they're all together. i used the coconut rice recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen, modifying it based on ingredients i had and just wanting to do a quicker version.

ingredients list (for 3):
- 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 cup of water
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped & divided
- 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

to make:
- bring coconut milk and water to a boil. add rice, and lower to a simmer. stir in lime juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, cumin, and 2 tbsp cilantro, and let simmer for 30 minutes (add more water if necessary...the rice will be done before 30 minutes, but let it cook longer in more liquid for a creamier end result). remove from heat and let rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

while rice is cooking, toast coconut flakes until light golden brown. add remaining cilantro and toasted coconut flakes on top of rice before serving.
***
as for verdict, this actually came out better than i expected (the last coconut rice i had was at Hurricane Club and was AMAZING, so i didn't let my hopes get up that high). it was not very sweet on its own with the coconut milk, so i added the brown sugar which brought it up to speed. it was nice & creamy like a risotto but still very light. the toasted coconut was actually a must for this - it gave it a nice zip & slight crunch. i'd go so far as to say 8********, this will def be popping up again next to some spicy dishes.

bangkok bistro thai restaurant & martini bar

saturday night a bunch of us went to try the new thai place in colonie ny, Bangkok Bistro. i was excited for this place since 1) i'm always craving thai & 2) i love martinis.

i had a bit of sugar-tummy going into dinner (i had a coffee icecream and vodka milkshake shortly before leaving), but by the time i sat down i was ready to go. i ordered the Thai Tea & Coconut martini, which i was secretly hoping tasted like a Green Tea & Ginger tini that i had once at The Point, but it tasted more like coconut, which was... OK. i'm a bit biased though b/c 1) i'm not a huge fan of coconut and 2) i had another drink burned into my memory (kind of like thinking you're sipping water but downing a big gulp of sprite). putting that aside, the drink in and of itself was very tasty.

we had the Crab Angels as an app, which were "crispy fried dumplings stuffed with cream cheese and marinated crab", served with plum sauce. these tasted like standard crab rangoons (which does mean absolutely delish), just cuter presentation. the plum sauce was a great little dip dip... it reminded me of the spicy wonton sauce from Yips which i am kindof in love with. for dinner i had the Red Curry (red curry paste in coconut milk, slowly cooked with bamboo shoots, carrots & bell peppers) with Lamb.

the curry is served normally with their 1-star (mild) spicy rating, so i asked them to bump it up a notch which they did and then some. it got to burny mouth/runny nose level and tappered off right before ear burn level (that's my limit... once the ear burn is on it the pain usually overshadows the taste), which was just right. it has a slight sweetness to it that helped round out the heat. that and a little rice with each bite.

in short, i'd pop it 6.5 stars ******~. would def go back, particularly for $4 martini wednesdays.

recipe: thai spicy peanut butter noodles & chicken satay

i'm dying to go to thailand. seeing as this isn't in the foreseeable future, cooking thai is the best i can do while i wait. i have a cold, so i needed something easy... and spicy. tried 2 from old-trusty allrecipes.

spicy peanut butter noodles

i followed this recipe pretty much as written. i couldn't find Udon noodles so used stir-fry rice noodles, chili paste was non-existent in my supermarket so i used a tube (that sounds gross?) of fresh-chopped chilis that seemed like the next best thing, and didn't have green onions so i used chives since we have a plethora of them in our garden. i also added in an additional splash of chili oil since i was really craving spice : ) as far as the finished product, it was really good, BUT missing the sweet-spicy that i was hoping for. spicy yes, but the honey and peanut butter were barely a glimmer. next time i try this i'll up the PB, honey, and maybe even try some coconut milk (the rice noodles can be very sticky to work with, so it may also help to smooth out the sauce a bit also). 5 stars *****.

chicken satay

i probably could have just grilled the chicken and dropped it into the above spicy PB sauce, but i was looking for an excuse to cook more thai. i didn't read the reviews before prepping this marinade, and when i did noticed a lot of red flags about over soy-saucing. eeek! i added double/triple the amount of PB before cooking. like the above, the finished product was really good, BUT... not the sweet/spicy it should be. definately could taste the soy, but the brown sugar & PB was completely lost. less soy, more sugar next time. 5 stars ***** (reviewed just as a general chicken dish, not as the intended sweet/spicy dish)

drinking water as we speak to compensate for the sodium influx. the thai recipe quest TBC. also... as an aside... learned one important lesson today. apparently chicken/beef/veggie broths go bad after ONE WEEK of opening. ignore the long expiration date on the container, the post-open date is only 7 days. had no idea. i usually buy the big boxes and keep them on hand in the fridge for a splash here/there as needed... and apparently have been adding rancid broth into my dishes for some time now (sorry friends). time to go to the store and stock up on the tiny broth cans.