PROVO — Are you an adventurous person? Do you explore foods or music or art unfamiliar to you? While I generally consider myself so, one of my resolutions this year is to stay out of ruts, to go to unfamiliar places and try things that may make my life richer.
I was seeking such a place this week when a friend recommended Thai Chili Gardens in south Provo.
My experience with Thai food is the addictive curries my brother-in-law makes. I love them, but that's about the extent of my Thai knowledge. Though the curries are the essence of Thai cuisine, I still have a lot to learn.
Thai Chili Gardens has been tucked away out of sight, along with its sister Asian market next door, for more than four years.
My two pre-teens had joined me on the evening I walked into the bustling dining room. I figured their palates could use a little rounding, and it's amazing what your kids will try when you threaten to revoke their allowance.
But I digress.
I was certain we could find things they would enjoy, and the fact that they gobbled most of what I gave them and sampled the rest demonstrates how approachable this genre of food is.
We had the Pad Rad Nan, a noodle dish of pork, pan-fried wide noodles, vegetables and a sweet brown sauce. We also tried the Pad Si Iu, which was similar to the Pad Rad Nan but with bean sprouts and a thinner savory brown sauce. Neither of these were spicy. The vegetables were tender but not overdone. The noodles were tender and not oily or gummy.
We also started with the Galanga Coconut soup. This amazing recipe features coconut milk, Kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass and galanga mushrooms. The broth is creamy and light and the distinctive contrast of citrus and coconut is nothing short of sublime. It's a "must try" if you go.
Following the noodles and soup, we tasted two curries. First, the red curry with peppers, onions, thin beef strips, bamboo shoots and coconut milk. The second, and my favorite, was the Mussaman. It is made with coconut milk, cashews, potatoes and meat of your choosing in a hot, creamy peanut sauce. These curries were as spicy as I expected and could have been more so. But they were delicious with the generous bowl of jasmine rice that came with them.
With more time I would try the rest of the curries: a green curry; a yellow, pineapple curry; and the Panaeng, with its Kaffir lime-leaf essence.
We didn't have dessert but we tasted the Thai ice tea and the coconut juice. The kids were brave. The Thai ice tea was sweeter than I've had but was rich with that distinctive flavor. The coconut juice, clear with pulp, and a different thing entirely from coconut milk, had a nutty, sweet flavor. It, too, was different for the kids; I admire their sense of adventure.
Thai Chili Gardens is for everyone. It is ultimate comfort food. The menu is diverse and authentic. The prices are reasonable and the food is very good. This four-year-old hole-in-the-wall is clean and the service is swift and kind.
So go on, branch out a little. Do the unfamiliar and see what you discover. I promise it will be well worth the risk.
Prices for appetizers range from $4.99-5.50, soups $5.50-$8.99, salads $4.99-$6.99, noodles $5.99 and $6.99, curries $6.99, fried rice $5.99, entrees $6.99 and 7.99, sides and drinks 50 cents-$2.
Thai Chili Gardens
*** 1/2 (out of five)
Hours: Monday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., closed Sunday
Location: 283 E. 300 South, Provo, 801-370-9894
Payment: checks, all major credit cards
Reservations: none needed
E-MAIL: stephanie@desnews.com