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| - Ever since moving away from New York we've been trying to find a Thai restaurant that would fill the void left behind by Blue Spice in Albany. That place gave us high expectations of what Thai food should be, and I never thought we would find a place as good. What we did find was Thai Marlai, and while it does not quite live up to our spoiled expectations, it's pretty darn close.
Thai Marlai is located in a strip mall type area behind the awesome Sushi at the Lake in Cornelius, and next to a Blockbuster (I had no idea they still had brick and mortar stores!) When we stepped inside we were immediately greeted and seated by friendly staff. The interior is small and cozy, and despite the limited seating and decent crowd inside it was still quiet.
We started with a round of Thai iced tea ($2.95) which is an unsweet tea with cream and some kind of Thai spices. What you get is a sweet/savory drink that can't be beat. I might have went for a beer instead but there is no beer or wine menu, so I wasn't totally sure if they offered it (though I later saw other tables drinking both.) For an appetizer we split an order of spring rolls ($7.95), and they were pretty decent. They are small and thin, so I think they soaked up the oil a lot more than a larger spring roll would have. There also wasn't too much filling inside, which I think also contributed to the too much oil flavor.
Now I'm a huge fan of duck, especially in Thai dishes. I was pleased to see there were quite a few duck dishes here and I opted for the Ped Num Prig Pow ($17.95). This dish was excellent, and lived up to the Blue Spice Duck dish I left behind in Albany. They bring out a HUGE platter that is overflowing with duck, peppers, onions, green onion, carrots, and other veggies, and it's all covered in this wonderful sauce. They also give you an empty dish so you can ladle what you want into it. They are generous with the amount of duck meat, and there was literally enough for me to save for two meals, which almost never happens. The duck is served nice and crispy, and I just loved biting into those crunchy, wonderful hunks of meat. The veggies were all really good as well, and the sauce was mildly spicy with just enough heat to give a bit of warmth to my lips. The dish also comes with a large bowl of white rice which I mixed in with the other food to make an awesome meal.
The missus went with her Thai go-to, the Pad Thai ($14.95). She really enjoyed it, and I also enjoyed the few bites I stole from her. It's a great Thai staple for those unaccustomed to the cuisine, and it wasn't spicy at all. Like my duck, the Pad Thai is a ginormous portion that is easily good for two-three dinners.
If you are jonesing for some Thai in the Lake Norman area, I highly recommend checking out Thai Marlai. The food is excellent, the staff is super friendly and it is just an overall comfortable eating environment. We will definitely be coming back here!
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