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| - In finding myself at loose ends for nearly a week, I took a trip to Mesa on the suggestion of someone who could previously be trusted for restaurant suggestions (As you say, I cannot tell a lie, Kris...).
Arriving at the restaurant at 2:20 PM, there were 3 occupied tables that I could see. One was ordering as I arrived, another was receiving their meal, and the third was well into their entrees. At the waitstand, I picked up a paper version of their menu. It is interesting how many restaurants change their prices in the 'table' version of the menu, but they ignore the change in their take away version. These folks passed the price comparison.
I was greeted by a friendly waitperson. She brought me to my table, asked about my beverage preference and asked where I would like to sit. I was seated at a 2-top (though the bench on 1 side apparently means something else in Restauranteeze) and placed my order, Som Tom, no green beans, no shrimp, and Thai hot along with a side of steamed rice. Because I proceeded out of sequence, my waitperson was not ready; she got her pad and quietly let me know that this was her first day. She asked me to repeat my order. I did, and she thanked me for my patience. Off she went, bearing my order to the kitchen. She returned in a minute with water.
As I looked around, I counted table and seating space I could see. 18 tables, being for 2 or 4, benches and chairs for about 60 people. Next time, I will take more time and see if there are other tables. The plastic carafes full of water...no. Most looked to be as full as they were when they were placed on the tables at opening. As I waited for my order, I drained the glass and filled it from the carafe. If there is any suggestion I would give, please put glass, ceramic or metal carafes out.
Salad and rice arrived. Nicely sized portions of each, about 1 1/2 cups of rice and 2 cups of salad. On getting my first forkful of salad, I knew it needed more chile. When I caught Waitperson's eye, she came over and I asked for more chile. She said she would get more, turned to go and turned back, asking if I wanted fresh or dried. This question was the saving grace, preventing a 1-star review.
Waitperson brought out chopped fresh thai chili. I incorporated this into the salad. What started as a 2 was now a 6 in heat. While the papaya seemed fresh, there were lots of bits of green beans. To me, the better filler is carrot. The texture is crunchier and the flavor is enhanced. Probably the biggest challenge was the dressing. The best Som Tom recipes show hints of garlic, lime, chili, palm sugar and fish sauce. This version had fish sauce, sugar, chili and bottled lime juice. It lacked the sparkle that should have gone along with the crunch. Unfortunately, doctoring Som Tom with chili after the preparation is a marginal adjustment. Having the chili in with the preparation helps the flavor spread throughout the preparation.
Being spoiled by a native who enjoyed this salad as much as I did, the preparation here does not compare. I must try Nunthaporn's again for other items. As of now, 2 stars is the best I can give.
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