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| - I spotted this Thai restaurant on the road and decided to stop by to grab dinner. It was during peak hour so the small venue was packed with people waiting to be seated by the door. The dim lit atmosphere was warm and inviting. Quite the contrast when I asked for a table for one. Their male servers seemed more concerned with the bigger parties, but the lone female server was friendly and made me feel welcomed.
I started off with the Papaya Salad ($10) served with shredded papaya, cabbage, carrots, green beans, scallions, grilled shrimps, tomato, chili, lime, and fish sauce. The dish was crisp, feisty spicy, with hints of peanut flavors here and there. The fish sauce flavor was noticeable, but weighted down given the amount of explosive spiciness. I thought adding a handful of basil could provide that welcoming lift, but I did enjoy the differential textures and the grilled jumbo shrimps immensely.
Next, I tried the Spicy Mussels ($15). The plate full of mussels were sautéed in a roasted chili sauce, jalapeno, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, bell peppers, and zucchini. The mussels were fresh, spicy, and the sweet zucchini gave it a nice contrast.
It was a pleasant surprise to find Sticky Rice ($2) to go with the meal. Overall, the prices were very steep for Thai food. Even though the ingredients were freshly prepared, the spicy flavors still lacked the striking complex aroma that made me fell in love with Thai cuisine in the first place. The experience was very Westernized so this might still be a welcoming experience for a large segment of the population. The server was very nice to provide me a frequent user card, but I don't think I will return anytime soon. 2.5 stars.
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