Restaurant Review: Thai Garden

One great thing about Northampton is that though it is a small town in western Massachusetts, people still get the chance to experience various cultural cuisines here. In the center of downtown, there are Moroccan cafes, French bistros and sushi bars. But walk a little bit further across the railroad bridge to discover a little piece of Thailand. Located on Bridge Street, Thai Garden is the perfect place to have authentic Thai food and culture exploration.

A pleasant sense of exoticness sets in immediately upon arrival. A Buddhist statue in the position of Thai greeting (palms pressing together and body bowing slightly) faces the entrance. Walking inside, several green plants are nicely arranged in the dining room. Walls decorated with red wood are hung with paintings that depict Thai lifestyle. Shaded hanging lamps made with colored glaze provide soft lighting. Thai instrumental music is played in the background thus creating a relaxing atmosphere for the diners.

Immediately after we are seated, a smiling waitress wearing traditional Thai-style clothes in vibrant colors bring us the menu. The food menu covers a large range of typical Thai cuisines such as curry and drunken fried noodles, but it also provides various unique house specialties like Siamese Twins (fried chicken and shrimp sautéed in special sauce). Delightful pictures are offered for most dishes, and little pepper signs indicating spice levels are arranged by the side of the name of each dish (the spices could also be altered according to diners’ tastes). There are also “Specialties From the Sea” and “Vegetarian Corner” columns for seafood lovers and vegetarians. Prices are clearly labeled. Dinner entrees cost an average of $13, which is reasonable. But with an average of $8 for entrees, lunch would be a better choice for those who are dining on a tight budget.

   For appetizers, we order Thai Som Tam (green papaya salad) and expect to start our meal with that. However, immediately after the order was placed, the waitress bring us two cups of free hot chicken noodle soup, which is really surprising. The offering is roughly five spoonfuls’ worth, but with a sprinkling of chopped green onions that compliment the savory flavor of the chicken, the soup perfectly warms our stomachs for the meal awaiting.

Papaya Salad

Almost as soon as we finish the soup, the Som Tam comes. The salad of shredded fresh green papayas, sliced cabbages, chili and tomatoes with roasted peanut spread and Thai Garden’s special fish sauce as dressing is truly remarkable. The slightly tart flavor of green papaya combines perfectly with the spice of red chili, the sour-sweetness of the fish sauce and the crunchiness of peanuts. It wakes every part of our taste buds and wonderfully stimulates our appetites.

Crispy Chicken on Pad Thai

Next come the main courses, Fruit Curry and Crispy Chicken on Pad Thai. Both portions are quite large. With three different kinds of tropical fruits (mango, lychee, pineapple) and two selections of meat (chicken and shrimp) the Fruit Curry is executed very well. The juiciness of the fruits perfectly balances the richness of yellow curry providing the dish a fresh taste. A slice of orange is placed on top of steamed jasmine rice that comes along with the curry, thus giving the rice a lovely fruity flavor. The bright color of the ingredients along with the nice arrangement also makes it a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. The Crispy Chicken on Pad Thai consists of stir-fried Thai rice noodle, bean sprouts, scallion, egg and peanuts with crispy chicken on top. With too much honey and oil added, the fried rice noodle is too greasy and sweet for my liking, but the crispy chicken helps redeem the dish. Unlike American-style batter-fried chicken that has a thick tasty coating outside but plain-taste meat inside, Thai Garden’s crispy chicken features thin and crispy coating and highlights the flavor into the meat. Accompanied by a small bit of sour sweet dipping offered along the dish, it provides an addictive and excellent taste.  

Mango Sticky Rice

There are several dessert options on the menu, although I am quite full from the entrees, I still couldn’t resist my long time favorite dessert, mango sticky rice: steamed sweet sticky rice topped with coconut milk, roasted sesame seed and sweet sliced ripe mango. The texture of the sticky rice is soft and wet. The topping is made to be slightly salty which actually helps to better bring out the sweetness of the sticky rice. Also, as a restaurant in a place thousands miles away from the equator, Thai Garden surprises me with the freshness of its mango selection. Though mango slices taste a little bit fibrous, they are really meaty and fragrant and pair up extremely well with the sticky rice. 

The last pillar of our Thai Garden experience is a cup of hot Thai tea. While savoring the orange color tea with nice vanilla aroma, I look around. There are families enjoying a weekend dining out, couples having a romantic date and individuals calmly appreciating the food at their own pace. Everyone seemed satisfied, peacefully enjoying the food and the sense of Thai culture it brings.