Week: Thur.
January 5th
The sheer volume of email response over the past four weeks or
so has been staggering. But what I find particularly interesting
about your suggestions is the abundance of recommendations for
a variety of Thai restaurants.
Admittedly, I’ve been bored stiff with Atlanta’s Thai
eateries mainly because very few distinguish themselves. Recently
opened Spoon,
quickly becoming the in-town favorite amongst foodies,
is one of the few to make a difference.
But tucked between numerous emails requesting I try Spoon was
one lonely request from a topside reader named Ronny, who tells
me that I must try Ubon (684-B North Main Street, Alpharetta
Tel: 770-521-1575). It's a relatively new Thai restaurant
in Alpharetta owned and operated by the original owners of the
famed Zab-E-Lee, which many thought to be Atlanta's all-time
best Thai restaurant.
Ubon, much like Zab-E-Lee, specializes in dishes from the southern
region of Thailand where the food is renowned for its big flavors – fiery
hot, salty and sour.
A perfect example is the heady Papaya Salad arriving with a generous
helping of heat. Besides fire, it’s addictively sour and
citrus-y.
For starters, Spring Rolls are bolder than most and spicy half
dollar-sized Fish Cakes maintain an almost crunchy exterior.
They're slightly oily and carefully blemished with green onion
and finely chopped ginger.
There is a real sense of know-how in the kitchen – Green
Curry arrives impossibly velvety in texture, rich with coconut
milk. And spicy Basil Duck is flawlessly prepared with thick
morsels of boneless duck, not dry.
My only fear is the lack of patrons on each of my visits.
Go, now. Run, do not walk!
This week I give you two Thai’s for the price of one, largely
due to our viewers' surprisingly
strong email response.
Helen Chilton, a local foodie with a trustworthy palate, just
has to let me know that she’s been pleasantly surprised
by Simply Thai (4639 N. Shallowford Rd Suite E, Dunwoody).
A dim lit Thai restaurant situated in an unassuming strip center
on North Shallowford Road. It's directly next door to that
quirky hot dog and po’ boy sandwich shop I've been meaning
to try.
Simply Thai’s menu is much like Ubon's, but I find the
food a bit spicier at Simply Thai. A fiery bowl of Coconut
soup with rectangles of silken tofu is hot enough that some
might find themselves wiping sweat from their brows.
If you like it hot and passionate, as I do, the Flaming Basil
Leaves heavily flecked with hot chilis should do the trick.
Ask for it Thai spicy – it'll put your antiperspirant
to the test.
Unlike Ubon in Alpharetta, Simply Thai does a brisk neighborhood
business. The patronage is diverse, ranging from families to
young twenty-something couples.
How come I've never heard of this place before? Not too sure,
but the Dunwoody Crier calls it, "Dunwoody's best kept
secret."
Hey foodies, how is it possible that the Dunwoody Crier is
one step ahead of us? |
Ubon's Basil Duck
Type of Cuisine: Thai
Address/Tel:
684-B North Main Street (Ingles Shopping Center), Alpharetta
Tel: 770-521-1575
Recommended Items:Papaya Salad, Fish Cakes,
Pho, Basil Duck
Hours:
Mon - Fri
Lunch: 11am - 3pm
Dinner: 5pm -9:30pm
Sat: 4pm - 10pm
-----------------------------------------
Simply Thai's Coconut
soup w/silken tofu
Type of Cuisine: Thai
Address/Tel:
4639 N. Shallowford Rd Suite E, Dunwoody, Tel: 770-458-9977
Recommended Items:Coconut Soup, Thai Roti, Flaming
Basil Leaves
Hours:
Lunch: Mon -Fri: 11am - 2:30pm
Dinner: Sun - Thu: 5pm -9:30pm
Fri and Sat: 5pm - 10pm
|
