GUEST FOOD REVIEW FROM THE WEEKLY MAILER (ISSUE 05/12/09)

Recently, I had the pleasure of heading out on a mini-road trip to Salt Lake City with a serious craving for Thai food. The Thai culture has a love of food and some say that eating, talking about food, preparing food and shopping for food is a national obsession. Located in Asia, Thai cooking originally relied on staples within the seafood arena, featuring fresh fish, crustaceans, plants and herbs. Thai cooking was commonly based in soup, but eventually their cooking style was influenced by many different countries. Thai cuisine became enhanced by the Chinese, Dutch, French, Japanese and Portuguese to created a fusion of diverse cooking styles and the incorporation of many different flavors. One of my favorite dishes is considered a signature dish for Thailand and is called Pad Thai. Pad Thai is made from Rice Noodles and is a serious party in your mouth! It’s sauce includes many intricate ingredients such as Tamarind Paste, Fish Sauce, Palm Sugar, Salted Cabbage and Red Pepper flakes. The dish itself can come with big, juicy Shrimp or Chicken, Bean Sprouts, Green Onion, chopped roasted Peanuts and Tofu. The cooking of this dish is an art form, as all ingredients must reflect the finest balance. Unfortunately, my pantry contains only a few of those ingredients and my skill level at cooking Pad Thai would be considered at the beginner’s level, so my solution to this is- leave it to the experts!

Thaifoon-Taste of Asia
Located at The Gateway
7 North 400 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
Hours: Mon.- Thurs., 11:00 A.M.-10:00 P.M., Fri. and Sat. 11:00 A.M.- 11:00 P.M. (Weekend reservations recommended)
Phone: (801) 456-THAI
Website:
www.thaifoon.com

Park on the South side and take a stroll Northward to Thaifoon, located above the waterfall within The Gateway in Salt Lake City. Thaifoon has a modern décor with soft lighting and an interior water feature which resembles constant rain on a window causing a relaxing dining environment. The servers are helpful and happy to explain any dish or suggest several sauces that may accompany your meal. One such sauce is called The Evil Jungle Princess. Where they came up with that name, I will never know, although do not let that stop you from ordering it as it is a very light coconut-milk based sauce that enhances whatever you order. A customer favorite is the Lettuce Wraps, which come with your choice of Diced Hawaiian Ahi or a seasoned Chicken. Both dishes come on a platter with crisp lettuce cups. The Ahi is a tasty mix of Cilantro, Garlic, Ginger, Red Onions, Water Chestnuts, Pineapple Salsa and a Ginger Soy sauce at $9.25. The Pad Thai consists of both Shrimp and Chicken with long rice noodles that are stir fried with a mix of vegetables, Asian spices and chopped Peanuts at $13.99. Although I found the texture of the noodles a little softer than I have experienced in the past, they did balance the flavoring well. Hands down, the Bangkok Duck was absolutely delicious and consists of tender Maple Leaf Farms Duck breast, served crispy with a citrus Chili sauce, shredded Cabbage, Garlic and Ginger at $15.99. If you so desire, Thaifoon also has a full bar, although one must order an appetizer with their cocktail. Enjoy dinner and don’t forget to get your parking validated!


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