Thai me up

I’ve loved Thai food from my first forkful over 20 years ago. Thai food is a wild ride of flavors that perhaps shouldn’t work, but can be completely amazing in the hands of a practiced chef. Thankfully gone are the dark days when the Reno area had but one or two options for pad Thai and satay (or, heaven forbid, no options at all). Now there are so many good choices, it takes real talent, technique, and customer service to standout. Sawasdee Thai Restaurant is doing a pretty good job on all fronts.

My wife and I had heard good things, so we ordered our favorite entrees as a means of measuring this new experience against those we’ve tried. Then, to mix it up, we ordered three appetizers that are common to Thai menus but new to us.

First to the table, fresh spring rolls (two for $5.95). I’m a big fan of the Vietnamese variety, yet somehow I’d never tried the Thai version. Sawasdee wraps a mix of vegetables and your choice of veggie, shrimp, avocado or mango—we ordered shrimp—in a sheet of moistened rice paper, cut in half and served with peanut sauce. The most notable difference from a Vietnamese spring roll is the lack of vermicelli noodles in the Thai variety. They replace the noodles with more vegetables, especially cucumber. The rolls had a very fresh, garden flavor.

The peanut sauce was outstanding, completely opposite the thinned-out peanut butter often served in quick-service noodle shops. Thai peanut sauce usually includes some combination of (ground) roasted peanuts, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, Thai chili, ginger root, garlic, cilantro, and perhaps some individual flair added by the chef. I’m guessing all of the above were present, made fresh by an expert at turning peanuts into something extraordinary.

Next came the golden triangles (six for $7.95), which the menu describes as minced fish and cream cheese inside deep-fried flour tortillas served with cucumber peanut relish. Although I didn’t detect any fish flavor, these crispy-yet-soft triangles paired very well with the relish. You’d never know a tortilla was involved, as the texture and flavor is more reminiscent of puff pastry. This most excellent appetizer is reason enough for a return visit.

Last on the appetizer parade were stuffed chicken wings (two for $7.95). Two chicken wings, bones removed, were separated into four portions, stuffed with ground pork, shrimp, clear noodle, shiitake mushroom, bell pepper, and carrot. They are then battered, deep-fried and served with a sweet chili sauce (great blend of sweet and heat), resulting in something more sausage-like than expected. My wife didn’t love these as much as the triangles, but I’d definitely order them again.

As for our entrees, there were only a couple of missteps. First, the portions were noticeably smaller than what we’ve received elsewhere for the same price. Not by a lot, but smaller. One could consider this somewhat of a blessing, being we’d pigged out on appetizers. Second, the noodles in my dish were chopped up, whereas I prefer noodles long enough to roll with a fork. However, the flavor and texture of both dishes were outstanding. My wife said the chicken pumpkin curry was perfect ($10.95), on a par with that served at her usual favorite in south Reno. My combo pad Thai was delicious ($11.95), with some of the best stir-fry shrimp I’ve ever had. Shrimp is really easy to ruin, with about a 30 second window between turning a tender, delicious morsel into a hard piece of rubber. The other meats were done just right, but that shrimp will haunt my dreams until I go back for more.