Munch goes to Thai Spoon
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Few things excite Munch more than a new Thai restaurant.
You see, when Munch was tiny -- donning a brown paper lunch bag instead of a brown paper grocery bag -- Munch didn't have access to Thai food.
It was a sad time in the Life of Munch. But Munch knows the excitement that comes with a Thai restaurant opening in the neighborhood. Munch watched excitedly as Facebook Friends of Munch and Yelpers started chattering about Thai Spoon, which recently opened on Potomac Avenue in Dormont.
Munch summoned Adventurous Eater Friend of Munch to accompany Munch to Dormont to check out Thai Spoon.
When we sat down on a recent Friday evening, half the tables in the small restaurant were filled with Thai seekers. One table had a large bucket of ice with bottles of wine -- it's nice to see diners take advantage of BYOB restaurants.
Munch and AEFOM failed to procure alcohol, though. Munch happily settled on water and a Thai iced tea ($2.50) while AEFOM, preferring to focus on the food, stuck with water.
We started looking over the menu and got a bit overwhelmed. Thai Spoon has maybe twice as many menu options than the average Thai restaurant, but Munch and AEFOM appreciated the challenge of selecting unique dishes.
We decided to start with something basic: a shrimp summer roll ($4.95). AEFOM said the rice-paper wrapped rolls were nicely assembled, and she approved of the crisp iceberg packed inside, though she said they were light on herbs. Munch agreed -- more basil would have rounded out the flavors.
We opted to split two entrees. We were intrigued by the Desert Noodle, listed under soups. It's eat-in only, and despite being called a soup, it comes with no broth. AEFOM, though, was coming off a cold, so she thought some broth would be helpful. We went with the Zapp Noodle Soup with duck -- rice noodles, bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro and roasted garlic in a chili lime broth ($9.95).
AEFOM approved of the soup, saying that the acidic and spicy broth was just what her aching throat needed. Munch agreed, though Munch will probably swap duck for chicken or tofu next time.
We also split the Gulf of Siam, a plate of shrimp, scallops, calamari, white fish and mussels with veggies in a sauce of basil, ginger, garlic and chili ($16.95). Munch and AEFOM agreed that Thai Spoon nailed the sauce -- full of Thai basil and ginger and garlic. We polished off the Gulf of Siam, and AEFOM asked to have the leftover Zapp noodles to go.
And then, in perhaps our best decision of the evening, we decided to get dessert.
We ordered a Banana Spring Roll -- a crispy-wrapped, fried banana served with vanilla ice cream and Hershey's chocolate syrup -- and Black Sticky Rice With Thai Custard -- a heap of black sticky rice covered in a creamy coconut sauce with triangles of custard surrounding the rice (both $4.95).
We agreed that the coconut sauce paired with the black rice was particularly addictive, and the fried banana-chocolate combo was a hit as well.
Munch approves of the latest addition to the Pittsburgh Thai scene and hopes residents of the South Hills embrace the new cuisine on Potomac Avenue.
So enjoy the new Thai place, Dormonters, and don't forget to order dessert.
First Published April 5, 2012 12:01 am
