Turn away for just one minute and another Thai restaurant seems to have opened its doors. Fine by us. The cuisine is more healthful than, say, a pizza or a plate of fried chicken or carnitas tacos, and at its best it can be sublime.
If there existed a college course called Southeast Asian Food 101, we would learn that Thai cooking is largely one of contrasts: hot and cool, sour and sweet, crunchy and soft. Its emphasis is on freshness backed up by a multitude of spices and herbs and vegetables. It is a cuisine that was influenced by the cooking of India (the curries), China (the stir-fries) and even Portugal, which in the 1500s introduced a number known as the chili pepper.
Various lunch pals and I recently dropped by two relatively new Thai places that serve lunch and dinner – Siam Patio and Folsom Thai. Yes, there is a patio at Siam Patio, and behind it is an unexpected, delightfully decorated and intimate interior dining area (white linen, no less).
"This is proof that you can't judge a book by its cover," said one lunch pal.
The menu is long, the dishes imaginative, the service sincere though a tad hesitant. This is the quiet little spot you've been looking for (despite the incredible mustard-like color of the building's exterior), where a lighted candle graces each table at dinnertime.
We can comment on the crispy calamari rings (addictive), chicken satay (why so dry?), shrimp-pineapple curry (good heat), sizzling "barbecued" pork loin (great sauce), colossal garlic prawns with steamed and brandy-splashed broccoli (tied with the curry for our top dish) and pad see ew (pan-fried wide rice noodles with perfectly cooked tofu).
Siam Patio, 9830 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks; (916) 844-0356, www.siampatiothai.com.
While Siam Patio is homey, Folsom Thai Cuisine is on the edge of modernistic, decorated with art and sculpture. Some of the walls are slatted wood, the booths are deep and comfortable, the relaxing piped-in music reminiscent of a visit to a spa.
Once again, we looked at a lengthy and diverse menu, sampling dishes at random (except for specifically targeting the really good fresh noodles).
We tasted chicken pot stickers (more ginger sauce, please), hot wings (ask for extra heat), mango curry with tender chicken (a winning combo of sweet and heat), jasmine rice (what fragrance!), crunchy papaya salad (piquant with lime juice), spicy catfish (pieces of fried fish with a garden of veggies in red sauce) and spicy basil sole (medallions of fresh fish complemented with chili garlic sauce – the best dish on the table).
Folsom Thai Cuisine, 2371 Iron Point Road, Folsom; (916) 983-9000, www.folsomethaicusine.com.
Siam Patio and Folsom Thai join our list of regular Thai favorites:
• Thai Hut, 5800 Madison Ave., Sacramento, (916) 348-1880, www.thaihut.org
• Chantra, 4361 Town Center Blvd., El Dorado Hills, (916) 939-0389, www.chantrathaicuisine.com
• Thai Paradise, 2770 E. Bidwell St., Folsom, (916) 984-8988, www.thaiparadisefolsom.com
• Krua, 1750 Prairie City Road, Folsom, (916) 355-8825, www.kruathairestaurant.com
• Tuk Tuk, 4630 Natomas Blvd., Sacramento, (916) 575-7957, www.tuktuksac.com
• Bangkok Garden, 3230 Arena Blvd., Natomas, (916) 285-0608
• Kitti's, 3001 Bridgeway, Sausalito; (415) 331-0390, www.kittisplace.com.
A celebration of Jewish food
Moving to another type of cuisine, the 34th annual Jewish Food Faire will feature corned beef and pastrami on rye, and homemade stuffed cabbage, chopped liver, borscht (soup), kugel (casserole), baked goods and more.
Plus, deli meats, breads, dill pickles and other goodies will be brought in from three legendary Jewish delis – Saul's in Berkeley, Canter's in Los Angeles and Katz's in New York.
Come nosh from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Congregation Beth Shalom, 4746 El Camino Ave., Carmichael; (916) 485-4478, www.cbshalom.org.
COUNTER
CULTURE
apierleoni@sacbee.comDININGFor more restaurant news and reviews sacbee.com/dining
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
Call The Bee's Allen Pierleoni, (916) 321-1128.
• Read more articles by Allen Pierleoni
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.