Serving up spice

At Bangkok Cafe first-time diners may want to go with mild version of authentic Thai food

By Riza Parsons
Daily News correspondent

Published: July 9th, 2009 10:57 PM
Last Modified: July 10th, 2009 12:09 AM

enlarge

ERIK HILL / Anchorage Daily News

Curry duck, foreground, Satay appetizers, back lest, and Pad Thai, back right, are examples of cuisine available at Bangkok Cafe Thai Restaurant off 930 W. 5th Avenue downtown.

More Reviews stories »

South of the border

Freestyle fun

Getting it fresh

Have it delivered

High-tech appeal

Story tools

Comments (0)

E-mail a friend | Print

Bangkok Cafe is set smack in the middle of a city block, almost invisible from the street. I had heard rumors of its legendary spice levels and went to investigate.

I found the little box of a restaurant with no problem, as I used to frequent the location when it was the Winter Thyme Cafe. There are a few free spaces for parking available and plenty of street parking.

My friend and I looked over our menus and wondered if it's the only Thai restaurant in downtown. It appears that it is. The cafe was opened in March by Vue Oor, who left Thailand when he heard about the business opportunities available in Alaska. He cooks all the meals that come out of the kitchen.

His manager, Dawe Charron, emphasizes an adherence to traditional Thai cooking, which is why the dishes are typically spicier than average palates are accustomed to. "Authentic Thai-hot," she clarified.

I had already been warned that "medium" is "really, really spicy" by a fellow foodie, and I didn't want to know what "hot" was. It's crucial for me not to have my taste buds burned off.

I'm a huge fan of Thai food, so I went to its source a few years ago and spent a month there. I still dream of paying a dollar for sidewalk noodles and fresh rolls. The fresh rolls at Bangkok Cafe are $6.50 for three and the fried spring rolls are for $3 two. Other appetizers include the intriguing pla koong ($8.50), barbecued shrimp with onions, lemon juice and Thai hot sauce.

For entrees there are the usual items; tom kha gai ($10 per pot for chicken, $11 for shrimp), a lemon grass and coconut milk soup, and gang gai ($11.50), a Thai red curry with chicken and vegetables. The cafe also has Vietnamese pho soup ($11.50) and seafood and duck selections. The crispy duck ($18.50) is half of a duckling deep-fried and served with sauce.

I opted for the pad see ew with chicken ($11.50) and my friend ordered the pad Thai ($10.50), both medium heat. Service was prompt and friendly, a serving of fresh rolls appearing seconds after we ordered them, quickly followed by cups of vegetable ginger soup. The rolls were indeed fresh, filled with crisp cucumber, strips of chicken and tofu and rice noodles of good quality. But it was the seemingly innocuous cup of soup that blew me away. It was a gingery, peppery broth full of a slow heat and depths of flavor. If I were sick, it would have cured me immediately.

My noodle dish arrived replete with broccoli, collard greens, carrots and eggs tumbled together with velvety flat noodles. The spice level was high but tolerable. I would recommend "mild" for most diners. My friend's dish came out with the hue of a Technicolor carrot. Alarmed, she asked if it was the Pad Thai she had ordered and the server confirmed it. There was an overwhelming acidity from the tamarind-based sauce and she decided to order something else. She opted for sidewalk noodles, and they were tasty, with a good balance of hot and sour, salty and sweet. We were charged for both dishes.

My second visit was on a day so beautiful, I couldn't bear the thought of being inside. I ordered gang panang with chicken ($11.50) to go, excited to sit on my deck under the hot sun with a big bowl of curry and pretend I was in a sidewalk cafe on one of Thailand's beaches. It was a stretch, but the food played its part. The curry was creamy and delicious and the vegetables were cooked so perfectly that I ignored the chicken strips and savored the Thai basil-scented goodness.

It reminded me of my first few days in Bangkok, when I stayed at a hostel called Sawasdee-Ka. Every morning for breakfast, I would peruse my copy of Lonely Planet over a bowl of massaman curry and rice. Bangkok Cafe's food has the same layers of flavors that I enjoyed in Thailand and it definitely knows its way around soups and curries.

There's always room for another Thai restaurant and this one rounds out the downtown culinary scene. Its advocacy of authentic Thai cooking does not apologize for Americans' untested tongues and has a persuasive air of "Try it, maybe you'll like it." Maybe after two or three more times, I'll be able to order the "hot."

• Got a restaurant tip, a new menu, a favorite dish or a chef change? Send an e-mail to play@adn.com.

Bangkok Cafe

*** $$

Location: 930 West Fifth Avenue Ste. A

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday

Phone: 274-Cafe Options: Dine in and takeout

Want to rave or pan? Write your own review of this restaurant or any other recently reviewed place at play.adn.com/dining.

ADVERTISEMENT