Never tried Thai? This is the place to start.

THE CLAIREMONT CHOWHOUND

By Michael Baehr

Food palates are as different and fussy as just about anything on this planet. Finding and agreeing on a restaurant to get friends or family to step outside of their culinary comfort zone is sometimes not the easiest task. I experienced this firsthand recently when my partner and I dined at an unfamiliar restaurant called Lanna Thai. For the most part, I enjoy good Thai food. On the other hand, my partner has tried Thai in the past, but never found any that he liked, however he agreed to give it a try once again in the hopes of finding a dish that could sway his opinion. This chowhound was secretly hoping to teach another old dog some new tricks!

Lanna Thai is located just west of I-5 on Mission Bay Drive, south of the Garnet/Mission Bay intersection, nestled in a tiny strip mall by 7-11. The interior is elegantly Zen-like and beautifully decorated with rich colors, exotic artwork and simple-but-sleek tables. We immediately noticed that everyone on the wait staff was very gracious and greeted us with a warm smile at every interaction. Our waitress was extremely friendly and pointed out a few of the house specialties, and we noticed that the owner, Jack, made a point to visit each table to engage in some friendly chat with the patrons.

The menu is logically organized into sections based on the course (“beginning,” “ending”) or method of preparation (“wok,” “curry,” etc.). In order to get the widest possible experience, we started with the appetizer plate called “Lanna’s Platter,” that includes spring rolls, chicken sa-tay, curry cup, golden triangle and salad rolls. For $12 we received two of everything, which was practically a meal in itself. I was paying close attention to my partner, who adventurously sampled each item like a good sport. We began with the chicken sa-tay, which was juicy and cooked to perfection. The peanut sauce was nutty and rich, a perfect complement. The lettuce roll was thick and hearty, filled with crisp veggies and a hint of mint. The taste reminded me of a fresh breath of summer in a bright green roll. Our favorite item was the chicken curry cup, which was light and crisp, filled with tender chicken seasoned with just a hint of curry spice. This was particularly surprising since neither of us are huge curry fans. The spring roll was crispy and delicious, and the golden triangle, which is a fried triangle stuffed with a thin layer of cream cheese, was light and flavorful.

For our entrée, we ordered a specialty of the house, Bangkok Steak, for $14. This is charbroiled, prime-cut steak seasoned with herbs

and a spicy lime sauce. The portion was generous for two people, and the meat was so tender it nearly melted in my mouth.

And, for a true test, we ordered a heaping plate of Pad Thai for $10. Pad Thai, one of Thailand’s national dishes, is prepared with thin rice noodles stir-fried with eggs, tofu and your choice of meat or seafood, and served with bean sprouts and crushed peanuts, giving it a nutty, rich and sinfully delicious flavor. We ordered our dish with chicken, and, in the words of my dining companion, this was “perhaps one of the best Thai dishes I have ever tasted.”

Needless to say, after ordering so much food between two people, we were too stuffed to enjoy their assortment of desserts, although we had our eye on the crispy banana with ice cream. “We’ll just have to come back again,” said my partner. It was about this time in our meal that this chowhound was silently snickering and thinking to himself, “mission accomplished.”

NOTE: Lanna Thai delivers to West Clairemont.

Lanna Thai

4501 Mission Bay Drive
San Diego, CA 92109

(858) 274-8424

www.lannathaicuisine.com