Winner
Thai Füd Trial
Versus Neecha |
Pretrial
hearing at Dovre Club
1/17/01
Vardigan
Well, Judge McClure
did it this time! He brought us quite a gem. A few blocks beyond the strip
of Valencia now littered with popular restaurants, Suriya doesn't look
like a place you'd just visit on a whim. But thanks to McClure (and reader-eater
Louise), there we sat, eating money bags. Money Bags, that is. Just get
them. This little appetizer ($6.25) is better than money.
The noodle dish, Khao
Soi, was served in little bowls and pleased me the most of our larger
dishes. The pork in here was seasoned incredibly and every bite was a
firecracker of flavor. Two asterisks means "Very Spicy," and it was. (Three
asterisks means "VERY, VERY Spicy," but nothing on the menu has three
-- search me.)
Nue Yang Kra Tiem,
"a very special dish of Bangkok," was marinated beef in beautiful slices,
red in and charred black out -- the perfect way to cook it, as Judge Turner
stated. This entree rivaled the garlic pork at Neecha, and there was more
of it. Unlike at Neecha, I was completely full -- and fulfilled -- when
I left Suriya. This meal was amazing, front to back.
Oh, as a side note,
several items are very creative, in ingredients and in name -- like Evil
Jungle Prince and Waterfall Beef. Also, there's an entree called Sea Bass
2000, intriguingly sautéed in macadamia nut oil. I'd stay away
from that, though. It's 2001 now, and you don't want to be eating fish
that old.
McClure
Well, I'm not going
to beat around the Nue Yang Kra Tiem. No, I'm just going to say it.
Suriya is the best damn Thai food I've ever eaten. Now, with that said
I think I'm going to head over there right now. Wait, I think you need
to get on over and try it out. Maybe you'll agree with me -- maybe not
-- but I don't think it could disappoint.
I just want to go
over a couple highlights. Not an easy task because the whole meal was
divine. One of our appetizers, the Money Bags, cannot be passed by.
The name says it, it's money. What it is, is prawns, ground chicken,
and Thai seasonings bundled in crispy rice wrappers and tied with green
onion strings, served with house salad and a delicious sweet dipping
sauce. You get about eight to a plate and once you start popping them
in your mouth you won't want to stop. I may need to order a plate of
these crispy, crunchy bundles of goodness for myself next time.
Another excellent
choice comes from the noodle section of the menu. The Kho Soi (Chiang
Mai Noodles) was a mind blower. They refer to it as a very traditional
dish of Northern Thailand. It's noodles, special curry sauce, choice
of meat( or tofu if you like), and some long crunchy bits with garnishes
on the side. The bits of pork were plentiful and cooked to perfection.
The flavor was incredible. The reason this dish could blow my mind has
to do with the fact that it contains coconut milk, not one of this Judge's
favorite ingredients. The dish was so good the milk didn't matter and
I may be changing the whole way I view that nectar of the nut. Well,
at least in this dish I will. The atmosphere is pleasant, the folks
are nice, the dishes are prepared with care and are presented like works
of art. I only wish my pal Louise had recommended it to the Court --
she actually introduced it to me way back when. She would surely have
received a bib. Maybe next time. Go now and enjoy a Thai feast.
Turner
Suriya Srithong,
I salute you. That would be the proprietor of this great restaurant.
I don't know if he's cooking back there, but if he is I'd like to shake
his hand and buy him a drink. Because I can't say I've ever had better
Thai food.
Good God, the Money
Bags!!! Super tasty little crispy wrappers filled with prawns, chicken
and other goodness. These little flavor sacks put the bang in Bangkok,
and that's no lie. They look like money bags, too. Tasty dipping sauce
to go with it, of course.
The Khao Soi (Chiang
Mai Noodles) was like a flavor circus in my mouth. We chose pork with
it, but one could have beef, chicken, or tofu. This dish of noodles
in a coconut-curry sauce with garnishes of mustard pickle, shallots,
lemon and chili sauce was a riot of flavors, yet perfectly balanced.
To me, this is the real Thai flavor madness. And that's a good thing.
Definitely get this if you go.
Also ordered the
Kai Basil Sauce with chicken instead of prawns. This was a pretty intense
basil sauce with sautéed chicken. It was good, but maybe a little
too much basil? Or maybe there was too much mint in there. Whatever,
still good.
Then there was the
Nue Yang Kra Tiem, beef "marinated in fresh garlic, black pepper,
and coriander root, then quickly grilled." And I tell you what,
they got it right. Oh so right. Crispy charred outside and nice and
pink inside. Excellent. Reminds me of that Helmand
beef...but I digress. It was perfect, served with some tasty spicy salad-like
stuff.
With most dishes
between 7 and 13 bucks, Suriya is no bargain hunter's dream, but it's
Thai food of the highest order. All these dishes were presented pretty
as a picture, with attention to color and design in a nice atmosphere.
Then they came through with amazing fresh flavor. Look for the big red
elephant and find Suriya as soon as you can, you will not be sorry.
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