The past several days have been an emotional roller coaster for me. It started with an invite to a sneak peak of the new C4 Restaurant which took the place of the old Camus. (My dining companion was great company, but C4 has some polishing to do before grand opening day.) That was followed by the Diamondbacks winning the NL West title. Then, I had a quote appear in the New York Times. That was followed on Monday morning by a typical day back to work until about 9:30 AM when suddenly I found myself racing to the Urgent Care center followed by an ambulance ride to the hospital ER where they discovered a massive infection in my leg that the doctor thinks is some derivation of shingles. But, he prescribed Vicodin, so after one of those pills, I didn’t care.
The best part about the weekend, though, was on Saturday night when I decided to try the newest Thai restaurant in town. However, I couldn’t think of a single person who was an absolute fanatic about Thai food. I considered Madge, but I haven’t been able to face her since she informed me that she is now a platinum blonde.
I weep for my future.
Anyway, I was talking to Mom about my dilemma when I realized who I should invite. I guess what clued me in to a choice were the muffled sobs coming from the recliner in the corner facing the HDTV. So, of course, I invited Dad and we made our plans. Dinner at 6 PM followed by a quick ride out to Cabela’s to do some shopping and then home.
As we headed down McDowell to this new Thai place, Dad couldn’t quite figure out where I was headed when I passed by the 51 highway and made a beeline for Central Avenue. We pulled into the parking lot adjacent to Thai Hut, but there were no spots to be found. Luckily, I saw some signs down an alleyway pointing to overflow parking for Thai Hut and grabbed a spot.
The entrance to Thai Hut was unspectacular as the restaurant is housed in the old Marvin Gardens pie place that clearly was a Coco’s or Denny’s before that. The inside, however, was neat and tidy with contrasting tablecloths on the tables and posters announcing a global celebration of the birthday of His Majesty King Bhumipol Adulyadej, the reigning monarch of Thailand.
Dad and I took a booth near the window facing McDowell and were handed menus and a very friendly server took our drink order. Both Dad and I ordered Diet Cokes ($1.50 each). Our server retreated to the serving station and Dad and I debated the particulars on the menu. Dad wanted Spring Rolls ($4.95) so we ordered those. I suggested we try the Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura ($6.95) which probably was the least Thai-ish thing on menu, but sounded good. For our entrees, Dad told me to suggest something and I immediately spotted the Musamun ($8.95) under the “Curry” section of the menu. I was drawn to the Crispy Pad Thai ($11.95) because it was a twist on the old Thai standby. After returning with our drinks and taking our order, our server informed us that the tempura would take a bit of time, which was fine with us.
We waited no more than five minutes before our Spring Rolls arrived. The plate held five good-sized rolls that were hot to the touch. Dad and I each grabbed one, spooned some of the sweet and sour sauce on our plates and cut them open. After one bite, I had a mixed reaction. The flavor was excellent. The cabbage, carrots and glass noodles on the inside were slightly crunchy, but warm and there was some seasoning that greatly enhanced their taste, but I couldn’t put my finger on just what it was. The wrapper, however, needed more time in the fryer. Another 45 seconds would have made all the difference in the world because the wrappers were halfway between crisp and chewy. We did enjoy the sauce as it wasn’t cloyingly sweet, but a nice balance of sweet and tangy.
We waited for quite some time for the tempura, but since our server advised us of the wait, we had no problems. Our patience was well worth it. The plate of four shrimp in tempura batter along with green beans and onion slices was plentiful and had us salivating. Everything on the plate was outstanding. The large, meaty shrimp were perfectly cooked and the light batter gave them a crunchy edge that we enjoyed. The vegetables were fantastic. The flavors were enhanced by the frying process and Dad and I gobbled us the entire plate in a matter of minutes.
No sooner had we fought over the last piece of fried tempura batter, our main dishes arrived. Dad’s Musamun Curry was intoxicating with the scent of coconut milk, peanuts and curry. The mixture included chicken, onions, whole peanuts and potatoes in a delightfully rich sauce. Dad was in love with it from the first bite and I agreed that this was the best thing on the table. The chicken was tender, the vegetables were plentiful as were the whole peanuts, and the sauce was sublime. We both noted this was so incredibly rich that two people could have split it and been satisfied.
My Crispy Pad Thai was certainly plentiful and the aroma was notable. It had all the classic ingredients of Pad Thai, with the exception of the noodles being flash fried. I was pleased with the chicken and shrimp and the liberal use of egg and ground peanuts in the dish. What really turned me off to it, however, were the crispy noodles. While in theory this dish should have worked, the cripsy noodles had the most off-putting texture. It instantly reminded me of a box of All Bran (or Box O’ Twigs, as Mom calls them). I simply couldn’t get past the texture issue and ended up picking out the egg, chicken and shrimp and indulging myself with several spoonfuls of Dad’s curry.
After finishing our meals, we were both stuffed, mostly from the tempura and the curry. We requested our check and the total was $38.70, which included tax. Service was notable because it was fast, efficient and friendly. We especially liked the fact that our beverages never fell below the 50% mark before being refilled in seconds.
As we left Thai Hut for Cabela’s, Dad remarked over and over how much he loved the curry dish. I agreed that was fantastic, closely followed by the tempura. The spring rolls were okay, but some extra fry time could easily have made them well above average. While I wasn’t a fan of the Crispy Pad Thai (Dad wasn’t either), others might enjoy the texture. At least the flavor was good.
So, it was a mixed weekend, but Thai Hut was a highlight and there were plenty of dishes on the menu that will have me returning.
Now, as I look at my calendar for the coming weekend, I realize that my next meal out is with Madge and Boris and I will have no choice but to see Madge’s new hairdo.
And as that dinner engagement grows closer with each passing moment, I thank the doctor for giving me Vicodin.
Thai Hut
101 East McDowell Road
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Dress: Casual
Hours: Monday through Saturday – 11 AM to 9 PM; Sunday – 4 PM to 9 PM
Notes: For additional parking, take the small alley way directly east of the main entrance.
Alcohol: None.
Seth.. I’m so sorry to hear about the infection I do hope you’ll be getting better soon! Thank the maker for Vicodin! I feel for you!
Oh the crispy Pad Thai.. I prefer my noodles soft and not crispy.. something about crispy noodles reminds me of that canned stuff my mother would try to pass as Chinese when I was growing up, bleh!! Ever since then I can never order anything that says crispy noodles for fear of those poor dehydrated strands of flour. To bad they didn’t break away from that perception.. the standard Pad Thai there is pretty darn lip smacking! Your dads curry looks awesome! I cant wait to try that next time we go.. I love the old lights in there.. my friend Erik said that place used to be a Guggies back in the day! LOL!
Get well soon!!
Awesome write up in the Times – I found your blog through Chowhound, as well! I hope our leg is feeling better, and doesn’t slow up your eating adventures… I’m excited to read about the next delicious place you choose :)
Alex,
Ah, that’s right. It was a Guggy’s. I remember those. :o) I will definitely try the regular Pad Thai next time.
L,
Thanks for the note. I am doing okay, and the leg seems to be getting better, but I have another week or so of meds, so we will see. And don’t worry about it slowing me up. Truth be told, after being discharged from the hospital, I went to the cafeteria for a beverage and thought, “Dang, I wish I had my camera. I could do a review.” Maybe the meds will help with that too. :o)
The current site of Thai Hut has been through many tenants. I used to work across the street in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Back then, it was a Country Boys restaurant. Thai Hut sounds like the most promising restaurant to occupy the space and I look forward to trying it.
That’s great news about the mention in the NY Times! Very exciting!
I hope your leg gets better soon.
Mussamum curry is my absolute favorite Thai curry dish. I’m glad to hear you guys enjoyed it. One of these days I swear I’m going to make it out to Phoenix to try some of these amazing places.
Tara and I were wondering if you’d review Thai Hut with your Dad. We’ve been curious about it since reading the CH threads. I like that the Musamun can be had with chicken. It’s beef-only at Osha and while good, I prefer chicken in my curry. If Tara and I can pry ourselves away from Osha, we’ll try it soon. Hopefully the spring rolls were just an anomaly and will work themselves out after the restaurant is open a bit longer.
Congrats on the NY Times mention! I bet you’re getting tons of hits these days. :o)
Yes! Another Thai adventure with your father. I can’t believe you thought of him last. He was the first one who came to mind when I was reading about your “dilemma”.
I like how you assuaged his peanut sauce addiction by getting him the peanut curry. =)
WOWZAS! You’re in the freakin’ New York TImes! Congrats! Sorry to hear about the infection though. That crispy pad thai intrigues me. It looks a lot like Mee Krob, which matches your description exactly.
I’m glad you tried Thai Hut, Seth! We keep talking about it, but haven’t been able to tear ourselves away from Osha yet! (Thanks for that review, by the way – it changed our lives!) Sorry to hear about the infection – sounds like loads of fun. Hope you’re feeling better before our next dinner together!
Hello Seth,
Sorry to hear about your leg woes and glad to hear you’re feeling much better. Congrats on your NYTimes mention. Am happy you and your dad finally found your way to review Thai Hut! Next items that are must-tries are the Green Curry, Pad Prik Khing (spicy green beans), Cashew Chicken, and Eggplant Stir-fry.
Always look forward to reading your online reviews. Stay safe,
Aileen
Well done with the nytimes mention — you deserve the exposure. This is definitely one of my favorite food web sites and I hope you keep up the good work. I also hope you feel better.
And by the way…absolute Thai fanatic? Hello! Tim and Tara qualify!
I gotta agree with Tara After sushi, which I will kill for, I will definitely maim for Thai. When it comes to great Tom Kha Kai, death is back on the table. :)
We tried Thai Hut tonight. BAD experience. I’ve got my full write-up on my blog, but the lowlight happened when our entrees arrived. I watched them being taken to the table next to us with a large group. I heard the waitress say “Spicy Noodles” and heard the confusion from the people at the table. She set the dishes in front of a couple guys and left the table. For several minutes, I watched her go behind the counter and look over the order slips trying to figure out what was going on. No one from the waitstaff was still at that table. Finally, she goes over, takes the dishes, and tries to give them to us. I refused, saying we wanted fresh dishes. She asked why and I told her I wasn’t sure if the guys had tried them. She asked “They tried them?” like she wasn’t sure either. I find it inexcusable that she’d try to serve us dishes she left unattended for several minutes at another table and wasn’t sure if the people at that table had eaten some of it. I’m fairly certain that violates several heath codes. After arguing some more, she returned to the kitchen to get us freshly made entrees. At least, we hope she did. When she returned ten or fifteen minutes later, the dishes looked different, but weren’t terribly hot.
Seth, I hope the infection in your leg clears up soon. Congratulations on your NY Times mention. Keep up the great work.
I tried Thai Hut the other day for lunch. I ordered the Pad Prik Khing (spicy green beans), which was pretty good. I prefer it with the long beans instead of the regular green beens that they used, but the beans were fresh and still crunchy. I forgot to specify the spice level when ordering, and it was pretty good – there was a little kick to it. Next time I’ll remember to ask for it spicier though. I wasn’t a fan of the spring roll or soup that came with the lunch menu. The spring roll was undercooked and chewy, and the soup had an overpowering taste of carrot.
Service was quick and efficient, and since I work only a couple of blocks away, I’m sure I will be back often for lunch.
Seth,
I’m glad that the Tai Hut is good, but it was WAY better when it was Marvin’s Garden. That was our breakfast spot, for ever. I know I can walk to drip or Coronado cafe, but that place held a special charm. It had way better food than Denny’s or someplace like that but cheaper than Le Peep or someplace, and I know about Kat’s delicantessen but I dont like their breakfast potatos(I’m picky with my potato, I’m Irish). And I’m not driving into snottsdale for breakfast, where would you suggest for breakfast for a downtownie?
Amy,
I am a big fan of Matt’s Big Breakfast downtown. It is a tiny place and the wait can be long, but I think it has great breakfasts. I have reviewed it on the site.
Best wishes,
Seth
Amy,
Palatte downtown (4th Ave and Fillmore)has a really good breakfast/brunch/lunch thing going on. The food is somewhat non-standard, but for the most part work. We’ve been three times and had great food, but some folks have issues with it. One of them is a good friend, so I won’t bad mouth her. :) It’s got a HUGE outside area with patio furniture and it’s perfect this time of year. Inside is a bit cramped, with the good weather, it’s no longer an issue. I’d recommend at least trying it once.
http://downtownbrunch.com/
Amazing food. Very authentic. Lunch special rocks. Chicken with basil is just like home.