A Taste of Deutschland

Steingasse 1 69117 Heidelberg

Heidelberg’s Alte Brücke – a historic old bridge that takes visitors over the lengthy Neckar river.  With picturesque views of the Heidelberg castle and surrounding hills, the Old Bridge is surely one of the many tourist attractions in this romantic city.  One end leads out to a residential part of the city, marked by gorgeously constructed structures overlooking the water.  The other takes visitors through an old gate into the charming city.  Following the cobblestone pathway, through the large gateway, down towards the church, you will come across souvenir shops, restaurants, and bars.  One such restaurant, conveniently situated a few paces from the gate, is Phuket Thai Restaurant.

Phuket is named after possibly the most popular tourist destination in Thailand.  A coastal city and island in the southern part of the country, Phuket is synonymous with beautiful scenery and beaches.  Phuket Thai Restaurant’s location, only a few steps away from the Neckar River, captures this idea.

Inside, the place looks expensive.  Although the dining room is quite small, fine attention to detail is given to the décor.  Glass placed on top of an intricately carved wooden surface makes up the dining tables.  Each is furnished with a gentle burning candle and vibrant bud in a vase.  Bamboo placemats and gold colored silverware await diners at each setting.  The polished wooden chairs are comfortably cushioned with green blue colored padding.  On the walls are framed portraits of Thai monarchy as well as an artistic portrayal of a beach littered with palm trees.  A Thai flag is proudly displayed and greets visitors near the entrance.  Even the wallpaper has repeating images of the Thai Buddha.  Modern Thai music softly plays in the background.  The atmosphere is serene and relaxed.  Complementing the ambiance is the affable service.  Service is offered with that characteristically welcoming Thai smile.

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Phuket’s menu selection isn’t overly impressive.  There are four course meals designed for two, three, or four guests.  This makes ordering a lot easier.  Aside from these sets, the menu offerings include pretty standard Thai dishes.  That is, there aren’t any unique dishes that you wouldn’t be able to find at the other Thai restaurants in the city. 

Drinks are also typical for any restaurant, except for the Thai Singha beer and Thai tea.  Here, the Thai tea is served in a chilled glass with ice cubes and a wedge of lemon.  Unexpectedly, no milk is added.  Refreshingly sweet, the tea’s unique flavor is augmented by the hint of lemon.

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Satay Moo – pork satay – is common Thai street food.  At Phuket, this appetizer can be had for 5,50 €.  An order comes with 5 skewers, a small amount of peanut dipping sauce, and a beautifully carved carrot rose on a bed of cabbage.  The pork satay here is dry and isn’t marinated as well as it could be.  The meat is sliced quite thin, so it’s a bit curious why the pork isn’t as flavorful.  The tasty, chunky peanut sauce, however, works well with the dry pork and enhances the taste marvelously.  The only setback is the harsh amount of sauce given – more is definitely required to fully enjoy the true taste of the dish.  Missing is a slice of toasted bread on the side and the cucumber vinegar sauce that usually accompanies such a dish.

Spicy is where Thai cuisine shines.  At 11,50, the Phad Kaprow Gai (Chicken with Thai basil) is a good choice to test your tolerance for heat.  Request the dish to be made as spicy as a Thai person would eat it for that adventurous rush of fire.  Of course, if you aren’t able to withstand spicy foods, simply order the dish as listed. 

Phad Kaprow is customarily made with chopped or ground meat and lots of Thai basil and chili peppers.  At Phuket, the dish also includes finely diced red and green bell peppers, garlic, bamboo shoots, and onions, stir-fried together with the meat.  It may seem like a simple list of ingredients, but the combination of flavors is intense.  A brilliant balance of salty, spicy, and a faint hint of sweetness produces a great sensory experience.  The meat is served on a lovely ceramic platter in the shape of a turkey.  This platter is kept on a warmer to maintain its heat throughout your meal. 

Accompanying the dish is a generous amount of Thai jasmine white rice.  Perfectly cooked and fluffy, the steamed rice is best mixed with the meat and enjoyed all together to ensure that the saltiness and spiciness of the main dish is cut down by the subtle flavor of the rice.  On the whole, the dish is extremely well executed.

With an expensive location, exquisite dining environment, extraordinary service, and exceptional food, Phuket represents everything Thai extremely well.  Despite the spot being characteristically touristy, Phuket is top-notch Thai cuisine.  Make special requests to ensure you get the food prepared as Thai people enjoy it.  If you haven’t tried Thai food before, or experienced Thai culture, Phuket is the perfect place to dive in.  สวัสดีครับ!

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Summary:

Suitably located steps away from Heidelberg’s Old Bridge, Phuket is a charming, luxurious restaurant serving up traditional, appetizing Thai cuisine in an authentic dining environment.  Prices moderate.  Lunch menu featured on weekdays.  Outstanding service.

Overall – 4.5 stars

• Eistee mit Zitrone (Thai Tea with Lemon) – 5/5
• Satay Moo – 3.5/5
• Phad Kaprow Gai – 5/5
• Service – 5/5

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Speyerer Straße 1 69115 Heidelberg

Completing the Mandy’s Fast Food Center trifecta (not counting Mandy’s Diner, which has its own separate structure) is, surprisingly, a Thai fast food eatery / restaurant / billiards hall / cocktail bar.  Yes, this combination sounds absurd, but Sunisa’s operates two rooms within the fast food center.

For first time diners here at Sunisa’s, the ordering process can be confusing, the dining experience extremely unpleasant.  Upon entering the Mandy’s Fast Food Center facility, Sunisa’s is located at the end furthest from Mandy’s Diner.  A sign posted outside the actual fast food eatery directs guests to its location.  Most traditional Thai places feature tableside service – an accommodating waiting staff providing friendly assistance and, oftentimes, a warm, welcoming smile.  Unfortunately, Sunisa’s doesn’t deliver on this.  Ordering food, whether dining in or taking out, must first be done at the cashier where the big menu sign board is located.  Don’t bother finding a seat in either the billiards hall room or the cashier area – the workers won’t even go out of the way to help you.  Since it is a fast food place, the service is merely quick and unfriendly.  Isn’t Thailand known as the ‘Land of Smiles?’  Where are all the smiles?  Instead, all that you will find are hurried workers.  It’s obvious they want to be somewhere else.

Once your order has been placed and paid for, the workers will bring the food to you (keep your receipt!).  There are two options for seating – inside the same room where the cashier is located at and the adjacent billiards hall.  Both options can make your dining experience a nightmare.  Although the first choice isn’t too bad, the mere fact that the open kitchen is found steps away from the tables can make the place extremely noisy.  Furthermore, with people constantly strolling into the eatery making their orders, it can also become crowded and a bit boisterous.  The décor here isn’t too shabby – there are photos of the Thai monarchy, as well as the Thai flag.  Seating consists of wicker chairs and relatively clean marble tables.  But with people coming in and out constantly, it can become quite an annoyance.

The latter can be a dangerous place to be, especially at night.  Imagine people chattering loudly while shooting pool at the 3 pool tables and grabbing drinks from the cocktail bar.  Drunken people while shooting pool can create a bad situation in a hurry.  There’s a big screen television set up in the room, as well as 3 slot machines.  Even in the daytime, the simple presence of the billiards tables is definitely something you wouldn’t find in a Thai restaurant, not in a million years.  This, in combination with traditional Thai figures and statues and Thai music, is simply appalling.  Maybe the presence of a Buddhist statue there is supposed to exude a calm, tranquil aura throughout the restaurant and billiards hall.  Regardless, the place lacks focus.

The menu at Sunisa’s is the usual Thai.  Aside from a couple of specials, the menu doesn’t offer anything unusual.  However, there are a few of refrigerators near the cashier area, stocked with Thai chilies and vegetables that are hard to find in the city.  Additionally, Sunisa’s sells various Asian products – reminiscent of an Asian grocery store (again, is this a restaurant or what?).  The menu is written in Romanized Thai, German, and English, which is always a positive.

Typical Thai dishes include Thai soups, salads, fried noodles and rice, and various dishes with chicken, beef, pork, duck, and seafood.  There are also a handful of Thai curries.  At 7,00 €, the Beef Panang – thin strips of beef in a coconut curry with basil, kaffir lime leaves, and slices of red and green peppers – is a good value.  Served in a relatively large bowl, the dish comes with a generous scoop of rice on the side, which is slightly gummy.  Sunisa’s beef panang is decent, although there isn’t a slight hint of spiciness in the curry.  In fact, it’s a bit too salty rather than spicy.  It seems like the cooks added more cream than coconut milk, which cuts the amount of fire (of course, the cooks prepare the dish for westerners, so it isn’t going to be blazing hot).  One plus is the abundant amount of beef flooding the curry dish, though the dish would be better off served with more bell peppers.  There are also quite a few basil leaves wilted down, as well as a few kaffir lime leaves (though they are hidden).  The panang dish should have a thicker texture; it is leaning towards being a soup as opposed to a curry.  Again, the beef panang dish is satisfactory.

Dessert is definitely disheartening.  At 3,00 €, the Gluey Thord – Deep Fried Bananas drizzled in honey – is the cheapest dessert on the menu.  An order comes with five bite sized pieces of bananas.  Presentation of the dish is lovely, with a Thai orchid decorating the plate.  The bananas are coated in a batter and fried until crisp.  Even though the fruit itself is quite sweet, the sweetness is amplified by addition of honey.  A generous amount of sesame seeds provides a nutty taste and texture.  However, with each piece amounting to 60 cents, it would be better to save your money and buy dessert elsewhere.

Overall, Sunisa’s is a typical Thai eatery with a bizarre environment.  If you’re hankering for Thai food and a delightful place to dine, there are definitely better options in Heidelberg.  But if you’re on a budget, Sunisa’s is an acceptable place to go.  Its proximity to the main train station also is a plus.

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Summary:

Sunisa’s Thai Imbiss, Billard und Cocktailbar, part of the Mandy’s Fast Food Center in Heidelberg, is a fast food facility dishing up quick and relatively inexpensive Thai cuisine.  Typical Thai dishes.  Adjacent dining facility.

Overall – 2.5 stars

• Panang Nua (Coconut Curry with Beef, Lemon Leaves, and Basil) – 3.5/5
• Guoy Thord (Fried Bananas with Honey and Sesame Seeds) – 3/5
• Service – 4/5

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Max-Joseph-Straße 1 69126 Heidelberg

On a cold, winter night, as the temperature hovers around 0° C, I find myself walking down a street in unfamiliar territory, searching frantically for that one restaurant I heard about on the Internet.  With snow flakes tickling my face and impairing my vision, I barely make out a modest white building marked by two Thai flags on each side of the door.  This must be the place.  As I step inside, passing through the front entrance, it’s as if I traveled more than 5000 miles and entered a fancy eatery in Thailand. 

The owners at Restaurant Baan Thai have done an excellent job creating an authentic Thai experience.  The ambiance is authentic Thai, offering bamboo seating with comfortable cushions, placemats at every place setting, traditional sculptures and tapestry, and photographs of Thai monarchy enclosed in extravagant frames.  At dinner, the setting is romantic – each table is equipped with its own lit candle and a vase sprouting with Thai orchids.  Customary Thai music plays melodiously throughout the establishment.

Meticulous attention to detail is also given to the food.  Pla Sam Rod – rosefish filets fried and flavored with 3 flavors (spicy, sweet, and sour) – comes with a gorgeous, hand carved white turnip rose on top of carrots scrupulously cut to resemble leaves.  This entrée is served in an elegant serving dish shaped like a fish.  Simply put, the presentation is amazing.

The dish almost tastes as good as it looks.  The fish is moist and delectable; however the three flavors are not always present in each bite.  It takes quite a bit of the chili, garlic, and other ingredients, in conjunction with the fish, to fully enjoy the true taste of the dish.  An order comes with 2 filets on top of broccoli florets, steamed cabbage, halved mushrooms, julienne red peppers, and sliced carrots.  Additionally, there are diced green peppers topping the fish.  The vegetables do a better job soaking up the sauce than the fish.  Portions are on the smaller side but can be shared amongst a couple people.  At 11,90 €, it is one of the more expensive dishes, but tasty overall.  A large portion of rice is included with each order.

Restaurant Baan Thai is a hidden gem, tucked far away from the high traffic tourist areas in Heidelberg.  The ambiance is authentic, the presentation is perfect, the food is fantastic, and the service is super.  Although the menu is fairly limited to popular dishes, the chefs work hard to get the flavors right.

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Summary:

Restaurant Baan Thai, located in the Rohrbach area in southern Heidelberg, is a traditional Thai casual dining restaurant serving up typical Thai cuisine.  Warm and helpful service.  Weekday lunch buffet.  Main courses: 7 € to 15 €.

Overall – 4.5 stars

• Pla Sam Rod (Fried Rosefish Filets, Three Flavors) – 4.5/5
• Service – 5/5

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http://www.baanthai-heidelberg.de

Berger Straße 28 40213 Düsseldorf

Second Thai restaurant in as many days, second visit to this place since my arrival in Germany – apparently, the second time seems to make everything taste a whole lot better.

From the moment you catch sight of this restaurant in the Düsseldorf Altstadt, you instantly become aware that it’s a Thai establishment – not only because of its namesake, but also because the structural design, particularly the entrance, is traditional Thai.  This continues as you walk inside the place – the entire restaurant captures the essence of Thailand, from the architectural woodwork of the tables and the frames, to the wooden railings and the figures on the walls.  The place exudes Thai culture all around – the music coming from the loudspeakers is Thai and the attire worn by the waitresses is also traditional.

Naturally, this carries on further to the menu as there are not only familiar dishes you can find at any other Thai restaurants in Germany, but also rustic favorites seldom found anywhere else.  Not only is there an extensive list of items on their standard menu to choose from, but also multiple monthly specials to whet your appetite.  These vary in price and are also unique.  Deciding on what to order could be a difficult task in itself.  But rest assured, whatever you order will be delicious.

Compared to the ones found in Thailand, the Tod Mun Pla (fish cakes) at Baan Thai is right on.  An order comes with 7 medium sized fish patties accompanied by a small bowl of traditional sweet dipping sauce.  The sauce consists of freshly sliced cucumbers, diced red onions, red peppers, and ground peanuts.  Alone, the fish cakes are amazing, but dipping in the sauce takes it to a whole new level.  The textural combination of spongy fish and the crunchy nuts and vegetables creates an enjoyable experience.  This mixture of flavors is truly authentic Thai.  As an appetizer, an order of Tod Mun Pla will set you back 6,90 €, but it’s definitely worth it.

Another common Thai dish is Rad Na – stir fried rice noodles in a gravy sauce.  Although the dish itself is lacking in the flavor department, an order comes with the standard four condiment tray – fish sauce, sugar, chili flakes, and chili pepper vinegar – with which you are supposed to personally season the dish to your liking.  People have differing tastes when it comes to noodle dishes – some like it overly spicy, some individuals salty, and others like it a bit sweet.  Hence, alone, the Rad Na with chicken, together with broccoli and cauliflower florets and sliced carrots, leaves a lot to be desired.  But after adding the condiments, you are supposed to fulfill those desires yourself and only then can the dish really take off.  Additionally, as part of the exclusive monthly special, the Rad Na is listed at only 6,90 euros.

A favorite of many Thai people is Nua Kem (salted Thai Beef Jerky) with Sticky Rice.  This is common Thai street fare.  The strips of beef are marinated extremely well in a mixture of sugar and soy sauce and then fried to perfection.  But don’t be fooled by its simplicity.  The beef packs a ton of flavor and, when eaten in conjunction with the sticky rice, is absolute heaven.  Although some restaurants serve Thai beef jerky with a sauce, it is simply not needed here.  The meat breaks down easily in your mouth. 

Baan Thai – translated as Thai house – is an absolute must stop when in the Düsseldorf Altstadt.  The chefs working furiously in the kitchen know how to serve meals that satisfy both Thai and foreigner taste buds alike.  It is definitely one of the most authentic Thai restaurants outside of Thailand.

Summary:

One of the best Thai restaurants in Düsseldorf, if not in all of Germany, Baan Thai dishes up authentic and traditional Thai food in an exquisite atmosphere.  An enormous menu, in addition to specials that change every month, makes this restaurant worth visiting time and time again.  Outstanding service.

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Overall – 5 stars

• Tod Man Pla (Deep Fried fish cakes) – 5/5
• Thai Beef Jerky with Sticky Rice – 5/5
• Rad Na Gai (Stir-Fried Thick Noodles with Chicken in gravy) – 4/5
• Service – 5/5

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http://www.baanthai.de

Heinrich-Heine-Platz 1 40213 Düsseldorf (im Basement des Carsch-Hauses)

Oftentimes, when you enter a food court, you will find a mixture of popular fast food joints along with ethnic eateries, all featuring quick meals at very inexpensive prices.  Normally, the quality of food is sub par and the entrées are sometimes secretly enhanced with glutamates and other artificial flavorings.  Travel to Germany and you will not find that here – particularly at the restaurants at Carsch-Haus.  Sure, you will come across an assortment of cultural flavors as you would at any food court.  But the ingredients are innovative, the setting is stylish, the service is splendid, and the food is fantastic.  Sukhothai stands out among the rest of its peers here, particularly because the food is natural, fresh, and darn good.

Although this restaurant isn’t particularly big, the place is definitely eye-catching.  Sukhothai smartly utilizes a calming green to adorn its walls and soothe its guests.  The attractive, modern atmosphere doesn’t exactly scream out Thai, but it properly matches the high quality and close attention to detail given to the food.  Seating, primarily consisting of black high chairs, is quite limited here.  One aspect worth mentioning is the open kitchen here.  Guests can watch as the chefs meticulously prepare each and every dish before being served.  Places like these make the dining experience even more exciting.

Sukhothai’s menu is limited to a handful of dishes for each of the following categories: salads, soups, poultry, meat & seafood, and noodles.  There are roughly five or six entrées listed under each one, which isn’t bad when the food tastes as good as it does.

The Panang Curry is a must for anyone visiting Sukhothai.  For people familiar with Thai panang, the first bite may be off-putting because it tastes entirely like the Satay peanut sauce.  But continue eating it and it gets addicting.  The chicken is moist and tender.  The curry has the perfect amount of curry paste mixed in.  Essentially, the cooks adapt the curry to the German tastes and many people seem to enjoy it.  The Satay chicken is also good.  Instead of your traditional chicken skewers with peanut dipping sauce on the side, this dish is served with chunks of chicken swimming in the sauce.  The presentation is identical to the panang curry – the only difference is the taste.  Again, the chicken is superb.  The peanut sauce itself is a bit sweet and, unfortunately, the cucumber salad palate cleanser (Ajad) you would typically find served with Thai satay is nowhere to be found.

The glass noodle salad is another winner.  This is the refreshing salad that you will be yearning for after (or before) eating a main dish.  The ground chicken complements the texture of the silky noodles and the crunchy assortment of vegetables extremely well.  The sauce isn’t overpowering.  Most important in this dish is the fresh ingredients used – peppers, cucumbers, green onions, and carrots – all providing a harmonic flavor profile.  The dish isn’t spicy at all.  Many Germans enjoy eating Gebratene Rice (fried rice) or Gebratene Noodles (chow mein).  Order these items in Deutschland and they will normally include curry in them.  The chow mein here isn’t exactly spectacular – it’s pretty standard fair.

Sukhothai boasts cooking authentic Thai cuisine using the original recipes of the Michelin star chef Wanphen Heymann-Sukphan.  With the name of an internationally renowned chef attached to the restaurant, you know that you are in for a treat at Sukhothai.

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Summary:

Sukhothai, situated in the food court area in the basement of the Carsch-Haus department store in the Düsseldorf Altstadt, is a delicatessen serving up authentic Thai cuisine in a modern, sophisticated setting.  Limited selection of items on the menu, but cooked right.  Prices are reasonable.

Overall – 4.5 stars

• Panang-Curry Chicken (Gang Panang Gai) – 4.5/5
• Satay-Sauce mit Erdnüssen (Gai Sauce Satay) – 4/5
• Glasnudel-Poulet-Salat (Jam Wun Sen Gai) – 4/5
• Gebratene Nudeln mit Hühnerbrush (Bamee Phat Gai) – 2.5/5
• Service – 5/5

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http://www.sukhothai.ch

Bahnhofstraße 19 69115 Heidelberg

Some people say that the mark of a good Thai restaurant is how tasty their Pad Thai is.  The individual components of the Pad Thai should create a perfect harmony and balance of flavors – not to sweet, not too sour, just right.  Well, if that’s the case, then Thanaporn Thai restaurant is surely a winner.

Don’t be fooled by the archaic exterior of the restaurant – inside, the dining room is a romantic place and welcoming for diners.  The cloth covered tables are met with woven-wicker chairs that are supplemented with comfortable pillows to keep you nice and warm.  On top of each table, a candle illuminates the area, enhancing the dining experience.  With all of the traditional Thai ornaments and pictures decorating the walls, it definitely feels inviting and hospitable.  Even some of the ceiling panels have the image of the traditional Thai dancer.  Fantastic!

The menu is quite extensive with many familiar offerings.  There is a large variety of chicken, pork, beef, fish, and vegetarian selections that will surely meet your needs.  There is also a three course menu, featuring an appetizer, a chicken curry dish, and dessert for single persons and a 4 course tasting menu that can be shared between two people. 

The Chicken Pad Thai here is cooked nearly flawlessly.  I am, by no means, a professional on Pad Thai cooking, but this one definitely gets a thumbs up.  The rice noodles were not mushy nor were they over cooked – they had just the right texture.  The slices of chicken were moist and juicy.  The dish was stir-fried with the usual ingredients – bean sprouts, chunks of tofu, egg, a piece of lime, a couple slices of cucumbers, and some crushed peanuts – and garnished with chopped cilantro.  My only complaint was the sparse amount of nuts.  Overall, though, the flavor combinations worked extremely well here.

Portion sizes are slightly smaller than they could be, however the taste certainly makes up for it.  The prices are reasonable – the Pad Thai dish cost 7,80 EUR and a cup of tea 1,70 EUR.    

Thanaphon is located behind the Crowne Plaza Hotel, near the Bismarckplatz in Heidelberg.  It is a secret that cannot remain hidden forever! 

Summary:

Tucked away from the main roads in Heidelberg, Thanaphon Thai Restaurant is a charming restaurant serving up delicious, authentic Thai cuisine. 

Overall – 5 stars

• Guey Tew Pad Thai with Chicken – 5/5
• Jasmine Tea – 5/5
• Service – 5/5

http://www.thanaphon.de/

Hauptstraße 133 69117 Heidelberg

I made a quick stop to this Thai restaurant for a fast meal in between classes.  This place may very well be my go-to restaurant in the future because it is conveniently located near the Universitätsplatz, a very short distance from where the bus lines 31 and 32 stop. 

I ordered the Tom Yum Goong soup (hot and sour Thai soup with shrimp).  The bowl was quite small compared to an order of soup in California.  Inside there were only three pieces of shrimp.  However, they were well cleaned, deveined, and cooked perfectly.  Also inside the soup were slices of mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, onions, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass.  The flavor of wasn’t exactly the best; but it was definitely above average.  It was a bit more sour than spicy.

Overall, this visit was enjoyable.  The soup cost 5,00 EUR – a bit too expensive for such a small bowl.  Nonetheless, the restaurant was warm and comfortable and the waitresses this time dressed in traditional Thai garb, creating a wonderful dining experience.

Summary:

Supan’s Bistro is a cozy Thai restaurant offering a variety of different traditional dishes at fairly reasonable prices.  Outdoor seating available near the trees in front of the restaurant.

Overall – 4 stars

• Tom Yum Goong (Shrimp) – 4/5
• Service 5/5

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Schulstrasse. 19 40721 Hilden

When you enter a restaurant that specializes in ‘Asian cuisine’, you might feel a little bit pessimistic.  Asian cuisine encompasses such a wide variety of ethnic food that you feel as if there may be so many different items to choose from, yet have the feeling that none of them will taste spectacular.  This is definitely not the case with Chang-Puak! 

Situated in the Hilden Altstadt, this Chinese-Thai restaurant not only has an amazing atmosphere, but also some of the best Asian food in Germany.  Unlike some other restaurants, Chang-Puak’s dishes are as exquisitely prepared and presented as one can imagine.  The taste of the dishes definitely matches up to the visual appeal. 

To quench my thirst after strolling through the Altstadt, I got an Alster Wasser (Pils with lemon Fanta).  It was something new for me, but the flavors of the beer and soda didn’t really mesh well together in my glass. 

As for my meal, I ordered a three course Vietnamese meal listed as the chef’s recommendation.  After 35 days in Germany, I felt compelled to eat some Vietnamese cuisine as homage to my hometown, where there are Pho restaurants practically everywhere.  This three course meal consists of Vietnamese deep-fried spring rolls (Chả giò), Pho Bo, and fried bananas with honey and ice cream for desert.  Absolutely mouthwatering!

After a short wait, the appetizers came to the table.  My aunt ordered the Thai fish cakes (Thod Mun) and my uncle got the wonton soup.  I sampled the fish cakes and they tasted exactly like back home.  It wasn’t too fishy tasting or overly spicy.  The mixture was perfect!  As for my spring rolls, the pork filling was well seasoned.  However, the noodle exterior was a bit gummy for my tastes.  The rolls didn’t come with the white vermicelli noodles or jícama, but the sauce and carrots definitely made up for it. 

After the appetizers were finished, my bowl of steaming Pho arrived, accompanied by a decent portion of bean sprouts, basil, parsley, and a wedge of lemon.  Of course, there was also hot sauce and hoisin sauce on the plate of vegetables.  The Pho had a large amount of beef slices and meatballs, too much in fact!  Unfortunately, these slices of beef were not the trimmed kind like back home in California.  I slurped my noodles down almost immediately.  For a moment, the noodles and soup brought my soul back home to the states.  It tasted great!  The only complaint I had was the hoisin sauce they used – it wasn’t the thick variety I was so accustomed to.

My uncle ordered a stir-fried plate with chicken and a lot of vegetables.  It came to the table steaming hot, like a fajita plate at El Torito.  It definitely attracted attention!  Guests at other tables turned their heads to look at the beautiful dish.  My aunt ordered the crispy noodle with shrimp gravy.  Although I didn’t try these dishes, they were presented quite well!  As they say, you eat with your eyes first!

For dessert, the waitress brought a small plate of three fried bananas, drizzled with honey and sesame seeds scattered on top, with a scoop of ice cream.  I was too stuffed at this point, so I only managed to eat one banana.  By itself, it wasn’t too sweet as I had wished.  But it wasn’t a complete disappointment!  The honey definitely made up for the lack of natural goodness.

For the price of 12,50 EUR, the three course meal I ordered was definitely worth it! 

Summary:

Excellent Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese food.  Fabulous presentation.  Large menu.  Dogs allowed inside.

Overall – 4 ½ stars

• Vietnamese Egg Rolls – 4/5
• Fish Cakes (Thod Mun) – 4.5/5
• Pho Bo – 4/5
• Fried Bananas with Honey and Ice Cream – 4/5
• Service – 5/5

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http://www.chang-puak.de/

Rohrbacher Straße. 137 69115 Heidelberg

Located somewhat near the Heidelberg main station, this small, corner Thai restaurant offers a nice, pleasant dining experience for those looking for someplace romantic.  The Thai offerings are not exactly extensive, although they do have some traditional and unique items on the menu.

I arrived here for dinner at 6:00 PM on this Friday evening.  I got a seat at one of the two person tables and ordered a pineapple drink.  It came in a wine glass, which was pretty strange.  Ordered the Gai Thod Lad Gatiem (Fried chicken with garlic).  I was hungering for some traditional Thai style chicken, but they didn’t have the typical BBQ chicken.  Totally heartbreaking. 

Knowing that I would have to get my hands dirty managing the bird, I checked out the bathrooms.  It was clean and well maintained.  Absolutely a good sign, or so I thought.  But when I got my order of chicken, I was totally disappointed.  The portion was simply too small for me.  Sure, they give lots of rice (more than I could eat).  But without a lot of chicken, how could I eat all the rice?  The flavor was also lacking.  Sure, I paid 10 cents more for the garlic.  But the garlic did absolutely nothing to the dish.  The chicken comes with some bamboo shoots, carrots, and some other vegetables.  It also comes with a small portion of the chicken dipping sauce often accompanying Thai chicken.  Of course, they also have the small containers with chili powder, chili sauce, and more hot items. 

The atmosphere gets all of the attention over the food here.  They have two tables with the traditional style of eating sitting on the floor (you have to take off your shoes to sit there) and all of the dining tables are lit by candle.  They also have heating tables to maintain the warmth of your food.  There are Thai posters on the wall and they also have Singha Thai beer and cocktails.  As the evening moved on, more couples trickled into the restaurant.  It seems like a nice place for a date.

Total was 12,00 EUR for the pineapple drink and fried chicken.  They do give a couple of candies when you pay the bill.

Summary:

Decent Thai food.  A bit expensive compared with the amount of food given.  There is a lunch menu.  Reasonable sized list of drinks and cocktails.

Overall – 3 stars

• Fried Chicken with Garlic – 3/5
• Service 5/5

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Hauptstraße 133 69117 Heidelberg

This charming little restaurant off the Universitätsplatz in Heidelberg is a great place to sit down and enjoy some Thai cuisine.  Upon entering the restaurant, you don’t necessarily feel as if you are in a Thai eatery, but the menu certainly offers several traditional Thai dishes.

I stopped by this place for a late lunch / early dinner on Friday.  I was the only one there in the place, which was quite surprising because it was around 4:00 PM.  Instead of sitting in the front area of the restaurant, I decided to sit inside, where there is a corner seat with a few tables. 

I ordered a Thai iced tea with milk and the Gai Phad Bai Gaprau (Chicken with Thai Basil).  The iced tea wasn’t what I am used to having in the US – it wasn’t really sweet as it would be from condensed milk.  I think they use just regular milk.  Now, I initially wanted the Gaprau with ground chicken, as I am used to eating, but I forgot to order it that way and got the chicken in chunks.  It wasn’t bad at all, although it was quite spicy for me because there were a ton of red Thai chilies.  The chicken was tender and really tasty.  There were a lot of bamboo shoots and only a bit of Thai basil.  The entrée comes with a relatively small amount of rice; I would have preferred more, but the amount of chicken and bamboo shoots really makes up for it.

Overall, this meal was filling and satisfying.  For the price of 7,20 EUR, the main dish wasn’t too expensive.  The Thai iced tea costs 2,00 EUR – also quite reasonable.

Summary:

A variety of different Thai foods at decent prices.  Outdoor seating available (thanks Tonya!).

Overall – 4 stars

• Thai Iced Tea with Milk – 3/5
• Gai Phad Bai Gaprau – 4/5
• Service 5/5

11. September 2009