Two Countries in One Week

Somehow I managed to “visit” two countries this week, despite my busy schedule. Monday I went to a local Thai restaurant that had been recommended. Located in a newer strip mall in town, My Thai Café is so new that some of the detail work on the inside is not yet complete. Only a handful of other patrons were in the place, making it easy to find a table for myself.

I was given a menu and a glass of ice water by a smiling waitress and I perused my choices. Focusing on the Lunch Specials section, I finally chose the Pad-Prew-Waan. The dish is described as being Sweet and Sour with a choice of Beef, Pork, Chicken or Tofu. Accompanying this is onions, cucumbers, pineapple, tomatoes and red and green bell peppers. Each meal comes with onion soup and white rice. Once I ordered the dish with pork, I was asked to choose how spicy I would like the dish. The levels given were: Mild, Medium, Hot, and Thai Hot. Feeling a bit adventurous, I decided on Medium.

While I waited for my meal to arrive I looked around. The tables were covered with white tablecloths and then topped with glass to protect the cloth. I am sorry to say that I still managed to mess up my tablecloth. My daughter would tell you that she can’t take me anywhere. The seats were comfortable and some decorative painting had been started on one of the walls. Behind the counter at the back of the dining room was a tall cabinet and on top of that was a painting of Buddha and a small statue of a Buddha, along with a few offerings.

Pad-Prew-Waan

My soup arrived shortly and I tentatively took a sip. Despite asking whether chicken or chicken stock had been used and being assured that there was no chicken in the soup, I was cautious. I had no desire to have yet another asthma attack. The soup was good, but spicy. Oh my, was it spicy! As I decided to only have a few sips of the soup; that was not really a problem. Then my meal was brought out. The meal looked and smelled good and I gladly began eating it. And it was – you guessed it – spicy! Spicy as in my lips were tingling and my tongue and throat were burning. I simply could not imagine how it could have been even spicier. I don’t think I would ever be brave enough to try the Thai Hot level. The food was good and I certainly was reminded of my meal as my lips continued to tingle the rest of the afternoon.

On Friday, my daughter and I braved the crowds and went out Christmas shopping. We had been meaning to visit the new location of a local Japanese restaurant and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Domo Japanese Steak and Sushi House recently opened in the building that used to house the Tumbleweed restaurant, so it is rather amusing to see the frosted glass depicting cacti and Western themes.

Salad and miso soup. The lighting was not conducive to good photography.

Kelley didn’t want to sit at a Hibachi table, so we chose a booth near the sushi bar. We dutifully studied the menu and decided on our choices. Just before the waitress arrived to take our orders, Kelley burst out laughing. She had found a menu item with a rather interesting name: the Screaming Orgasm. Apparently, it is an appetizer of seared tuna with chef’s special spicy sauce. And no, neither of us was brave enough to actually try that.

Teriyaki Chicken

Yakiniku Beef, which is marinated slices of sirloin steak. Served with sauteed vegetables.

I chose the Yakiniku Beef, while Kelley asked for Chicken Teriyaki. Our miso soups and salads were brought out and we tasted the soup. Interesting and different from what we had had before. Again, as I was unsure as to whether chicken broth had been used, I had just a couple of spoonfuls. Kelley does not care for broth based soups, so she too did not eat much. I enjoyed the crisp salad with the spicy dressing, while Kelley ate just a bit. Soon our entres arrived and the aromas tantalized our senses. The ‘plates’ were oval shaped, shallow cast iron vessels nestled into wooden platters. A bowl of white rice accompanied our meals. Though I could not have a taste of Kelley’s dish, I did share some of my beef. We had a nice time and enjoyed our meals before setting off to face the crowds at the store. Maybe I can convince Kelley to sit at a hibachi grill table next time.