Tag: Thai

AlbuquerqueAsianNew MexicoRating: ExcellentThai

Eat My Thai – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

In his inimitable style Anthony Bourdain described the first time he tasted Thai food: “It was like discovering a color I never knew existed before. A whole new crayon box full of colors.”  His words resonate true for those of us who don’t live in a monochromatic world of homogeneous meals lacking diversity, personality and flavor.  Similarly resonant is his characterization of Thailand’s spicy food: “That perfect balance of pain, and pleasure, and more pain. Brain flooding with endorphins and all is well with the world. Until tomorrow morning.”  Would that my words would flow with the profundity, veracity and ease with which Bourdain laced his every utterance. When my Kim and I find a Thai restaurant with a menu so diverse and complete that it practically begs for a poetic waxing is when I curse the lack of fluency, grace, and rhetorical eloquence in my speech.  Such was the case when we visited the almost sardonically named Eat My Thai restaurant on Gibson.  Perusing the menu filled me with joy and with hope.  Far too many Thai restaurants across the Duke City have a boring “sameness” as if they subscribe to a templated format.  Eat My Thai’s menu offers…

AlbuquerqueAsianNew MexicoRating: ExcellentThai

Sa! Thai Restaurant – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

In 2023, TasteAtlas, an “encyclopedia of flavors, a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants” compiled a ranking of the 100 best cuisines in the world.  The highest rated cuisine in the world (to no surprise) was Italian followed by Japanese then Greek.  Thai cuisine was ranked 17th in the pantheon of great cuisines, just one slot ahead of American cuisine (whatever that is).  TasteAtlas also named Phat Kaphrao (also known as Pad Grapao or “holy basil stir-fry”), a dish made from meat, chili and basil, as the “best stir-fried dish in the world.”  Among the highest rated dishes, Phat Kaphrao ranked third overall.  Considering 395,205 dishes were rated, Phat Kaphrao’s place in the standings signifies it as one of the best dishes you can possibly order. Before even looking at a menu, linguaphiles (those of us who love languages and words) need to know what “Sa!” translates to.  Seeing “Sa! Thai”  on the marquee, you might think in its entirety “Sa! Thai” might be pronounced “satay,” the popular Thai appetizer of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce.  Instead, “Sa!” is a shortened version of “sawatdee,” a phrase that means “Hello.”  This phrase is…

AlbuquerqueClosed in 2021Gone But Not ForgottenNew MexicoRating: ExcellentThai

Siam Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil Garduno3:37 AM

It’s oft been said that “you taste first with your eyes.”  Certainly sight figures in to the enjoyment of food and sets expectations, but the first sensory receptors to engage in taste is the sense of smell.  If you’ve ever experienced a pleasant aroma wafting toward you as you approach a restaurant, you’ll agree.  The Siam Cafe is quite possibly the most aromatically-enticing, olfactory-arousing restaurant in the Duke City.  Its exotic spices and herbs waft like a gentle summer breeze over all diners entering what is conceivably Albuquerque’s best Thai restaurant. For years the marquee named its previous occupant, Pollo Loco, before the owners of the Siam Cafe finally changed the marquee in 2003. With its new signage, this gem declared “Siam, I am!.” The common denominator among all the dishes I’ve had here is consistent excellence, particularly among the curry dishes. Curry is one of those dishes about which inexperienced diners tend to generalize, tending in many cases to believe, for example, that any experiences–good or bad–they may have had with Indian curry will be duplicated with Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese or Malaysian curry. While all curry has an unmistakably pungent fragrance, there are more than subtle differences between the curries…

AlbuquerqueAsianNew MexicoSushiThai

Tokyo Bangkok – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

In 2019, Mastercard published its Global Destination Cities Index which ranked 200 cities around the world with the most international visitors.  Topping the list for the fourth consecutive year was Bangkok, Thailand which boasted of 22-million overnight visitors.  Next on the list with around 19-million international overnight visitors were Paris and London respectively.  With 13.6-million visitors, New York City was the only United States destination to make the top ten, ranking seventh.  Tokyo (12.93-visitors) was ninth on the list. Many years ago when I was a fledgling airman in the world’s greatest Air Force I had the privilege of serving with grizzled veterans who had been stationed in Southeast Asia during the long and drawn-out Vietnam War.  Almost invariably they spoke about the camaraderie and esprit de corps they shared with their brothers-in-arms.  Though they bemoaned having arrived as boys and forever losing their youth during the ravages of war, they lit up when talking about  Thailand with its exotic aura, welcoming lifestyle and (maybe especially) women they found mesmirizing.  They regaled me with tales of nightlife in Bangkok where they lost themselves momentarily in revelry. During my Air Force career (especially as a single man) my “dream sheet” (what…