Re: [CH] "Thai hot" confusion :-)
Dave Drum (dirty_dave@chillicooks.org)
Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:34:28 -0500
Jim Graham wrote:
> Is it my imagination, or have the words, "Thai hot" completely lost
> their meaning? It seems that, with one exception (and they're not
> consistent), "Thai hot" == "Thai *NOT*" (i.e., boring, bland, mild)
> at all but one of the local Thai places. The one exception (again,
> even they aren't consistent) gets it right about half of the time.
> When it's right, the food has about as many bits of fresh, chopped
> Thai pepper as a freckled kid has freckles (about 75% coverage,
> minimum), and just opening the to go container (I always bring the
> food home to eat) is enough...one whiff clears my sinuses (and, even
> though I haven't tested this, would no doubt would send non-chile-heads
> running/screaming).
Look to see who is running the "Thai" place. That will give you a
tip-off. Ask the waitron if the food is "Thai Hot" or "Round-eye Hot".
Many places started out as "authentic" Thai cuisine and got so much
pissing and moaning from Aunt Minnie and Bessie Do-As-Would-Be-Done-By
about the "too hot" (what is that, BTW) food burning their mouths that
they have dumbed down the spice levels to fit Joe Six-pack's palate.
FEH!!!
I am fortunate in having two excellent Thai places run by Thai people
who, when you order hot, give you hot. One place will ask, just to be
sure "Thai or Round-eye hot?". The other place doesn't bother - if
someone complains the waitron just says "You ordered it that way". And
the menu does have some warnings ... which hardly anyone pays any
attention to.
We have a third place, run by Burmese, where I had to train the folks
that I really, really, really meant it when I ordered a dish hot. It's
a longish story which I have told here before and won't repeat tonight.
There are a few other places which claim to be Thai - but, aren't and
their custom has fallen off in the past while.
A new place opened which I haven't had a chance to try - The Mekong
Cafe - which say they feature Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. If they are
up to Little Saigon standards they will be a treasure, indeed. Little
Saigon is run by Vietnamese - and the Thai cuisine is not as hot as
Magic Kitchen, Thai Kitchen or Taste of Thai. But, they will bring you
ground chile and all the Sriracha you care to put on your meal - if
you just ask.
I'd pass all those places sometimes for a decent Cantonese Restaurant.
We seem to have all manner of Hunan, Mandarin, Szechuan, etc. Chinese
restaurants ... but, no good old Cantonese places.
--
ENJOY!!!
--------
UNCLE DIRTY DAVE'S KITCHEN --
Home of Yaaaaa Hooooo Aaahhh!!! HOT SAUCE and Hardin Cider
Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of
principles. -- Ambrose Bierce