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Thai One On

Locating the exquisite Taste in Matthews

Published 03.16.05

By Tricia=20 Childress

enlarge

=20

Radok

Thai Taste in Matthews

It's dinner time = at Thai=20 Taste in Matthews.=20

A young family walks in and has no problem ordering from the menu = after=20 situating their two squirmy children beside them. Next, a woman and her = son=20 arrive. The boy loudly proclaims his dismay that his mother embarrassed = him by=20 asking the server questions about the menu. His mother glances at him = above her=20 reading glasses and asks how she would learn if she did not ask = questions. Her=20 son quipped, "We shouldn't go anywhere strange again."=20

But at this point, Thai food is anything but strange. In fact, Pad = Thai is=20 joining the ranks of spaghetti as an ethnic food anyone would like. And = why not?=20 Pasta, the primary ingredient of Pad Thai, appeals to most everyone. The = other=20 aspects of Thai foods are the enticing and fragrant combinations of = kaffir lime=20 leaves, ginger, coriander, (holy) basil, lemongrass, mint, fresh lime, = coconut=20 milk, chilies and galanga. Galanga is a root, sometimes called Siamese = ginger,=20 which smells like pine needles and tastes like a mild ginger. Galanga is = the=20 Kha you see on Thai menus.

Ironically, this outreach of Thai cuisine into Matthews is by one of=20 Charlotte's ethnic cuisine pioneers. Owner Sak Kongruengkit opened the = first=20 Thai Taste on Monroe Road in 1988 and the folks in Matthews have been = waiting=20 for this shop to open. Would-be diners have been peeking into the = windows=20 beneath the "Opening Soon" banner for months.

Golf Kongruengkit, son of the owner and a graduate of UNC-Charlotte, = is the=20 General Manager of the Matthews location. He noted, "We were surprised = at how=20 many people came during our opening weeks. Some have been waiting for us = to=20 open, and some customers even remember our old space on Monroe Road."

Thai Taste's two dining rooms, separated by the center hostess = station, seat=20 a total of 74 and are soothingly warm with orange walls. Demure Asian = artifacts=20 and large commissioned paintings from a Bangkok artist further the = intimacy of=20 this small yet luminous and airy space. The walls of windows in both = pods allow=20 the diners to view a soon-to-open patio.

In the kitchen is Porntarn Kongcharoen, a native of Bangkok and = sister-in-law=20 to the owner. She came to Charlotte via LA where, according to her = nephew, she=20 learned the style of Thai that appeals to Californians. Kongcharoen = trained at=20 the East Boulevard Taste for three months to ensure the franchise's = consistency.

But as in all ethnic restaurants, there are differences. For example, = Mee=20 Krob at Thai Taste is quite different from the more pungent meaty mix = found at=20 some Thai restaurants. Here, the mix is a blend of crispy noodles, tofu = and=20 chicken in a sweetened fruity sauce. If you prefer the piquant Mee Krob, = as I=20 do, you'll find this appetizer too sweet.

However, the management's intent at Thai Taste is to please the = customer and=20 to develop a style that their American customer base wants and likes.=20 Kongruengkit stated, "If the dish is too dry or too sweet, we will = adjust it to=20 our customers' taste." He'll also then make that recipe for the dish a = standard=20 on the menu. He continued, "We use the same recipes as East Boulevard, = but we=20 have already noticed that our customers like foods hotter here in = Matthews."

But being hot is all relative. My server suggested, rather = emphatically, that=20 a five star Tom Yum soup would be "too hot for you." I finally talked = her into=20 allowing me to have four stars, although I'm not sure others diners = would be as=20 persistent. To season the dishes, Kongcharoen uses ground chile peppers. = Said=20 Kongruengkit, "If we were to use the fresh chilies, it would be too hot = for most=20 American tastes. On a five point scale, the fresh chile would be a 20. = But we do=20 have some customers who request the fresh peppers and our kitchen staff = makes=20 their meals with fresh peppers grown in Florida which are a little = bigger but=20 very similar to Thai chilies."

Not everything on the menu is hot and highly seasoned. The menu, with = lengthy=20 English descriptions, is filled with the usual suspects of Thai cuisine: = a=20 potent selection of curries, steamed pots, duck dishes, salads, soups, = stir fry=20 and noodle dishes. They're only missing a headliner or two, such as the = papaya=20 salad.

The starters are generous in portion. A half dozen steamed dumplings, = while=20 luscious, are suitably restrained. This kitchen's rendition of chicken = and=20 shrimp Pad Thai turned out to have melded, rather than distinct flavors. = The=20 best was the wonderfully aromatic crispy duck panang curry, a real = stunner, made=20 in exact compliance with my heat specifications. Panang, a treat from = northern=20 Thailand, is not a fiery curry meant to burn off all the sensory = preceptors of=20 the tongue. So you can eat this curry and drink wine, too. Kongruengkit = noted=20 that he's looking to implement a better wine program at this location = since the=20 folks in Matthews "really like wine."

It's not difficult to eat inexpensively at Thai Taste, since dishes = are=20 served family style and portions are large. Service is exceptional, but = you will=20 have to let your server know exactly how "authentic" you want your = dishes=20 prepared.

I marvel at the chutzpah and talent restaurateurs need to prosper. It = seems=20 as if anyone who ever waited on tables or stir fried Pud Puk wants to = open a=20 restaurant. Many Thai restaurants have opened, some have closed. Many of = these=20 owners were former Thai Taste employees. For the Kongruengkit family, = this is=20 their sixth restaurant opening, and with one restaurant that has been = open for=20 17 years, they obviously know what Charlotteans want.=20

Have a restaurant tip, compliment, complaint? Do you know of a = restaurant=20 that has opened, closed, or should be reviewed? Does your restaurant or = shop=20 have news, menu changes, new additions to staff or building, upcoming = cuisine or=20 wine events? Note: We need events at least 12 days in advance. Fax = information=20 to Eaters' Digest: 704-944-3605, or leave voice mail: 704-522-8334, ext. = 136. To=20 contact Tricia via email: tricia.childress@cre= ativeloafing.com.

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