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2 people, 1 restaurant, 25 bucks
Meals for people with big appetites and small wallets
Meals for people with big appetites and small wallets
Sometimes you just feel things click. Liz and I discovered several shared interests — hiking being the main one — when we met last fall, so we decided to go out to lunch to learn a bit more. It took this long to get our schedules aligned, but we finally met up for the second time (after a year of exchanging occasional e-mails) to dine at Thai Taste, a small restaurant tucked among other businesses in Mount Hope Plaza.
The mood
Basic and dated, but in a comfortable way, with wood paneling and traditional Asian art. The piped-in vintage lounge music seemed an odd choice, but was pleasant enough. Diners have their choice of booths or tables, all with a view of the fish tank.
The food
As soon as I walked in and saw the first entree on the specials board, I knew I was getting the Mango Shrimp ($7.25) — lightly breaded shrimp stir-fried with fresh mango and onions in a sweet-and-sour sauce, served with rice, soup and a fried spring roll. This dish was delicious, but, as frequently happens with my seafood choices, I would've preferred more shrimp. As it was, I cut them up and still had plenty of rice (two huge mounds took up half my plate) and onions left over. (If I'd been thinking, I would've brought the rest home and added some other ingredients for another meal.) I savored the thick broth of the Vegetable Noodle house soup, which came with crunchy bits of fresh carrots and scallions.
Liz ordered the Eggplant Delight ($7.25) — lightly breaded eggplant stir-fried with onions and bell peppers. (Her meal also came with two huge mounds of rice and a spring roll.) As a peskatarian (a person who doesn't eat meat but does eat fish), she has eggplant often and, while appreciating its lightly firm texture and thick chunks of peppers and onions, found it a tad too bland for her taste.
Also on the menu: appetizers, fish, house specialties such as Poh Heang (a seafood claypot), and curry, stir-fried and noodle dishes. Homemade desserts, all made with rice, are $3.
The drinks
Sticking with a theme, I drank mango juice ($1.95). Free tea is served when you sit down. Beer (including Tsingtao and other Asian labels) is $2.95 to $3.50, and wine starts at $3.25.
The damage: $21.27
Next time ... I'd go with one of my old standards: the Sesame Chicken ($7.25) — breaded chicken stir-fried in sesame sauce with carrots, baby corn and basil.
