Thai Spoon
3808 Guess Road, Durham Thai China Buffet
4900 N.C. Highway 55, Durham
(919) 361-8881

In a few decades of experience, the suggestion of local Thai food hasn’t often elicited unfiltered enthusiasm. When someone among a group of friends has suggested it for dinner, the responses have tended to be affirmative but not terribly excited.

It’s not that Thai food is boring or badto the contrary, even. And we have many good options in Durham (Bangkok 54, Twisted Noodle, and Thai Cafe) and Raleigh (Thaiphoon, in spite of the bad pun, is solid). Anecdotally, though, it seems that people choose their regular spot based on geographic convenience, not gastronomic preference. They all run together.

Or so I thought. In recent weeks, I’ve discovered two Thai restaurants in Durhamone only two months old, another so old I feel like I need to turn in my Northern Durham High School yearbook in shamethat distinguish themselves in several ways. They both serve unusually memorable versions of the standards, your curries and your pad Thais, and traditional dishes you rarely see in these Southern parts. And they offer their own creations, too, showcasing surprisingly creative kitchens.

Thai Spoon opened on Valentine’s Day in Cross Creek Shopping Center, high in the reaches of North Durham. Head chef Phattharasaphon Lynch, a former employee at the standby Thai Cafe, succeeds with a menu of intriguing choices for diners who want to move beyond basic curries and noodles.

That said, Thai Spoon also handles the classics beautifully. The steamed chicken dumplings (also available fried) are worth the drive alone. The wrap is light and springy, while the basil-flavored chicken inside leaves a satisfying heat that lingers after you’re finished. Tiny bits of carrots add a pleasant, unexpected crunch.

Among the entrées, the crispy-tender Basil Duck and the beautiful spicy larb salmon stand out. Resting on a bed of Romaine and radishes, the grilled salmon filet lurks beneath a thatch of thinly sliced red onions, made especially bright by a lime-based marinade. Those onions nestle among a generous toss of chopped spring onions. Somehow, all those onions don’t overpower the dish. Rather, they play on the same team as the chili spices to create that satisfying burn.

Here’s a tip I learned during several visits: If you can take it, order everything medium hot. This is the rare restaurant that gives you “hot” when you ask for it, and the “medium” designation helps maintain the harmony of flavors.

In the end, that may be what puts Thai Spoon above its peers: Whether you’re trying a familiar massaman, panang, green, or yellow curry, pad Thai, or one of the restaurant’s own creations, such as the delicious spicy fried rice tom yum seafood, the bright, familiar flavors blend in a way that makes you feel like you’re rediscovering the pleasure of Thai cuisine. It’s so good, you may start to get adventurous about following the menu’s Thai detoursgo with that instinct.

[page]

Thai Spoon has a few characteristics in common with Thai China Buffet, in South Durham’s Parkwest Shopping Center for nearly a decade. Both restaurants are entirely family ventures. Neither lists pork on the menu with entrées, but it’s available if you ask. (Aoy Wajamathura of Thai Spoon laughed, with a bit of embarrassment, when I asked her why; she says she simply forgot.) Both offer vegan options by excluding fish sauces, with no ruinous effect. And neither serves alcohol, although Thai Spoon is supposedly working on that.

Spirits wouldn’t make much sense at Thai China Buffet, anyway; at night, the small dining room is brightly lit, a telling sign that most of its dinner business goes to take-out. Go, instead, at lunch, between eleven a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, which South Durham residents and RTP employees already seem to do in droves. Walk in between noon and one p.m. on any day of the week, and good luck getting a seat.

People are here for good reason: the steam table is refilled often and in small batches. Half of the buffet is standard fare you could find at the Chinese buffet across the street, but Thai China’s orange chicken and fried pork are just that much better. There’s a lot of turnover with the standard dishes, so that one disappears as another appears, creating a fun lunchtime guessing game.

Though helmed by Laotian immigrants Van South and Van Bouatay, the main attraction is the Thai food, including the most popular dish, the basil chicken. It’s simple, really, with ground chicken stir-fried among basil and spices. It’s good enough to pass as comfort food, if your idea of comfort is a warmth radiating thorough your chest. (Again, order medium-hot for best effect).

Other standouts include the Pla Lad Prik, a fried (but not battered) whole tilapia with a generous portion of a spicy, smoky brown sauce. It’s big enough to share, if you’re into that kind of generosity. The Pinky in a Blanket stuffs marinated shrimp in a deep-fried roll, with a sticky sweet sauce for dipping.

I also love the buttered mussels topped with cheddar cheese, accompanied by a sweet, red hot sauce. It looks so wrong and tastes so good. It is the one dish on the menu that makes me wish Thai China had a license to sell beer; this is the best new bar food I’ve had in a while.

The savory touch of Laos and the creativity that the chefs at Thai China Buffet bring to their food make me want to try everything they’ve got. Eventually, I will. The same also goes for Thai Spoon, the other Durham restaurant that’s turned my once blasé suggestion of Thai food into a zealous declaration.

This article appeared in print with the headline “Fit to Be Thai’d”