Cuisine: Thai

Thai is one of my all-time favorite cuisines, evidenced by the fact that my past two birthday parties have been at Thai restaurants! Yet I didn't even try Thai food until my junior year of college, when my friend Diep introduced me to it in London. Since then, I've been hooked--I rarely pass up the opportunity to have Thai, which is why this list is so long! I started with Pad Thai as my favorite dish, then moved on to Thai curries, which are different than Indian curries, but just as tasty. Thai food is fresh, healthy, light, and a little bit spicy (though it doesn't have to be). The flavors of lemongrass, basil, coconut milk, cilantro, and chili peppers are tantalizing.

Interesting in Thai? Check out these restaurants:

Papaya Thai, Norwalk: http://www.papayathai.com/home.html

The food: Absolutely delicious and tasted very high-quality. I had the massaman curry (potato, pineapple, peanuts, and onion) because I wasn't in the mood for anything too spicy, and it was perfect. Kevin had a lunch box (Pad Thai, dumplings filled with spicy lime chicken, and salad). The Pad Thai didn't taste as peanut-y as ones I've had before, which was interesting. Both our meals also came with a sour vegetable soup. For dessert we had delicious mango and sticky rice, a classic.

The vibe: The atmosphere was tropical and relaxing. It almost felt like we were on vacation!

The value: The lunch special was a great deal, with all the entrees priced much less than on the dinner menu.

Go for: A date or happy hour after work


Hot Basil Thai Cafe, West Hartford: http://www.hotbasilcafe.com/

The food: Excellent, very fresh, and with quite large portions--I had to take some home. I had the yellow curry, one of my favorites. I also remember the Thai iced tea (spiced black tea) being very good as well.

The vibe: Dark and romantic. Fairly upscale.

The value: On the pricier side.

Go for: A date


East West Grille, West Hartford: http://www.eastwestgrille.com/

The food: Very tasty, and they have Laotian food in addition to Thai. I had either the yellow or green curry, it's a bit too far back to remember. They have a huge menu, so there's something for everyone, including several less "exotic" dishes if you're not familiar with Thai cuisine.

The vibe: The quirkiest Thai restaurant I've ever been in. It's in an old-fashioned diner, slightly incongruous with the food but super fun.

The value: Good, you won't necessarily go broke eating here. Going for lunch is much cheaper.

Go for: A birthday party! ;)


The Blue Elephant Trail, West Hartford: http://www.blueelephanttrail.com/

The food: Gourmet Thai, and everything tasted very fresh. Lots of interesting specials on their menu, including yums, duck, and frog legs!

The vibe: Very fancy and beautifully decorated.

The value: Pricy, but it's West Hartford Center, so that's to be expected.

Go for: A special occasion


Thai Room, West Hartford: thairoomct.com/

The food: Probably the most authentic and least "Americanized" on this list. Try one of their noodles or fried rice dishes.

The vibe: Definitely a "hole in the wall" kind of place. It's also near a neat Asian grocery store and an equally authentic Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Boston.

The value: Good, prices are better since it's not in the center.

Go for: A unique dining experience, if you're already a fan of Thai.


Sawadee Thai Cuisine, South Windsor: http://www.sawadeethaicuisine.com/index.html

The food: This was the first Thai restaurant I went to after returning to the States, and it did not disappoint! The Pad Thai was great, and they had fried ice cream, my favorite dessert (though I prefer the Mexican version).

The vibe: I remember it being nicely decorated, if not as new and cool as Hot Basil or Papaya Thai. We had a large party and they were very accomodating--we got a nice private section of the restaurant to ourselves.

The value: Very reasonably priced.

Go for: A birthday party

What Thai restaurants have you been to?