After moving back to the Spokane area, I was both delighted and shocked by the fact that Deer Park now has a Thai restaurant. I ate there for the first time in January and thought the food was good. I was not blown away by it as I was still mourning the loss of my favorite Thai place in Michigan. But, the food was always tasty enough to keep me going back. They have a peanut sauce that is insane and probably the best that I have ever had.
On Friday my husband and I found ourselves craving Thai food, but not wanting to fight the crowds and traffic, ended up at Thai Garden in Deer Park. I have a new found love for this little gem of a restaurant.
Thai Garden is celebrating their 1 year anniversary and in celebration of that are offering two specials that you can't normally get; Pork Siam and Chicken w/ Red Sauce, both dishes are slow cooked in a homemade sauce. Each come with a starter, either Tung Tong or a House Salad, as well as dessert, purple rice all for $14.99.
After some debating, we both opted for one of the specials. I chose the Chicken Red Sauce and my eating companion chose the Pork Siam. We both opted for the same appetizer, Tung Tong. I was giddy at the thought of eating food that is not normally made, but once a year.
I sampled the Pork Siam, much to my husband's chagrin, and found it to be absolutely divine. All pork shoulder should find a similar yet worthy demise. Our waitress, Lauren, was rather taken with this dish and after taking my first bite I knew why. The pork was so tender and flavorful. It had a pop of flavor that hit you right at the end. This dish was served with au jus and a special-top-secret citrus sauce that was instructed to be poured over the pork. The orange sauce was sweet, tangy and very complex. It married very well with the pork. I kept stealing little tastes of the sauce to try and put my finger on what I was tasting, but to no avail. The flavors melded together so well that I could not identify one particular nuance of the dish.
We both finished our plates clean, which is something I don't normally do. After eating both courses the dessert was a perfect finish. Initially I was not excited to try the purple rice. I hate rice pudding or anything remotely like it. Its a texture thing for me and not a taste thing. When our dessert was brought to us, it looked so pretty and purple with two little scoops of vanilla bean ice cream softly melting into it. I was a bit apprehensive to try it, but decided to just go for it. I was quite surprised by what I tasted. It was unlike any other dessert I’d ever had. It was the perfect harmony of sweetness and saltiness. The perfect bite, which was rice with the ice cream almost reminded me of the way a fruit crumble would taste. The rice was not overly sweet as I had anticipated and was just a little bowl full of deliciousness.
Thai Garden is a bright spot in a small town north of Spokane. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The food is beyond delicious. The inside of the restaurant is clean and well kept (don't let the dirty awning foold you). I went out of my Thai comfort zone and I'm so glad that I did. I feel like we saw a glimpse into another world without having to travel very far. I really enjoyed our meal because it was not your typical Americanized fare that you can eat everyday all day long in Spokane.
Thai Garden is located at:
7 North Main Street
Deer Park, WA 99006
509-276-7599
They offer take out, a great selection of beer as well as a 5 Spice Challenge for the brave. Thai Garden also offers all of your most loved dishes, such as Pad Thai, Panang Pork and many other noodle and curry dishes.
Eating what tastes good in the Inland Northwest
On Friday my husband and I found ourselves craving Thai food, but not wanting to fight the crowds and traffic, ended up at Thai Garden in Deer Park. I have a new found love for this little gem of a restaurant.
Thai Garden is celebrating their 1 year anniversary and in celebration of that are offering two specials that you can't normally get; Pork Siam and Chicken w/ Red Sauce, both dishes are slow cooked in a homemade sauce. Each come with a starter, either Tung Tong or a House Salad, as well as dessert, purple rice all for $14.99.
After some debating, we both opted for one of the specials. I chose the Chicken Red Sauce and my eating companion chose the Pork Siam. We both opted for the same appetizer, Tung Tong. I was giddy at the thought of eating food that is not normally made, but once a year.
The appetizer was both appealing and tasty. I’m a supporter of anything stuffed in a won ton wrapper and deep fried, so this was right up my alley. These were golden fried won tons filled with potato pillowy goodness that were accompanied by a homemade sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce was so good and unlike any other kind I’ve ever had. This sauce was a bright, neon yellow, that almost looked like melted butter, but had such a delicate flavor that was the perfect contrast of sweet and sour. It was not your typical cherry pie filling grape jelly variety that is so prevalent in Chinese restaurants.
After eating the starter I was eager for my chicken to make its debut. The chicken was so moist and tender and fell right off the bone with barely a touch of my fork. This dish tasted like history. It tasted authentic. It struck me as the kind of dish a Thai mother has been feeding her family for hundreds of years. It had a deep rich flavor with a somewhat fruity quality. It is by far the best food I have eaten in a long time and will stick in my food memory as a stand out. I can’t say enough good things about this dish. All weekend long I kept thinking about it and how I wanted more of it. I wish I had a vat of the red sauce in my refrigerator at all times. I need more Chicken Red Sauce in my life!
I sampled the Pork Siam, much to my husband's chagrin, and found it to be absolutely divine. All pork shoulder should find a similar yet worthy demise. Our waitress, Lauren, was rather taken with this dish and after taking my first bite I knew why. The pork was so tender and flavorful. It had a pop of flavor that hit you right at the end. This dish was served with au jus and a special-top-secret citrus sauce that was instructed to be poured over the pork. The orange sauce was sweet, tangy and very complex. It married very well with the pork. I kept stealing little tastes of the sauce to try and put my finger on what I was tasting, but to no avail. The flavors melded together so well that I could not identify one particular nuance of the dish.
We both finished our plates clean, which is something I don't normally do. After eating both courses the dessert was a perfect finish. Initially I was not excited to try the purple rice. I hate rice pudding or anything remotely like it. Its a texture thing for me and not a taste thing. When our dessert was brought to us, it looked so pretty and purple with two little scoops of vanilla bean ice cream softly melting into it. I was a bit apprehensive to try it, but decided to just go for it. I was quite surprised by what I tasted. It was unlike any other dessert I’d ever had. It was the perfect harmony of sweetness and saltiness. The perfect bite, which was rice with the ice cream almost reminded me of the way a fruit crumble would taste. The rice was not overly sweet as I had anticipated and was just a little bowl full of deliciousness.
Thai Garden is a bright spot in a small town north of Spokane. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The food is beyond delicious. The inside of the restaurant is clean and well kept (don't let the dirty awning foold you). I went out of my Thai comfort zone and I'm so glad that I did. I feel like we saw a glimpse into another world without having to travel very far. I really enjoyed our meal because it was not your typical Americanized fare that you can eat everyday all day long in Spokane.
Thai Garden is located at:
7 North Main Street
Deer Park, WA 99006
509-276-7599
They offer take out, a great selection of beer as well as a 5 Spice Challenge for the brave. Thai Garden also offers all of your most loved dishes, such as Pad Thai, Panang Pork and many other noodle and curry dishes.
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