I'm going to make myself sick, aren't I? (Thai food overload!)

[Michael_in_TX]

They feed us breakfast and lunch at the conference, but I am on my own for dinner.....so here we go!

Pepper Steak!



The photo does not do it justice. There is a (what I believe to be) a sirloin steak under there (you can just see it peaking out on the right) topped with delicious stir-fried vegetables: green and red bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms, a few carrots, onions, and cilantro. The sauce is a deeply umami pepper-garlic sauce, amped up by my ordering it spicy-level hot.

I have got to cook more stir-fries at home. This stuff is just delicious.

[STEbbq]

I am happily wrong! Hahaha

[jfmorris]

Mmmm. I think my wife would gobble this up! Stir fry veggies and steak coming soon!

[Tecumseh]

Moo kratiem.. stir fry with pork and fried garlic or Nua pad naman hoi, beef with oyster sauce..My go to in any good Thai restaurant.

[Attjack]

I've never had pepper beef in a restaurant but I've made it and it was great. I'm not big on green bell peppers though so I put my own spin on it.

[Mosca]

Green bell peppers are very distinctive, but red, yellow, and orange can more than cover them!

[Attjack]

Mosca I tossed in some jalapenos too.

[STEbbq]

How long are you in town for Michael?

[Michael_in_TX]

Fly out Friday. I should be able to get at least two more dishes in.

[ecowper]

I LOVE Thai Basil chicken. If it is good, I will go back over and over and over until I can no longer stand to eat there.

[Michael_in_TX]

Oh yes, That Basil Chicken is happening at least once more.

[Attjack]

@Michael_in_TX It's interesting that a Thai place is doing Pepper Steak because it's a Chinese dish. Did they make it taste like Thai food at all?

[Michael_in_TX]

There was a significant (and tasty) fish sauce component to it. I did order this off the "chef's specialties" portion of the menu, which does venture a little bit out of strict Thai stuff.

[Attjack]

Fish sauce makes everything better.

[Steve R.]

I've been following this thread for a couple of days and had to go and get Thai food for dinner tonight. Couldn't let a Pit brother go through this alone.

[Michael_in_TX]

YES! That carrot is so cute....

[Michael_in_TX]

I just noticed....the rice is in the shape of a heart! And it is embossed even! That is VERY cool!

[HawkerXP]

I used to travel to Thai Land for work in the 90's. Like in India, I hit the buffet tables. Don't ask me what the name of what I was eating. But man! I ate some goood stuff. Scalp starts sweating, nose starts running......ooooo baby. Just give me a cold Singha or Tiger and I'm back in line.

[Attjack]

I recently ate at a Laotian food cart located at a new food cart pod near me. That's about as close as I can claim not counting some Rangoon from the Thai food cart a block away from my house. The Lao dish I had was good and I can't wait to make it myself.

[Michael_in_TX]

And tonight's entry. I was thinking of doing curry, but after a long day of very technical sessions, I wanted my standby...

Drunken Chicken Fried Rice.



Really good balance of meat and vegetables. And the oil + basil + spices is just divine. I good look at the spices (didn't think to take photo of that, unfortunately). They are clearly a blend of different chiles and really add flavor in addition to heat.

Also, the Thai restaurant near my house doesn't use green beans in their dishes (or at least the dishes I typically order) and this place does and I've really enjoyed it. They are perfectly cooked; not hard and not mushy....and they take on some lovely char of the stir fry.

You know..... I wonder if I enjoyed this dish. I'll let you decide.



I've got one more time at this place, so we'll see what I get.

(Oh, and for those unfamiliar with the "drunken" moniker, it means that the dish is spicy enough that only an inebriated person could handle it.)

[bbqLuv]

It is good to eat Thai--just don't tie one on.

[Bkhuna]

I made the mistake of telling a little old lady at a street stall in Pattaya Beach that I wanted "Thai Hot". Dumb mistake.

[hoovarmin]

I'd like to see that on video 😂

[Bkhuna]

hoovarmin My wife said my lips were purple.

[Michael_in_TX]

And here is lunch.

Drunken Chicken Noodles



I was feeling a bit riced-out today, so I wanted something lighter. This dish is basically the same as the basil chicken dish I had on Monday, just over flat rice noodles, and with the addition of (lots) of bean sprouts. Thai hot spice level, of course.

The noodles were perfect and exactly what I was looking for....they are very light.

Something that is weird about all of this is that in some sense this is the healthiest I've eaten at a conference in a long time (multiple fried rice dishes, not withstanding). Usually we're doing fast food or something like that....but this Thai place loads up on the vegetables.

[STEbbq]

That looks perfect and is my go-to order as well. Though I may do the fried rice version next time because yours looked so good.

[STEbbq]

No Thai coffees?

[Michael_in_TX]

STEbbq They are good, but I'm not overly into sweet drinks.

[Michael_in_TX]

And now, the grande finale.

As I walked over to the place, I decided I wanted to order something whose name was entirely in Thai. That seemed a fitting way to end this adventure.

So what did I get? I give you Pra Rad Prik!



It is swia (also known as basa) fish lightly fried, served on a bed of large-cut cabbage, along with carrots and brocolli, and topped with an elegant, exquisite coconut-chile sauce.

My friends, I have no words. I simply have no words. This is easily among the top ten things I have ever eaten in my life. It was that good.

I've never had swia/basa before, but it is a firm, moist whitefish. Reminds me a little of Chilean sea bass. But the sauce....absolutely unreal. It is coconut based and there certainly are chiles in there, but I think there was a significant amount of tamarind paste along with turmeric as well.

So, so ridiculously good.

Here's a closeup of the sauce and fish.



And when I got to this point, there was much lamentations! My last two bites! How I want it so, but for it also not to end! If only those two things could be simultaneously true!



Wow, what a dish to end on.

Let's just say after the past few days, I am quite full. Thank you for following along.

And I guess, as I was traveling on State business, I should thank the taxpayers of the State of Texas for making this thread possible. I am in your debt.

[hoovarmin]

STEbbq you won't have any trouble finding Swai. It's a farm raised fish like Tilapia and it's available everywhere.

[STEbbq]

hoovarmin online recipes suggest any nice white fish too so that is good!

[hoovarmin]

STEbbq I would choose many white fish over Swai

[Michael_in_TX]

Oh yeah, I guess that would help. This is all from Zen Thai Cafe in Phoenix, Arizona. It is right in the middle of downtown, just a few blocks from the convention center and (joyously) right outside The Renaissance, where I am staying.

Here is a little bit about them: https://dtphx.org/2023/04/24/dtphx-i...g-to-thriving/