Photos by Windsor Smith
Grade: B
Thai Hut, a modestly sized bistro on the corner of Second Street and McDowell Road, cooks up a variety of balanced, yet hearty entrees for a reasonable price.
A sign posted on the front door directs guests to a less than homely side entrance. Inside, a boiled noodle-like smell hung in the brightly lit restaurant. It was unmistakable. Ramen.
But unlike college dorm rooms at lunch time, the smell was accompanied by an appropriate atmosphere. There are a few large paper fans with varied oriental graphics on Thai Hut’s north wall. Lighting fixtures are immediately identifiable as Asian. There are eastern-style painting depictions of 16th century sailing ships above the bar. The brown tile floor didn’t seem authentic, but the sum of the parts added to the eastern dining experience.
A hostess met us at the entrance to the bistro’s main dining room. We were seated at one of the many booths along the main dining room’s north wall. Large windows provide an unremarkable view of McDowell Road. CNN was featured on a moderately sized flat screen television surreptitiously placed above the bar.
Thai Hut’s menu is almost too large. The sheer number of choices makes the effort required to make a selection reminiscent of riding a bike with nearly flat tires. A solid number of appetizers, salads and desserts accompany an equally impressive selection of curry, noodle and rice plates. Most meals come with pork, chicken or tofu. Beef or shrimp can be added for a $1 or $2 charge, respectively. Some meals are marked with one, two or three chili peppers to indicate spiciness.
Add $9.95 to the tab for the Spicy Thai Rice, marked with two chili peppers. The meal was more than enough for one sitting. The chili peppers on the menu were spurious and the meal lacked spice. Regardless, the rice was well textured and flavorful. The tofu’s freshness was doubtful but complemented the rice well, despite being dry. A handful of fresh, decoratively sliced cucumbers provide a stark contrast of flavor.
The Pad Thai is a sweet combination of noodles and shrimp. The shrimp were cooked and served with their inedible tails still attached. Spending the time to remove the tails from the shrimp periodically interrupted the dish, and seemed barely worth it: The shrimp had a dry, almost grainy texture. The noodles, in contrast, were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The whole plate, thick, brown, sweet sauce and all, added another $9.95 to the bill.
Thai Hut’s spring rolls were everything a spring roll should be. Though they tasted much like a generic Panda Express or P.F. Chang’s spring roll, the texture set them apart from the rest. A crisp, flaky shell contained a remarkably smooth combination of veggies. For $4.95, the spring rolls came with a traditional sweet dipping sauce.
A long shot from traditional coffee, Thai Hut’s iced Thai coffee was ridiculously sweet. It was separated, with the coffee on the bottom and cream on top. This was welcome, as it was possible to sip the coffee off the bottom with a straw, then balance out blaring sweetness with a sip of dairy. Despite my best efforts, I could not manage to finish the rich drink. The cup was large, providing the same amount of coffee as Starbucks might charge $7.50 for. Though the charge for the coffee was $2.50, it failed to find its way onto our bill.
At the conclusion of the dining experience, we had to ask for the bill despite the restaurant being far from busy.
Thai Hut is well worth the money. The flavor may not be the most memorable but the atmosphere is pleasant, the food is full of flavor — though apparently not spice — and the waiting staff was friendly and anticipated our needs, despite the bill hitch. Thai Hut is appropriate for a casual lunch or dinner.
Contact the critic at cameron.robello@asu.edu
