Most of us can divide our friends into two camps: Those who can be trusted to tip us off to good eats, and those who can’t.
My friend Karyn belongs to the first camp. Ever since high school (when we attempted to finish the 2-pound if-you-can-eat-it-it’s-free pizza at Beau Jo’s), I’ve known that when it comes to food, if she likes it, then I like it.
A couple of months ago, Karyn began raving about US Thai Café, a tiny new restaurant in Edgewater. “Hands down,” she e-mailed, “the best Thai food I have had in Denver.”
I knew I had to get US Thai as soon as I could. So I went that weekend. And then I went again. And again. In fact, I’ve had a hard time staying away from US Thai this fall, even though it’s a drive and a half for me to get there.
I think it’s the green curry.
It’s among the best I’ve ever had.
Saying that a curry is the “best” is loaded. Like chile in Colorado, or barbecue in the barbecue belt, or chowder in New England, there is no definitive standard for curry. Every cook’s curry differs from every other cook’s – sometimes drastically, sometimes subtly. Cooks are as proud of their curries as their children. Aficionados are fierce in their loyalties.
And when you find a curry you like, you stick with it.
Me, I’m sticking with US Thai’s.
A little background: Most traditional Thai curries fall into one of two categories, green or red. Green curry (prik kaeng kio) is made from green chiles, garlic, cilantro leaves and a balanced collection of herbs and spices. Red curry (kaeng ped) is usually hotter, using a red chile base and incorporating cilantro stems into the mix for more astringency.
There are many other variations of Thai curries, including Penang curry (which is actually Malaysian in origin), yellow curry which is dustier in flavor and colored with cumin and turmeric, and mussaman (sometimes spelled masaman, or mussamun, or, as on the US Thai menu, masman), which is sweeter and milder and includes nonindigenous spices like cinnamon, clove and anise that were introduced into Thai cuisine by traders from India and Indonesia.
Several curries appear on US Thai’s menu, but the green curry stands above the rest. Smoky but smooth, soft but sharp, spicy but soothing, entirely irresistible.
Think of this curry as a Coldplay song: beautiful but unpredictable, elusive but cogent, full of twists and turns and unexpected switchbacks. Beat, melody, harmony. Another harmony. Seeming discord, satisfying resolution.
Each bite is another note, and it’s not until the bottom of the bowl that you understand just how the song made sense.
US Thai’s curries all come packed with vegetables – mushrooms, green beans, squash – and studded with your choice of chicken, beef, pork, seafood or tofu. My favorite in the green curry is beef, but I like shrimp in the pineapple curry. Go figure.
If you like it hot, order your curry hot. If you have bionic taste buds, order it “Thai hot,” which was exhilarating but too hot for me.
Me, I like it medium. Call me a wimp, but when dishes burn my tongue, I lose track of the subtleties. And the subtleties in a great curry simply aren’t to be missed.
Round out your meal with two other must-have US Thai dishes: the clean, zesty green papaya salad with dried shrimp and peanuts, and the soft, supple Thai steamed dumplings, carefully wrapped pork dumplings served with a tangy dipping sauce.
Other dishes to try at US Thai include the decadent, garlicky fried shrimp with chiles and vegetables and the meaty, tangy pik kai laoding, Thai-style chicken wings drenched in a spicy glaze. Tom yam soup, or sour lemongrass soup with seafood and vegetables, was rich and tangy, a perfect winter bowl. Ask for a few extra leaves of Thai basil for a licorice flavor twist.
I’m no fan of most pad Thais out there, but US Thai’s version surprised me. Far from the gummy mess of peanut-butter noodles you find at many Thai restaurants, this happy pile of noodles simply tossed with chiles and vegetables is light, accessible and fresh.
I wasn’t crazy for the drunken noodles, which were too soggy. And the pineapple fried rice needed a little more crunch for my taste.
Run by a skeleton crew in a bare-bones room, US Thai offers spare but efficient and remarkably friendly service. You’ll be greeted with a warm smile.
You’ll also be warned when you order that your dishes may take a few minutes, but that’s because each dish is prepared to order. There’s no vat of pad Thai sitting around waiting for the next order.
Call ahead to place a take-out order and arrive before it’s ready for pickup so you can park yourself outside the open kitchen and watch the chef assemble your meal on his impossibly small cooktop. It’s a way better show than Iron Chef ever was.
Thai food has become ubiquitous in Denver. No longer exotic or unusual, Thai restaurants and take-out joints are now a staple in every neighborhood. Our collective palate is now experienced enough to weed out the best from the rest.
US Thai is, without a doubt, one of the best. Thanks, Karyn. I knew I could count on you.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-954-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
US Thai Cafe
Thai
5228 W. 25th Ave., 303-233-3345
** 1/2 | Very Good/Great
Atmosphere: Tiny, bare-bones Thai restaurant with big windows looking out onto West 25th Avenue, which is one of the cutest streets in town.
Service: Friendly, efficient, honest and totally hospitable.
Wine: Nope. But the Thai iced tea is great.
Plates: Appetizers, $3.95-$5.95. Entrees, $7.50-$13.95.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Closed Monday.
Web: usthaicafe.com
Details: All major credit cards accepted. Reservations not necessary. Street parking. Great for families with kids. Takeout available.
Four visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very good
*: Good
No stars: Needs work
