Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Tarathai Restaurant

It is hard to explain why, over the past year, Fayette County has seen half a dozen or more thai restaurants open their doors to diners here. Perhaps it will be "the more, the merrier," because area residents do seem to love this spicy cuisine.

Tarathai is one of the newest of these, opening its doors March 1 in the Banks Crossing shopping center, next to Steinmart. Nathapol Phimsoutham, the owner, works each day with his brother, one of the chefs, and other family members, who serve guests in the restaurant. Together they offer original and authentic fine Thai cuisine in an elegant, romantic atmosphere.

The two chefs, Sanitra Jendong and Nopniran Jendong, have more than 10 years experience preparing Thai cuisine. Nopniran began cooking at the age of 10, learning from his grandfather family recipes which have been handed down for generations. Each dish prepared by these chefs is served with a different sauce and has a distinct unique flavor. Their goal: to bring you the finest Thai food in Fayette County and their family tradition of unparalleled hospitality.

The owners of this new restaurant offer the following information as a guide for enjoying authentic Thai cuisine:

"Thai food is eaten with a fork and spoon. Even single dish meals such as fried rice with pork, or steamed rice topped with roasted chicken, are served in bite-sized slices or chunks, obviating the need for a knife. The spoon is used to convey food to the mouth.

Ideally, eating Thai food is a communal affair involving two or more people, principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the number of dishes ordered. Generally speaking, two diners order three dishes in addition to their own individual plates of steamed rice. Three diners order four dishes, and so on. Diners choose whatever they require from shared dishes and generally add it to their own rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with rice and other dishes, not independently.

Tara Thai's spicy dishes are balanced by bland dishes to avoid discomfort. The ideal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, sweet and sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to the eye, nose and palate.

A typical meal might include a clear soup (perhaps a clear lighted lemon grass broth, with a touch of ginger, cilantro, mushroom with shrimp), our famous Tara Three Flavors dish (the finest catch of our daily fresh whole fish, lightly deep fried), a spicy salad (beef slices on a bed of lettuce, onions, chilies, mint and lemon juice, and a variety of sauces into which the food is dipped.

The meal is completed by sweet desserts such as coconut ice cream or crispy fried banana and fried ice cream."

Tarathai is open Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m to 10 p.m. and from 11:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Meals typically range in price from $8 to $17.

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