Thai This, You'll Like It

A blue and white Cape Cod style building may seem like an unlikely spot for a Thai restaurant, but that is exactly where you will find at the corner of Amber Lantern and Del Prado in Dana Point.

My husband, who likes to keep his food pretty simple and straightforward, was visibly concerned about going to a Thai restaurant, based on an unhappy experience with this cuisine back in the 80s. However, we mustered our courage and went in.

The interior is light and pretty with white and red linens, and bamboo chairs along with tropical trees painted on the walls. We were seated at a nice table for two and given a menu and a wine list. My husband noticed as we entered a sign that indicated that the restaurant had earned recognition from Wine Spectator for the quality of its wine list. We were impressed, as we looked it over. The list is extensive with many options by the glass and bottle. There are also some fun cocktail choices, including the Ruby Foo martini made with vodka and plum wine. We played it safe and each chose a glass of Chardonnay.

The dinner menu looks like a letter on the outside and is addressed to: “Bosses and Darlings.” Like the name of the restaurant, the inside of the menu is full of puns and plays on words. Along with the Thai translations of most of the dishes, the menu seems slightly overwhelming at first.

We started with the “Appethaizers.” There are 15 different choices ranging from noodles and tofu, to several types of shrimp, to spring rolls and ribs. We selected the chicken satay.

There are five different salads, under the heading of Cool Plate, some with meat and some not. Under Warm Broth are four different soups, including Wonton soup, hot and sour soup, a slow cooked beef and Doug’s favorite soup made with “famous Thai coconut milk” and chicken.

The rest of the menu is divided into pork dishes, beef dishes, chicken and duck entrees, and fish. There is also a section of noodle-based concoctions, and vegetarian choices. Many dishes have funny names, like Year of the Oink, Drunken Noodle, Clumsy Cluck, Quacking Up, and Pot Roast Day Dream and many of the descriptions of the dishes are followed by a comment like “Pow!” or “Zoom!” to emphasize how good they are. Many items can be prepared without wheat, and those are indicated on the menu.

After reviewing the whole thing, my husband chose Shrimpy, which is shrimp sautéed in fresh garlic, carrots, cilantro and white pepper, and served with rice. I selected the Yankee Noodle Dandee, a mix of straw noodles, chicken and shrimp, tomato, green onion, onion and egg.

Our chicken satay arrived with four skewers of chicken covered in spices and served with a small dish of peanut sauce and another dish of pickled cucumber. The presentation was nice with a pretty garnish of lettuce, carrot and orange slice. The chicken and both sauces were very tasty, and my husband seemed to be happier with my choice of restaurants.

While waiting for our dinner, we chatted with a couple eating nearby. They were both drinking glasses of Thai iced tea, which looked delicious. They said they eat at Thai This about once a week. They cautioned us that it was much busier on weekends, so they recommended coming mid-week.

By now, I was feeling very confident in my choice of restaurant. When our entrees arrived, my confidence was confirmed. The Shrimpy came with several large shrimp, lots of colorful lightly sautéed vegetables and a scoop of white rice. The broth was flavorful and my husband really enjoyed it. My noodles looked like thick spaghetti that was hollow in the middle. The dish was full of tender chicken and a few large shrimp and vegetables, including Romaine lettuce, in a light, slightly sweet tomato sauce. It was quite delicious and was also good the next day, straight out of the fridge.

Thai This is a delightful restaurant! The menu is interesting, the food is very good and the service is gracious and efficient. We will definitely be back.

Thai This is open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Take out is also available.

I give Thai This an enthusiastic 4 Patches out of 5.