2017 Taste of Lakewood Blogger Visits Thai Thai

Journalist-turned-PR-professional Robin Suttell is back as the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce's 2017 Taste of Lakewood Blogger. Suttell is writing about her visits to restaurants that are participating in the 14th Annual Taste of Lakewood on June 11th, the community’s largest food event that highlights the city’s eclectic mix of award-winning restaurants and food purveyors.

Suttell, a Lakewood resident for nearly 22 years and experienced journalist, combines her professional experience with her love of food and all things Lakewood in this role. “Throughout the coming weeks, I’ll be helping the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce guide you through the city’s diverse, dynamic and ever-growing food scene,” Suttell said. “During this time, we hope to make you hungry enough to not only visit these establishments but also come to the Taste of Lakewood on June 11th at Madison Park for a great day of food, craft beer, music, and fun.” The first stop on the 2017 Taste of Lakewood food tour: Thai Thai.

The Taste Food Tour: Thai Thai

I’m a soup gal. Since I was a kid, I’ve been known to eat it for lunch, dinner and even breakfast (my grandma told me it was ok and would heat up some for me in the mornings when I visited).
I could eat soup every day. Sometimes I do. I kid you not. Nothing satisfies like a steaming hot bowl of soup on a tough day, a cold day, a rainy one or even a good one.

I also love Asian food, particularly the flavorful kick that comes with Thai cooking. That’s why, when I saw a picture of Thai Thai's Street Noodle Soup on Instagram a year ago, I knew I needed to dive into that giant bowl of goodness. A rich broth filled with rice noodles, bean sprouts, cilantro and choice of protein – beef, chicken or tofu.

Thanks to my friend Karen Lee, who felt on a not-too-distant cold, rainy day that we needed soup for a planned lunch date, I got my chance. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve been hooked from Day 1.
Family-owned and run Thai Thai, 13735 Madison Ave., opened at in March 2016 and has been serving some of the Suttell family’s favorite Bangkok street food ever since.

General Manager Siriphan Wongpeng, better known as Kiwi, manages the operations, while her mother cooks all the deliciousness using the family’s favorite recipes they brought with them from Bangkok, Thailand. She also manages the restaurant’s mouth-watering Instagram account and Facebook page.

Every time I go to Thai Thai, I tell myself I am going to try something different like:

• Larb – North Eastern-style minced chicken salad with chili, roasted rice powder, red onion, lime, lemongrass and cilantro – one of Evan’s favorites
• Pad Ke Mao – Fresh rice noodles with vegetables, chili, basil and choice of protein. According to the menu, the dish is said to cure hangovers
• Kra Praow – A spicy, “most popular street dish” featuring a choice of protein with basil, fresh chili and garlic, served with jasmine rice and a fried egg.

But they also have traditional Pad Thai and Red, Green and Massaman curries. Such decisions!
On our most recent visit, Scott had the Kra Praow and raved about it. It looked terrific. I, however, only partially got out of my rut and tried the Street Noodle Soup with beef instead of my usual tofu (some of the best tofu I’ve ever had). Be sure to drizzle on either Thai Thai’s house-made hot sauce (a little goes a long way) or some sriracha on the soup. Gives it all a little zing.

I asked Kiwi which recipe is her favorite. She says it’s the Roasted Duck Noodle Soup (are you sensing a theme here?). Besides duck in a savory broth, it has bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, Chinese broccoli and roasted garlic. Even the menu notes, “Very Good!!!”

Don’t forget to try Thai Thai’s appetizers. If I ever break away from a meal of soup and try an actual plated entrée, I want to get one of the other soups in the Starter menu – Tom Yum (a spicy-sour soup with lemongrass, mushrooms, chili, cilantro and choice of shrimp or tofu) or Tom Kha (a mild coconut milk soup with a touch of chili, galangal, lemongrass and a choice of chicken and tofu).

But, seeing that I wanted still more of that addictive Street Noodle Soup, we went with the Fried Meat Balls on a Stick, served with a sweet-and-spicy sauce, and the Thai Egg Rolls stuffed with veggies and minced pork. I’m ready to go back for more. And, I know we will.

Stay connected with the Taste of Lakewood through Suttell’s blog on tasteoflakewood.com and by following the event on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.