Salad Rollin'

I have a sick obsession with Thai salad rolls. I think about them more then I probably should. Recently I discovered that, what used to be Sweet Basil Thai--now Oasisba, has delicious salad rolls for $2.25 during happy hour!!! This steal is beyond spectacular. Now from 5:00-6:30 daily I'm haunted by my salad rolls.

Oasisba is a little "different" then your average Thai joint. Not only because they offer Thai infusion, but because their servers are men dressed as women doing stand-up karoke throughout the evening. Yes, its exactly what you are picturing: drag queens taking your order, but before placing it, jumping up on tiny 5x6 foot stage to sing some show tunes, Celine Diane and even some Florence in the Machine.

This makes for a tiny bit of awkwardness when I have to get my salad roll fix by my lonesome, as I'm doing now. Those passing by doing a double take and for the life of me I can't figure out if it's because I'm sitting alone in a drag queen restaurant or if they are thinking what I am thinking, which is damn he's really hot for a girl??!

So now I'm sitting here jealous that his legs are much nicer then mine and that I'm a loner eating salad rolls in a drag restaurant as people judge me. Let me reassure you though. . . I'm perfectly content: salad rolls, Willamette Weekly in hand and watching you stare at me, as we both wonder if "you're thinking what I'm thinking."

Oh and if you're wondering about anything else besides the salad rolls . . . I'm not too impressed. Its average Thai food, but the major perk is their entertainment. My roommates love their House Special Curry, which is a yummy peanut sauce curry. Their happy hour menu is large, but practically everything else is fried. My advice is to go for a pre-dinner/gym/yoga /after Oprah snack.

It's True, I've Never Been to Pok Pok

You know those restaurants you can’t stop hearing good things about and you spend months thinking/planning a time to go, but it just doesn’t happen and then suddenly you’re the elephant in the room who hasn’t been? But by this time, you feel like you can’t even go, because everyone has hyped the place up so much that the food is supposedly better then sex and it’s just never going to be as good as anyone has made out to be and so you find yourself, a food blogger, avoiding a very, very good thing, for very, very bad reasons. Welcome to my Pok Pok situation.

Saturday night, my two fake sisters were in town and what a better occasion to do it up. We made reservations for 6 at 6, I wore my new strappy wedges that make me oh so tall and I anticipated my virginal Pok Pok meal for count em’ 3 days.

We left all decisions in the hands of our waiter (smart choice) and as each dish was brought out, he explained in detail the ingredients and how to eat each item. I was too excited though and I couldn’t take pictures, comprehend ingredients and eat all at once, so I sat dumbfounded for a moment or so and then just started grabbing food as fast as I could, because as it goes with family style—when its gone, it’s gone.

The food was exquisite, the flavors unique and bursting with spice. I started with a special cocktail, made with mango infused vodka and coconut milk; it was like a very mellow version of a piña colada straight up. The Khao Soi Kai, a delicious soup had a bone-in chicken leg and thigh in it, with the meat literally melting off the bone into the broth. Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings were as good as everyone describes them— spicy, garlicky and yet caramelized with a hint of sugar. The Kuung Op Wun Sen— gulf prawns cooked in their shell with pork belly, soy, ginger, whiskey . . . had too many ingredients to even doubt their prestige. Everything was like nothing I’d ever tasted.

The table favorite was the Muu Paa Kham Waan—boar collar meat smothered in garlic, coriander root and pepper, and then glazed with soy and sugar, grilled and served with a spicy chili-lime-garlic sauce. We paired the small slices of meat with sticky rice. They serve you mustard greens covered in crushed ice to chew on post spice.
 

We ended the meal with two desserts: the Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich—ice cream made with coconut and pieces of jackfruit (a mango/papaya tasting fruit) a top a sweet bread and drizzled with chocolate syrup and the Pok Pok Affagato—condensed milk ice cream drizzled with Vietnemese coffee and served with two homemade doughnuts.

Anticipation equaled about 3 days and some odd hours. The meal was prepared in about 40 minutes and it was consumed in about 10. Brilliant, delicious, can’t wait to go back, relax and enjoy it all again.

Can I Take the Plates Home with The Take Out? Cha'Ba Thai

I had been hearing rave reviews from some fellas who used to live on deep Sandy about a little hole in the wall Thai restaurant called Cha’Ba Thai. Well just a few weeks ago, Cha’ Ba opened their second location (good work!), taking over the old Vita Café spot on NE Alberta.

I was able to go before the Alberta crowds knew what was up. The food was excellent and their new set up is perfect for summer Thai nights in their large . . . side yard really. Our server was this sweet gentleman with the softest, most calming voice—I think he was trying to hypnotize us.

Cha’Ba is super cheap—four us ordered Pad Vegetable with Cashew, Red Curry, Pad See Ew and two orders of Fresh Rolls and it was $9.00 each!!! We were all perfectly full. The vegetables were cooked with the right amount of crisp and every dish was incredibly flavorful. I can’t wait to go back! Tuk Tuk has a new competitor . . .

Pad Vegetable with Cashew Nut and Chicken

 Fresh Rolls with Tofu

 

Red Curry with Tofu and broccoli 

Pad See Ew with Tofu

NEW Cha'Ba Thai
3024 NE Alberta

Take me on a Tuk Tuk: Tuk Tuk Thai

Salad Roll, $4 lunch, $4.95 dinner


A tuk tuk is a Thai taxi, which are seen all over the streets of Thailand.

Salad rolls: goodness wrapped in thin paper and then dipped in peanut puree. Salad rolls are a Thai staple that are often overlooked. These scrumptious rolls are a light way to start off a large Thai meal or perfect on their own for lunch. Practically every Thai restaurant around town offers them . . . but only Tuk Tuk knows how to roll these suckers like Cuban cigars. I have tried salad rolls all over town and with ever restaurant I am more and more disappointed. They’re either too small or wrapped too loosely, or they leave out key ingredients like the bean sprouts. The worst though, is when they don't give you peanut sauce!


Tuk Tuk’s rolls are tightly wrapped in thin rice paper and filled with lettuce, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, vermicelli noodles, cucumbers and a long slice of tofu. They are sizable and very filling. Their peanut sauce is among the best I’ve ever tasted. Its sweet and chunky—unlike the runny sauces some places serve.


The atmosphere in Tuk Tuk is vibrant, yet casual; especially in their new restaurant on Lombard. Plus, the owner is incredibly friendly and that hospitality is shown throughout the staff. They don’t have a website, so just go check it out!

4239 NE Fremont St N. Greely and Lombard