Restaurant Review (from September 25, 2008): Coconut Milk, Lemon Grass, Curry and Everything Nice at Thai House Express

By Sow Kobayashi

What’s not to like about pineapple, ginger, lemon grass, coconut and basil? These common ingredients in Thai cooking are so delicious by themselves that it seems a mistake to mix them with other ingredients. However, the Thais have figured out how to combine them in measured proportions that results in the most aromatic and luscious of flavors. Certain areas of Bangkok, densely lined with food stalls, are virtual amusement parks for the nose. The saliva-inducing fragrances of noodle soups and curries waft, linger and invite you in. Sitting down to eat at one of the stalls is invariably a treat.

If the memory of eating authentic Thai food is still fresh, it can be tough to go out for Thai food in the States. When you’re craving savory boat noodles and the closest you can find is Tom kha gai, well…. But, every once in a while, there are pleasant surprises. In Richmond, Va. there is a mom and pop dive restaurant that serves a noodle soup close to what you would find on the streets of Bangkok. In the not-so-glamorous area of Hollywood, one can find a few restaurants serving fantastic boat noodles. And in the Tenderloin, one can find Thai House Express.

Thai House Express on Larkin (there’s also a branch in the Castro with what I consider an inferior menu) carries many of the curries and soups found in most Thai restaurants. However, their menu extends beyond the standard fare with more than 100 dishes such as Pork Leg stew, Five Spices Duck noodle soup and sautéed salted fish. Within these less commonly known dishes lies the mojo of Thai House Express.

The Kao ka moo – “special pork leg stew” – is an example of how tender and juicy this “other” white meat can be when prepared dutifully. The pork off the bone is accompanied by pickled vegetables and a dipping fish sauce. The succulent pieces of pork just seem to melt in your mouth rendering the dipping sauce and pickles extraneous. Due to dishes like this, the more exotic cuts of pork such as leg and belly (the non-bacon form) are going mainstream. Pork belly BLTs are served up in Key West, Emeril has several pork belly recipes and every gourmet restaurant seems to have incorporated at least one pork belly dish into their menus.

Although the pork leg stew captured most of my attention, we also ordered a colorful yellow pumpkin curry. The savory blend of lime, coconut, turmeric, lemongrass, chili and pumpkin has to be one of the smoothest flavor profiles. This dish is offered at several Thai restaurants throughout the city and I order it almost every time despite my preference for discovering new dishes. This version of it was one of the more solid ones.

I don’t crave many things. Every once in a while I may crave something like peanut butter filled pretzels or black-sesame cream puffs. However, I crave Thai food frequently. About once a week I seem to smell curry, lemongrass or Thai basil even when there isn’t a Thai restaurant around for blocks. When this happens, Thai House Express is where I go for my fix. If Thai food also has this power over you, I’d suggest sating this urge with a visit to Thai House Express.

Thai House Express
901 Larkin Street (map)
Tenderloin
Dinner for two, food only, $25
4 out of 5 stars
www.thhexpress.com