Saturday, February 5, 2011

Siam Orchid - Prague

I can't believe -- and I am a little abashed -- that I haven't blogged Siam Orchid before . . . it's our favorite Thai, and indeed, if pressed, our favorite restaurant at all in prague.

The tom yum kai and tom kar kai are non pareil in prague, and heavy-weight contenders anywhere else . . . with magical curative powers to heal the lame, make strong the weak, give sight to the blind.

The curries are uniformly excellent, panaeng, green, red, yellow.

The pad thai is perfect (unless, like us, one wants a little more spice, which they WILL provide if you have the sense to ask) -- all the noodle dishes are well done.

This time, going for something different, I tried kai phad khi mao, rated 3 chilis . . . I could feel my face flush and had a violent sneezing fit half way thru, but really it's no where near unbearably hot . . .
The Pad Thai is so reliable, as long as you ask for some spice to be added.

but this tom yam kai  . . . words just cannot convey the extremes inherent . . . pieces of ginger root as big as potatoes; pieces of lemon grass as big as pencil; whole lime leafs, pieces of little red thai pepper as big as the end of your pinkie . . . of course you have to pick those out, you can't eat those . . . but if that's what's bugging you, you don't know what youre about . . . the delicious left in the bowl from such infusions is almost hallucinatory.

It bears repeating:
we're always on the lookout for a new Thai Place, wherever we go . . . we don't expect any to be better than the Thai Orchid, but we're open minded . . .

Just for the record, as of today . . . the Prague Rankings are as follows . . .
1) Siam Orchid -- in the final analysis, no other choice
2) Lemon Leaf -- almost, not quite, as good, and a wonderful ambience and great staff & service
3) Orange Moon - chain, but bona fide. . .
also ran-s)

  • Modry Nub (Blue Tooth) - inconsistent and quirky
  • Noi - limited appeal
  • Sawadee - good, but not great
  • Noodle Shop - expensive and not great
  • Thai Oishi - good, but not great, too

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