The Thai Terraces Restaurant in Al-Sudiri St., the road that starts at the junction of Murahaba Supermarket on Sari St., is a warm, friendly, unpretentious little place. I say “little,” because space is limited and the tables are quite small; but this in no way means that visitors are cramped.
When I first visited the restaurant, I was surprised at the tastiness of the food. Some colleagues and I had gone there on one of our normal Friday evening jaunts and I had been impressed by the quality of the food. So when Bunbury complained of being “very hungry” I suggested a meal out. He told me he’d prefer eating at home. Because he wanted “large helpings” I told him to put on his shoes. He was in for a big surprise. He was indeed!
At first sight the restaurant has a rather unprepossessing look. Bunbury called it “loud” and I had to admit that the decor was rather gaudy and the place a little too well-lit. Everything, however, is spotless. Tables are cleared and cleaned immediately as patrons leave and are wiped down and washed after every meal. The men’s room is also immaculate.
The beverages served are the usual commercial range of soda and fruit juices, and Bunbury made his usual comment about there being “nothing to drink”. I asked our young waiter if there was anything “to drink” and he brought us a delightful iced tea while we waited for our meal to be prepared. There is also a tempting-looking fruit punch which I mean to try next time I eat there. Bunbury, a picky diner if ever there was one, was surprised at the pleasant taste. We took a deep breath and started choosing the food.
Service was friendly and efficient and this was lucky, because the menus at Thai Terraces need to be revamped and corrected. We discovered that the menu also offered a limited range of Chinese dishes, even though the restaurant specializes in Thai food. Bunbury refused to eat any of the Chinese food, so we ordered Thai.
This was not as easy as it sounds: many of the dishes are no longer served, and this created a bad feeling with Bunbury whose sensibilities were really put out by this omission.
We had to ask our waiter what really was on the menu. Then he had trouble pronouncing the names of the dishes, something which exasperated the dear Bunbury even further. However, we eventually agreed on what to order.
The range of food served is wide and caters to all tastes, so my yearning for seafood and Bunbury’s for chicken could adequately be met. He ordered the Tom Yung soup and I chose the Seafood Soup. To follow, Bun had ordered stir-fried chicken and I shrimp in spicy sauce.
When the food came my irascible friend started eating. Everything was really fresh and colorful and smelt really good. Gradually the look of displeasure and pain on Bunbury’s face was replaced with one of grumpy goodwill which changed by degrees to genuine delight. He even smacked his lips at one point and said: “This is good.” The evening was, I told myself with relief, not a complete catastrophe.
Imagine fresh vegetables delicately fried before being scooped into gently simmering seafood stock. Add freshly cut lemon grass and other secret herbs and a touch of spice to create a decoction of elegant and subtle bouquet yet full of crunchy vegetables and tasty seafood broth, and you have just imagined the seafood soup made by Thai Terraces restaurant. It was delicious, filling and eminently satisfying.
By the time I had eaten every morsel, I felt replete. I opened my eyes after the last soupcon only to find that my plate of shrimp with spicy sauce had arrived. I felt unable to eat, for a moment, but the feeling quickly passed when I looked at Bunbury. He’d already started on his chicken, which he would let me taste only at the threat of making him pay for the entire meal. It was tender, delicious and smelt good. My shrimp were better, perfect followers of the soup which had so beguiled me. All in all, it was an inspiring evening.
A word to the wise: Ask your waiter if the food is spicy; he knows and answers with total candor. There are a few vegetarian meals, but more could be done in future to make vegetarians feel better catered to. Food is neatly presented and there is a choice of plain rice, fried rice or fried rice with shrimp with every meal. If you like desserts, go elsewhere, as the choice is limited to fresh or canned fruit. Rather end off your meal with one of the amazing starters and allow the delectable smell of freshly-cooked food to beguile your time and aid your digestion. You could easily take a visitor to this restaurant.