by Imogen V. Shahrazad
Ok, I’ll be honest. I’m a big-time wimp. I can’t handle even the most pathetic level of spice in my food. More than one waiter/waitress has derived great amusement from my request for a spice level or zero or one and a glass of milk to ease the inevitable burn. I swear this is relevant information in light of my relationship with the food at Thai Me Up, as I’ll explain in a moment.
Thai Me Up is an adorable twenty-seat restaurant on E. Carson St. Cheery orange walls and large plate-glass windows provide lots of light and make this a great place for a casual dinner with a few friends or an informal date. The servers are extremely polite and prompt, and you can plan on being out of the restaurant in under an hour if you’re in a hurry. Or you could, you know, hang out. In general, the atmosphere is almost suspiciously non-threatening.
As far as beverages go, Thai Me Up makes the best Thai iced tea I’ve ever had. The red tea is topped with a layer of sweetened milk that doesn’t get gooey or sticky on the bottom of the glass, which is a problem I’ve encountered at other restaurants. Admittedly, it’s so sweet that I find it hard to finish sometimes, but I can almost always convince a friend to finish it for me.
As an appetizer, my dining partner Chaynes and I always split an order of spring rolls. Each order comes with two fried rolls with an assortment of shredded vegetables inside. The sweet dipping sauce makes a perfect accompaniment. Also, they are small enough that they won’t ruin your appetite before your entrée arrives.
Finally, my choice for Best Entrée of ALL TIME is the pineapple curry. Remember how I said spicy food is not my thing? This dish is so delicious that I don’t mind the dripping nose and the tingle of dissolving taste buds that I experience as a result of eating curry. The meal is served as a small mound of white rice in a little bowl and a larger bowl of the curry itself. The curry sauce is a beautiful creamy orange mix of coconut milk and red curry filled with a mix of sliced carrots, pineapple chunks, and in my case, fried tofu. (Others may choose to add meat instead.) This is the kind of dish that proves simplicity works.
In short, Thai Me Up is fun, tasty, has a delightfully naughty name, and definitely worth repeat trips.
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