So, the other day, I finally got around to checking out this place, Sweet Rice Thai Cuisine. Been hearing a bit about it, mostly whispers, nothing too loud, which sometimes is a good sign, you know? Less hype, more substance, or so I hoped. I was in the mood for something different, something with a bit of a kick, and Thai food usually hits the spot.
First Look: The Menu and The Vibe
Walked in, and the place was pretty unassuming. Not fancy, which I appreciate. I’m there for the food, not to stare at gold-plated chopsticks. Grabbed a menu, and it was pretty standard Thai fare, but with a few things that made me pause. You know how some menus just list dishes? This one had little descriptions that actually sounded like someone who enjoys food wrote them. Not just “chicken with basil.”
I spent a good ten minutes just flipping through. My stomach was already rumbling. A few things caught my eye immediately:
- The curries, obviously. Green, red, Panang… the usual suspects, but they mentioned something about “house-made curry paste.” That’s a green flag for me.
- A section dedicated to “Sweet Rice Specials.” Now, this got me thinking. Was it all about dessert? Or were there savory dishes with sweet rice? Intriguing.
- The noodle dishes. Pad See Ew is my go-to comfort food, so I was definitely eyeing that up.
Getting Down to Business: What I Ordered
Ended up going with a classic Tom Yum soup to start – gotta test the fundamentals, right? And for the main, I caved and got the Green Curry with chicken. My dining companion, let’s call him “Bob” (he hates when I use his real name in these things), went for the Pad Thai. We also decided to try their namesake, a small order of their sweet sticky rice with mango, because how could you not at a place called “Sweet Rice”?
The Tom Yum arrived, and boy, it had that beautiful lemongrass and galangal aroma. Tangy, spicy, just the right amount of sour. Cleared my sinuses right up. So far, so good. Then the mains came. My Green Curry was vibrant, creamy, and packed with flavor. The chicken was tender, veggies still had a bit of a crunch. Bob seemed happy enough with his Pad Thai, lots of slurping noises, which I take as a positive review from him.
The Great Spice Level Debacle (Well, Almost)
Now, here’s where my “practice” comes in. I’ve been burned before. Literally. You ask for “medium spicy” at some Thai places, and they give you something that could strip paint. Other times, “medium” is like, a whisper of chili. So, when I ordered my Green Curry, I tried to be really specific. “Okay,” I said to the server, “I like a good kick, but I don’t want to cry into my soup, you feel me? Like, a solid 7 out of 10 on the heat scale, if 10 is ‘I regret all my life choices’.”
The server, a young guy, just kinda blinked at me for a second. I thought, oh great, here we go, he thinks I’m nuts. I almost backtracked, ready to just say “medium and pray.” But then he actually smiled and said, “I know exactly what you mean. Our 7 is a proper 7.” And you know what? He was right. The curry came out perfectly spiced for me. Enough heat to make you notice, to make it exciting, but not so much that it drowned out all the other flavors. It’s a small thing, getting the spice level just right, but man, it makes all the difference. It reminded me of this one time, years ago, I tried making my own green curry paste from scratch. Took me hours, sourcing all the ingredients, pounding away with a mortar and pestle. And the spice? I misread the recipe, used about ten times the amount of bird’s eye chilies. My kitchen was basically a biohazard zone for a day. We had to eat crackers for dinner. So yeah, I appreciate a place that understands spice.
And that sweet sticky rice with mango? Oh man. Perfect end to the meal. Warm, sticky, coconut-infused rice with fresh, sweet mango. Simple, but so, so good. It wasn’t just an afterthought; it was clearly something they took pride in.
So, Sweet Rice Thai Cuisine? Yeah, I’ll be back. Good, honest food. No fuss. And they get my spice level. That’s a win in my book.
