I thought I was becoming a wuss when eating a bowl of "medium-hot" pad kee mow at Thai Café had tears (and snot!) pouring down my face. But then I found out this Guadalupe Street café is owned by Tavee and Fagol Yaparwong, and I immediately recalled the last time my lunch required a pocket pack of tissues. This husband and wife team, who took over the former Banana Café about three months ago, are also the owners of Thai Cuisine (also sometimes known as Teriyaki Queen) on Albuquerque's west side. Thai Cuisine/Teriyaki Queen is notorious for serving the hottest Thai food in the Duke City.
Tavee Yarparwong told me that she found out through friends that Banana Café's owners wanted to move back to their native China. "We came and looked at it and I really liked the place. It's so colorful!" she said, referring to the bright yellow, orange, pink and blue of the interior adobe walls. They bought the business before it ever went on the market.
The Yaparwongs' niece and nephew have taken over most of the operations in Albuquerque, while Tavee and Fagol commute up to Santa Fe to serve lunch and dinner six days a week. Unlike Banana Café's contemporary, pan-Asian style, Thai Café's menu is pure traditional Thai. When Yaparwong says the menu is "very authentic, not Americanized at all," she means that unless you eat jalapeños like candy, you'll need to order your lunch mild. She is proud of using plenty of chiles as well as herbs and spices like galangal root, lemongrass and cilantro.
Lunch is a bargain at Thai Café. Most of the entrees on the lunch special menu cost $6.95, and all come with a choice of lemongrass or tofu soup. The tofu soup is mellow and simple, similar to Japanese miso soup. The lemongrass soup is a little sweet, a little sour and a little spicy. Chunks of onion and tomato and sprigs of cilantro add pleasant texture to the clear broth.
I tried two main dishes, massamun curry and pad kee mow, also called drunken noodles. The curry, ordered mild, was more like medium, but the heat level blended well with the rich, sweet coconut milk and peanut sauce. The drunken noodles, ordered medium, had my nose running within two bites, and after four I needed a break. While sipping water and clutching a Kleenex, I inspected the noodles: Where was the heat coming from? My efforts to extract the chiles were thwarted by the fact that the fiery little red peppers were well camouflaged by chunks of red bell pepper. There was no way to find them all, and I ended up shoving the plate aside to mooch off of my companion's curry.
I can heartily recommend the Thai Café, if you follow these suggestions: 1) Order food one heat level below what you're used to. 2) Walk if you can, because getting out of their tiny parking lot requires you to back directly into the intersection of San Francisco and Guadalupe Streets. 3) Order a palm juice drink for dessert. It tastes like a liquid Rice Krispy treat.
Speaking of Rice Krispy treats, it's National Farmers' Market Week and New Mexico Farmers' Market Month. Although a cool spring seems to have delayed many crops, most markets are starting to kick into high gear, with peaches, corn, melons and all kinds of summery goodness.
Speaking of summery goodness, nine Santa Fe eateries are taking part in a local farm-to-restaurant project highlighting New Mexico produce. The Santa Fe Alliance, a group that promotes local independent businesses, came up with the promotion that will last through the end of September.
For Reed Michaels of the Over Easy Café, taking part in the farm-to-restaurant project was an extension of his existing business philosophy. "Everything I buy for the restaurant comes from New Mexico-based companies," he told me, "When they [The Santa Fe Alliance] called and said they were thinking of doing this, I said sure, include me. Ninety-five percent of my business comes from locals. I want their money to stay here."
Nine local producers are participating in the program, and Michaels plans to use ingredients from at least two of them every week for special menu items. Last week, Over Easy Café served a grilled chicken breast salad with mixed baby lettuce greens from Tierra Azul Gardens. Tea, lemongrass and lemon verbena from Ortiz Mountain Herbal were used to marinate the chicken, and Ortiz's arugula, oregano and arugula flowers all go into the salad.
Other participating farms include Desert Fungi/Ladybug Farms, LaMont's Wild West Buffalo, Monte Vista Organic Farm, North Fork Farm, Pecos Valley Grassfed Beef, Picuris Bison and Sangre de Cristo Agricultural Producers. Look for their products on the menu at Aqua Santa, Cloud Cliff Bakery and Café, Cowgirl BBQ and Western Grill, Joe's Diner, O'Keeffe Café, Pink Adobe, Pizza Etc. and Pranzo. According to Rick Lass from the Santa Fe Alliance, some restaurants are offering one dish with local produce while others have created entire menus.
Thai Café
329 W. San Francisco St., 982-3886
11:30 am-3 pm and 4:30-9 pm Tuesday-Saturday; 12:30-8:30 pm Sunday
The Santa Fe Alliance
989-5362
Over Easy Café
2801 Rodeo Road, 474-6336
6:30 am-2 pm Tuesday-Friday; 7 am-2 pm Saturday-Sunday
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