Thai Rama

Ever since we had dinner at Yupha's Thai Kitchen a few weeks ago, where my sister got her first taste of Tom Kha Gai soup, she had been craving another bowl of the soup.  So, a couple of weeks ago, we decided to go to the Arizona 5A-II state football championship game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe because our high school, Chaparral was vying for the championship. (They ended up winning!)  We thought it would be fun, but boy did it make us feel old, especially when I realized that I was sitting in those same stands 10 years ago when I was a senior in high school.....wow does time fly!  We had rushed to get to the game in time after work on that Friday, so we didn't have time to eat dinner beforehand, so when we left the game we were hungry!

Since it was a cold December night, my sister really wanted to get some of the Tom Kha Gai soup.  Well, I didn't feel like driving all the way down to Yupha's, and since there seem to be a bunch of Thai restaurants that have recently popped up around ASU's campus, we decided to try someplace new, which is how we ended up at Thai Rama.  I was a little bit skeptical at first because I remembered the restaurant being a place called Char's Thai back when I was in college, and while I had never eaten there, I had heard that it was very old inside.  So we were pleasantly surprised when we walked in and found a restaurant that had been completely remodeled, it was so clean and fresh looking.  The new owner's had put in all new flooring, paint and tables, giving the place a much needed facelift.

We looked over the menu, which was vast, but it didn't take my sister long to decide, she had her mind set on some soup!  But first we decided to get some Crab Puffs as an appetizer.  My sister and I always tend to order crab puffs when we are together, and can you blame us?  Crispy shells filled with creamy cheese and crab, dunked into some sweet and sour sauce....delicious!  These puffs were an excellent version of the classic, they had just the right ratio of crab to cream cheese; which made the filling creamy but didn't overpower the crab flavor.  The shells were perfectly crisped, and were not greasy at all, which is a major bonus.  The portion as huge, it included 6 large wonton stars; so far, so good!

We had just barely finished the crab puffs when our entrees arrived, starting with my sister's soup.  At most restaurants, it is called Tom Kha Gai, but Thai Rama refers to it as Tohm Khah Goong; I am not really sure how the name difference comes into play, but it is the exact same soup.  At Yupha's we had just ordered a small cup of the soup, but at Thai Rama, Laura ordered the full portion; this was served in a silver urn like contraption that has a whole in the middle that is lit on fire to keep the soup warm, it is a pretty common way to serve soup in Thai restaurants, but it didn't stop us from getting a kick out of it!  Laura liked this version of the soup even better than Yupha's, mostly because it used shrimp instead of chicken.  The broth was so flavorful with that hint of coconut, and they had spiced it just right to not make it overly spicy for my spice averse sister.  She raved about how she was going to be addicted to this now, especially since the restaurant is just down the street from where she lives!

I didn't really know what I wanted to order that night since I wasn't really in the mood for Thai food (I agreed because I knew my sister was really craving it, and many times she gives in to my Mexican cravings!), but ultimately I decided on the Khao Paht, or fried rice.  You got to choose between chicken, beef, pork or shrimp to be added to the rice, and I went with the pork at a mild spice level.  I have to say, I didn't have any expectations for this because I wasn't in the mood for Thai, but after my first bite, I was singing a different tune!  The rice was amazing; perfectly seasoned, with a hint of heat.  Although, the best part about it was the pork, they used a tenderloin, and it was the most tender pork I have ever had; it just melted in my mouth.  I had my sister try a bite of it, and she too thought that it was excellent.  The portion was huge, so I took quite a bit of it home and I have to say, it was every bit as good leftover and cold the next morning!

We had a really great meal at Thai Rama, and I can't wait to go back and try some of their other dishes, like the Pad Thai and Panang Curry.  The atmosphere was pleasant, the restaurant was clean, and the servers took excellent care of us.  I noticed that Thai Rama has a few other locations around town, so if you are in the mood for some good Thai food, look them up and find one near you!

Thai Rama

927 E. University Dr.

Tempe, AZ 85281

http://www.thai-rama-az.com/