West Jordan • Compared to the spanking-new Thai Delight Restaurant, eight-year-old Thai Delight Café might be considered a somewhat homely stepsister.
Dark-blue vinyl banquettes line the space at the original location, while small Kalaga tapestries of golden elephants and fans adorn cornflower-colored walls. Luckily, save for the sketchy restroom that also serves as the cleaning supply closet — accessed by traversing the kitchen — the place is clean. The original Thai Delight isn't about glam; it's about friendly service and the food.
Skip the dry-as-cardboard chicken satay (No. 5, $7.95) and forgettable deep-fried wonton-wrapped shrimp (No. 7, $8.49) appetizers, and head straight to the soups or salads. Tom kha gai (No. 11, $9), the traditional chicken-straw-mushroom-lemongrass-kaffir lime-coconut milk soup, is well balanced between sweet, sour and spicy and serves to prepare the tastebuds for what to come. When ordering, you'll be asked to choose a heat level from one to five, with five being the hottest.
I don't consider myself a wimp when it comes to heat, but a "two" was too spicy when it came to the papaya salad (No. 15, $8.45) and glass-noodle salad yum woon-sen (No. 16, $8.45). Both the shredded green papaya and thin cellophane noodles soaked up every bit of chile heat and seemed to perpetuate the burn, preventing the other flavors of garlic, tomato, lime juice and shrimp from coming through.
On the other hand, another "two," nuea nam-tog (No. 18, $10.45), a salad of tender, rosy strips of beef, cabbage, carrots, mint, cilantro, chiles, marinated red onion and lime juice, served as a good example of how layers of flavor and heat can work together.
Orange creamsicle-tinged Thai iced tea ($2) or smoky brown Thai iced coffee ($2) really help curb the heat and refresh the palate for more of the searingly good food. There's also coconut juice, Thai lemonade and soft drinks ($1.25-$2). Neither restaurant offers alcohol but the new location says they're working on getting a license. Good luck!
The original kitchen also knows its curry. I liked the yellow best (No. 44, $9.95) with coconut milk, tons of onions and tender potatoes, while the Massaman ($9.95), with the addition of peanuts to tubers and alliums, came in a close second.
Along with the disappointing chicken satay, the kitchen turned out a mediocre pad Thai (No. 50, $8.45) with a sticky clump of rice noodles, and hard, dried-out sticky rice in a dessert ruined in-season, sweet mangoes ($4.99). That said, the kitchen vindicated itself on another visit with cookbook-perfect warm, sticky rice and more sliced mango.
The mango sticky rice dessert ($5.50) at the new location was spot-on, as were other dishes. (The menus at both locations are the same, though prices are higher across the board at this newer, bigger and prettier restaurant.)
Expertly rolled fresh spring rolls ($7.95) held rice noodles, shrimp, lettuce, cilantro and carrots. Wide pan-fried rice noodles (No. 53, $9.95) were tangled around strips of chicken and straw mushrooms, all in a brownish sauce that reminded me a bit of stroganoff. Gang kua sapparod curry (No. 45, $10.95) came dotted with red bell peppers, shrimp and chunks of pineapple whose sweetness help douse the "two" heat level. Pad gra-praow (No. 28, $9.95) melded anise-scented basil, ground pork and sweet bell peppers.
The new restaurant, which used to be Ocha Café, is about five times larger than its café sister. Its style is minimal but tasteful, thanks to an aquarium and planters of silk flowers which cordon off even more banquet space.
Thai Delight owner Lae Tranngoc manages the new location while son Win Tranngoc keeps business humming at the original location. Both are very gregarious, will give you their honest opinion if asked, and are eager to know how you heard about their restaurants. Oh, and if you like them and their food, remember to "friend" them on Facebook.
It's great to see the café thrive, and even better to see it add another location. The trick will be to keep up the quality of the food while continuing to offer the same great service.
lneilson@sltrib.com
Facebook/tribremix —
HH
Thai Delight Restaurant
Food • HHhj
Mood • HH
Service • HHhj
Noise • b
This new sister to Thai Delight Café has the same solid menu: Try the yum woon-sen clear rice noodle salad, chicken with pan-fried noodles and mango sticky rice.
Location • 1407 W. 9000 South, West Jordan; 801-878-4399
Online • thaidelightutah.com
Hours • Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.
Children's menu • No
Prices • $$
Liquor • No
Reservations • No
Takeout • Yes
Wheelchair access • Yes
Outdoor dining • No
On-site parking • Yes
Credit cards • Visa, Mastercard, Discover —
HH
Thai Delight Café
Food • HH
Mood • H
Service • HHhj
Noise • b
This West Jordan veteran is all about Thai food. Highlights include nuea nam-tog beef salad, yellow and Massaman curries.
Location • 6271 S. 3655 West, West Jordan; 801-968-7626
Online • thaidelightutah.com
Hours • Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Children's menu • No
Prices • $$
Liquor • No
Reservations • No
Takeout • Yes
Wheelchair access • Yes
Outdoor dining • No
On-site parking • Yes
Credit cards • Visa, Mastercard, Discover
