Thai food places seem to be popping up everywhere. And why not? Have you ever had Thai food? It’s delicious. Unfortunately, if you live on the west side of town and are loathe to brave the hellish traffic that plagues our city like desert locusts on Ethiopian sorghum crops; the lack of options would have you fit to be Thai’d.* That is, of course, until now; with the opening of Thai Plantain, located on Gudun Road, on the 2nd floor - or 1st floor, if you’re from the U.K. and don’t know how to count (Bah-zing!) - of the northwest corner of its intersection at West Wen San Road.
The dining space at Thai Plantain is as authentically decorated as its chef is authentically Thai. Although he’s been in China for nearly a decade now, his devotion to creating genuine Thai cuisine is as strong as ever, and the proof is in the Pad Thai; and on that note, on to the food.
We started out with the Tom Yum Goong (29RMB/single, 49/pot) which was as good as any we’ve had in Hangzhou. It struck a perfect balance between sweet, sour, and spicy. The prawns were tender, fresh, rich, and gobbled down by everyone. It was so good, it made us eager for what was to come next, which was the Roasted beef lettuce wraps. It hit all the right notes. Light, seasoned just right, with a spritz of lime, the dish hit the mark and pleased the carnivores as much as the health nuts. Next up was the Pork Neck (39RMB) which didn’t even have time to settle upon the bed of lettuce it was served upon as it was devoured. It is pork neck. It’s like the 3rd tastiest part of the pig after the rump and ribs. The Deep-Fried Sea Bass in a spicy coconut sauce (39RMB) was a crunchy, sweet, success, as was the Yellow Curry Crab (69RMB), but the stand out dish, amongst a list of fantastic dishes was the Green Curry Chicken (35RMB). The flavor was a perfect mix of curry spice, coconut sweetness, and piquant freshness. This dish prompts you to order a big bucket of rice because the sauce is too good to not sop up every last drop.
We quenched our respective thirsts with an imported Thai coconut (18RMB), a pitcher of fresh juice (20 -30RMB/pitcher), and a couple, cold, Singha beers (18RMB). In the end, we left stuffed, satisfied, and longing for a time when hunger once again motivates us to move. So if you’re on the west side and want some top notch Thai cuisine that won’t blow your budget, check out Thai Plantain. Parking situation is less than ideal. No English menu, but lots of pictures.
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