Thai Bistro & Sushi 
5999 De Zavala Road

just west of I-10

I've found delicious Thai food in just about every part of town, and that now includes the northwestern sprawl of the I-10 corridor.

This place takes up a double in a strip center 4 blocks west of the freeway, and it's obviously no secret. Not many restaurants, in a district so rife with restaurants, can entice people with little time for lunch to wait for tables, but this one manages it.

The décor is nothing special, but it's kept clean and comfortable. The staff is pleasant, service is prompt, and the kitchen manages to keep the crowd turning over (so those waiting by the front door don't have to wait too long). Prices are good.

Orders from the lunch menu are accompanied by hot and sour soup; I ordered the green curry, with chicken, and also ordered summer rolls; my tablemate got sweet and sour pork, which I sampled.

what's that mean?

The soup was tasty, but hardly special; it lacked subtlety and heat, both physical and chemical. It was easily the low point of the meal -- a fairly high low point. Next came two of the biggest summer rolls I've ever seen, stuffed full of good things and plainly meant to be shared. (They were not shared, but only because my friend didn't want any. She's not really the veggie-loving sort of diner.) The sauce served with the rolls was loaded with crushed peanuts, which is generally considered a good thing (though not by me: I find peanuts have a strong flavour that easily masks the more interesting subtleties of a good sauce.)

Then came the green curry, creamy and hot in a large bowl loaded with assorted vegetables, some crisp, some soft; and lots of thin pieces of chicken breast, way more than I would have expected; accompanied by a large scoop of rice. I had ordered it medium-spicy and it still made my eyes water, even though I am (or was, in my youth, at least) fairly tolerant of spicy-hot foods. And I don't think I would have it any other way. The heat, the textures, the flavours: the combination is wonderful complex, all in all one of the best curries I've ever tried.

I sampled my friend's sweet and sour pork and found that it, too, had an admirable texture and nice flavours in combination. If your tastes run to fried foods (and whose doesn't?) it's a dish worth trying.

 

For Real?

Chart House
Tower of the Americas

Well, ain't this a nice surprise! The food at the restaurant atop the Tower is finally as good as the view.

Friends from out of town were, of course, the impetus that got me back up there; next time I'll go of my own free will. And when have I ever been able to say that about the Tower? Never, until now.

First, of course, the ambience of the place could hardly be improved upon. Stunning views, the entire city laid out on a clear day ... other than that garish carpeting, it's just about perfect. Second, the service we had was the kind of service such a venue deserves, the kind one would expect in a fine restaurant. Third, the prices, while not cheap, were about what you'd expect for haute cuisine.

But the big attraction, now (and as we have always, always hoped it would be) is the food. I started with a bowl of Thai shrimp and coconut milk soup, served with a razored pair of slices of fried lotus root, and Oh, my Lord, did that set the standard. It may honestly be said that, after that, nothing much mattered. It was sweetish, milky-smooth and loaded with shrimp cooked to perfection. A selection of interesting breads; the first basket, served hot, was magnificent, but the second, having cooled, was less heavenly. Always a problem with fresh bread.

Next came the main plate. I'd ordered fish tacos, one of my friends ordered shrimp tacos, so naturally we swapped one of each. I got mine with sweet potato fries in place of the regular fries usually offered (a $1 upcharge that is not justified even though it's commonplace, but since I wasn't paying I only cared enough to gripe about it here). The fries were deftly seasoned and well prepared, so that made the upcharge even easier for me to bear.

The fish tacos were good, though not the best I've had here in town. I forgot to ask what kind of fish they used but it was of adequate quality. The tacos were double-wrapped in small corn tortillas that managed to hold together long enough for their purpose. The fish and other ingredients were well prepared and sufficient in quantity, though no more than that.

what's that mean?

The same could be said of the shrimp taco, but in its case the preparation was a cut above. The seasoning used on that dish was of a higher order than the fish tacos. It checked all the boxes for sauce: it added moisture, complemented the flavours of the main ingredient, and added layers of complexity and interest to the dish.

I generally don't rate for value when someone else picks up the check, but I will say that the prices, while high, were not out of line for a restaurant of this quality.