Contemporary bistro from appetizer to dessert

By Wendy Billue
Correspondent

NORTH SUFFOLK

The restaurant’s three-headed elephant logo, an erawan, beckons those with a yen for Asian delights.

Thai Erawan opened a second location in North Suffolk a month ago, the original is in Yorktown. Manager Sam Deemun says his attentive staff will ensure each customer has a memorable meal.

This is a contemporary bistro with Asian overtones, soft lighting and fresh, homegrown roses at each table and booth. Freestanding tables can be quickly rearranged to accommodate large parties. The side booths are curtained, which can create a very private and cozy nook for a special meal.

Feel  a bit intimidated with exotic menus? Many Thai dishes feature our familiar local legume – the peanut. It should be a fairly easy transition to mix the flavors of the East with the taste of the South.

For our dinner, my husband and I started with a Crab Angel appetizer. Six tender, deep-fried wonton skins were stuffed with a crabmeat-and-cream cheese mixture. Presented with fresh mint and a carrot garnish, it was a tasty beginning of our Thai food adventure. ($5.95)

For our entrees, we selected Broccoli Delight With Chicken ($10.95) and a house specialty, Goong Sapparos, also known as pineapple tiger shrimp ($16.95).  My husband was quite pleased with the bright green florets carefully steamed and  served with tender chicken in a mildly spicy sauce.

My shrimp and pineapple combo was almost an entrée and dessert in one dish. Cashews, onions, green peppers and scallions in a light brown sauce added just enough spice to know I needed to save space for some of the tropical treats  on the menu.

Generally, you select your main entrée and indicate whether you prefer it prepared with chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, tofu, shrimp, scallops or mussels. 

At  many Asian restaurants , dessert takes a back seat to  appetizers and entrees. Not so at Thai Erawan. Choices include fried banana, ice cream, sweet sticky rice, jelly mango, taro and coconut custard.

I tried the jellied mango made with coconut milk and served with a sprink-ling of sesame seeds. It was light, delicious and a real change of pace for this chocolate éclair lover.
     
Wendy Billue,  k.billue@charter.net