Thai Thai in Deerfield serves simple, authentic fare
The ever-elusive soul search has had many a traveler boarding long flights to Thailand, but where does one go if she's just on the search for the perfect lunch? Thai Thai would be the answer - offering not only something from Thailand, but also conveniently located in Deerfield. So when you've gotten tired of the chain restaurants on Lake-Cook Road, this little place will prove the perfect getaway.
The restaurant is a bustling lunch place, with a decor (a rectangular dome topped by an octagonal mirror with a crystal chandelier hanging from it) that borders on gaudy, but who cares? Ash-yellow walls surround a grand storefront window façade, practically swallowing gulps of midday light.
Speaking of swallowing gulps - try the tom yum soup with chicken and tofu, a tomato-based hot-and-sour creation with whole mushrooms, tomatoes, cilantro, lime leaves and lime juice. It is thick and satisfying.
Another starter we loved is the mini egg rolls, which are tiny egg rolls filled with chicken, shrimp and bean thread noodles. They come with a special sweet sauce for dipping and their miniature size makes it incredibly easy to eat all of them without so much as blinking.
The rest of the menu is also pretty traditional - you have the noodles, the curries, the fried rice and the specials - but what we found to be the hook of the place is how amazingly clean the flavors of the food are. There is none of the sticky sweetness that results in that very unmistakable MSG aftertaste. There is also a very reassuring 15-minute wait for your food.
We tried the karry curry (a curry with small pieces of chicken, potato, carrot and white onions, served with a small dish of cucumber salad and sticky white jasmine rice). It was perfectly smoky yet sweet.
Another curry (the roasted duck with a special spicy red curry with coconut milk) was sweet and tangy with hot pepper and basil leaves, and chunks of pineapple. The pieces of duck might have been better served on the side, though, as their crispiness had vanished.
If noodles strike your fancy, you won't be disappointed with the bamee (tasty egg noodles with barbeque pork, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts and a fried wonton with crab meat set on top). As far as clean and simple flavors go, this one was a superstar.
The desserts are all Thai classic, from the obligatory green tea ice cream to mango with sticky rice and coconut milk sauce.
Open since May, Thai Thai has quickly established a reputation for good, quality food that won't break the bank no matter how you look at it.
The service is polite and authentic. Oh, and did we mention the restaurant is BYOB? Now there's something worth meditating for.
• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. Our aim is to describe the overall dining experience while guiding the reader toward the menu's strengths. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.
Thai Thai
Facts: 475 Lake-Cook Road, Deerfield; (847) 564-5999; thaithaideerfield.com
Cuisine: Traditional Thai
Setting: Casual, with fun ethnic accents throughout
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Range: Appetizers $4.50 to $8.95; entrees $8 to $13; desserts $3.50 to $5.95