In a sea of restaurants and endless possibilities- be the difference, be the change people need. That is exactly what a venture to Thai Villa, in the Chelsea district, does. Takes you from mediocre Thai food to an experience and recipes fit for royalty. Literally, there is a “Royalty menu.” Our adventure starts there.
The Royalty menu, also known as the Privileged menu, actually does make you feel like royalty. The menu, and concept of Thai Villa, comes from providing the staples in Thai cuisine one may expect, but also serving little know dishes that are rarely available outside of Thailand. Many of the dishes like Shrang Wa Goong and Kaeng Hung Ley, were historically reserved for the royalty of Thailand. Now, we can have a taste too.
The appetizer selection we went with was the Scallop Skewers, pictured below to the left. Seared marinated scallops in skewers with secret Thai herbs and Thai sweet chili sauce gazed. These were absolutely delicious. The secret herb glaze is what marinating dreams are made of. Not too sweet but with a slight kick, the scallops were perfectly tender as well as juicy and covered in flavor. Of the other appetizers from the other menu’s, this was the best and worth the extra cost, only grievance is there weren’t more! They could also be considered the safe choice on this appetizer menu, but seeing how rich and yummy everything was, I’d encourage you to be more adventurous on your visit.
Then we move on to the “Signature Menu” or the “Chef’s Menu.” Seasonal and updating every 2-3 months, there was everything from traditional Gai Hor Bang Touy to the below spin on Spicy Chicken Wings. You may think getting the chicken wings at a Thai restaurant is not a good idea, considering the other traditional items that are not common on other menus in the US, but these were phenomenal. I use an aggressive word because I personally am not a fan of wings. I rarely eat them and never order them. These I would order over and over again. Another Thai herbs garnish make these tangy and spicy and according to the descriptor “marinated tom yum flavor wings.” Tom yum is characterized by its distinct hot and sour flavors, with fragrant spices and herbs generously used in the broth. Often in a soup, it is also made with fresh ingredients such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed red chili peppers. Take a tender chicken wing and place all of these flavors and spices in a perfectly even coating, and you truly have these phenomenal wings:
Finally, the Classic menu. The traditional Thai dishes you’ve come to know and love but with some of the best preparation you can imagine on this side of the hemisphere. Specifically the Curry Puffs can not be beat. Minced organic chicken, potatoes and onions cooked with curry powder and served with sweet cucumber relish. Thai curry can be red, yellow, green, Massaman, or Penang curry, which I can’t quite pinpoint which powder is used here but curry puffs are perfect if you enjoy and sweet and savory combo. It’s also not spicy at all, as some can be, if that is not your preference. Don’t ignore the relish here. I could dip anything that would soak up this sweet sauce.
And then the main. I am disappointed in myself yet again with the safe choice- I went with the expected Pad Thai. My standard order at any Thai restaurant. No worries though as it was, not surprisingly, the best Pad Thai outside of Thailand I have ever had. You’ll have to scroll up to see this perfectly plated dish- gluten free rice noodles, beansprouts, scallions, red onion, egg and peanuts i.e. all of the usual suspects. Not as much more to say here as I think this is a dish we all know but also I’ve said it is delicious. I would encourage to explore something new yourself as the appetizers across the different menus proved how interesting trying the different offerings can be, but if you go with the Pad Thai, you will not be disappointed.
Good news, I will have to join you, as I have got to get through the Royalty Menu one by one myself.
