It's been gray and rainy for so long we were surprised to find the new moon in Chao Krung. Painted in glow in the dark paint and purples too, the wall mural was ”hauntingly” evocative, transporting us directly to Bangkok...or something. Intricate wooden wall details created an elaborate atmosphere enhanced by romantic lighting, which made us all feel SO goood, and hungry too (refer to last week's review). The waitresses wore lovely traditional Thai costumes that gleamed under the black lights that also illuminated the picture boxes on the walls. Wow what a place! There wuzn't any muzic, but that's better than muzac any day, and Prickle serenaded us with his balalaika anyway.

Lots of folks tasted everything they possibly could and said it was all impossibly good. Meathouse (a professional chef so what he says really counts) reports that the Tom Kha Kai was really well-balanced, nothing was over-powering and it didn't taste like lemon pLEdge--which is a common trap for this soup, apparently. Also, the seafood curry was delicious with lemon grass: Liz says that it was just "packed with stuff!". Meathouse says the meat in the Mussaman curry was cooked too long and had carrots(ick): if you don't sear the meat before you put it in the pan, it will dry out in the cooking. But, unlike other Thai places, they used the real Jasmine rice which is excellent.

Howard says, "I gotta say that was one of my favorite Thai places in town". He had the glass noodles with chicken and loved it. Robert and Tommy2tongue had the glass noodles with shrimp and were blOwn AWAY BAYBEE! ChrisLove had a taste of this and was amazed by the tangy lemon warmth of this dish. I ask you, who would have ever though those clear wormy things could taste so good!? Years of visual prejudice creating a wasteful abstinence. ChrisLove you foOL! Try to be more open, for crying out loud. And herein lies an important lesson for diners everywhere: openness tastes greAT!! Anyway, the shrimp, glass noodles, and pork egg rolls were really good but Joy Faye says the fried vegetarian wontons were blah. Starving, Trixie and ChrisLove shared food once again and were in such a passionate food frenzy, it was like a dream come true: they started with the Tom Kha Kai with chicken and couldn't believe their luck; then they ate vegetarian pad Thai (yummy with crushed peanuts and some of Cake's peanut sauce on top); next came the Prig King(red curry paste with fried tofu and string beans)--a boring dish which was disappointing considering the subliminally suggestive name. This does not hold true for the creamy red coconut curry, which had an excellent flavor, especially if you're a Coconut Slut. However, Avivah didn't really dig her green curry with chicken. The chicken was dry and the sauce was regular. Meathouse and Avivah engage in a lively debate as to this meat issue: why so dry? For lack of searage? Or is it because, as Avivah theorizes, they cooked all the meat in advance and then plunked it in the sauce? Tsk Tsk... On a positive note, Mr. Name found his Bangkok Steak to be pungently succulent...a tasty end to some unfortunate bovine.

Avivah's about to leave and mentions the memorial section dedicated to photojournalists who died in the Vietnam War!

Robert and Kate "absolutely attained passage to Seventh Heaven from their very first bite of shrimp toast". It was "succulent, euhhh, rich, sinful, orgasmic..." It is the most fave single dish Robert has eaten in any restaurant in over a year. Hot Damn! And how long has it been since anyone has bothered to comment on the tea? I mean, tea is tea, right? Well Robert and Vince were both astounded to find Chao Krung's Jasmine tea blend to be particularly superlative. Unusually full-flavored with a hint of natural sweetness, no sugar needed.

Cake's assessment of this week's Chicken Salad: "The peanut sauce made it taste, like, more exciting...like, beyond delicious, yeah, I really really liked it" (air guitar, kick!).

(CL)

Words that rhyme with Curry: The fury from the curry made my eyes blurry... I almost dropped my puri on the dhurry. Scurry along Mr. Furley! Ignore the flurry of slurry curry, and take note: Ian Dury is da jury: he will worry about furry burly, so hurry Murray! Fuck Buck He Didn't Show Up. Buck Fucked Up so Fuck Buck.