Although the decor may never win prizes for interior design, the cuisine is a serious contender for the best Thai in Orange County and a great bargain.
Why is this food so special?
"It's how much heart you put in the plate," says A, the executive chef. (A's brother, B, and their father, Mike, own Thai Bros. in downtown Laguna. They also have a cousin named C who lives in Bangkok.)
"My real secret," A says, "is to use the best products." He calls his style of Thai cooking "home gourmet" because he learned it from his mother.
Our young waitress was as darling and sweet as she could be even though, as usual, we spent a lot of time deciding what to eat. We began with the classic tom yum soup with shrimp. The perfect, pristine broth was agreeably tart and superbly spiced.
The vegetables were tossed in at the last minute so they retained their flavor and crunchiness.
Next came the geow za (gyoza). These pan-fried dumplings, chock full of chicken and cabbage, were crisp on the bottom without any greasiness, which is very rare. Strewn over them were delicious deep-fried garlic bits and the ubiquitous julienne of cabbage and carrots. A piquant dipping sauce was the final touch to this deftly executed dish.
Bong are crispy, fried-rice paper shells rolled around a bland shrimp and avocado stuffing. They depend on their sweet and spicy dipping sauce for flavor. The por pia are similar but have a little mixed vegetable filling. They are both like Thai taquitos, mostly about crunch since the fillings are uninteresting, Once again, we have a bed of shredded cabbage and carrots .
The excellent and very generous salads can easily be a meal on their own. They all have a base of romaine, carrots, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, slivers of tender lemongrass and Thai basil in a very light sweet and spicy lime dressing.
