Barb and I went to Rhong Tiam this summer in the middle of a heat wave. As soon as we walked in the front door they let us know that their air conditioner was not working. It still felt cooler in the restaurant and there was a table of four apparently enjoying themselves, so we stayed. The waiter had plenty of time to guide us through the menu and was very helpfulwith explaining the various dishes. Barb is a big fan of Thai Summer Rolls. I almost always order Duck in a currysauce when eating Thai food. We decided to go with our usual dishes and checked out a couple of additional options to test the restaurant.
The food is all assembled “a la minute“ or wok fried, so we were served pretty quickly. This might normally make me feel rushed. Considering the weather, both inside and outside, I was thrilled to eat my meal and get home to the comfort of my A.C.
This is one of two Summer Rollsserved to Barb. It was loaded with crunchy fresh veggies. There was no rice. The dipping sauce was an excellent peanut-laden accompaniment that really enhanced the flavors of the roll. Lucky for me Barb is always generous and kindly gave me one of the rolls. I thought it was great.This was pan-sautéed squid. It’s a lot different from the fried calamari that we so often order. When prepared incorrectly, it can come out chewy and tough. This squid was soft and delicate. I was impressed.Barb ordered the Crispy Basil dish with Minced Chicken. The basil leaves were fried and the sauce was sautéed garlic, onion, pepper and chilis. She absolutely loved this dish.My duck in Red Curry was presentedbeautifully. The sauce was delicious. I felt that the duck was tasty, but a little tough. C’est La vie. It was too hot to return it and wait for another dish.
All-in-all we had a very pleasant experience at Rhong Tiam. The duck was tough, but everything else was top notch. I’m sure that they’d have replaced my dish had I asked.
Last night we decided to go out to someplace casual. I was in the mood for some Asian food because very soon we’ll be in Naples which has a severe “Asian food deficiency “. Barb thought of Rhong Tiam. We realized that we should give it another shot. So off we went.
Barb knows what she likes and she was obviously jonesing for the two dishes she had last time. Lucky for me that she was happy to share the Summer Rolls (not pictured again). This is a repeat of her Crispy Basil with Minced Chicken which she ordered medium spicy. She loved it a second time.I ordered Phad Prig Khing (try saying that three times fast) with beef and eggplant. There was a $3 surcharge for the eggplant since the dish came with a choice of beef, chicken or eggplant. It was a spicy dish that I fell in love with. The eggplant pieces were plentiful and really made the dish. The beef was tender and delicious. This is my new favorite Thai dish. I just need to remember the name and learn to pronounce it correctly. Good thing I have a blog.We both received a bowl of rice with our entrees. A nice touch. Barb was not sure that her dish would be sufficiently spicy. No problemo: Tommy, our server, brought these dishes of craziness in case Barb was feeling suicidal.When eating spicy food, I find that a nice Zinfandel matches perfectly. I was out of Zinfandel. Lucky for me, my neighbor Jason kindly bestowed this bottle upon us a little earlier in the day. Now that’s good karma!The restaurant was well decorated and somehow homey.This is Tommy who took care of us on both visits. He’s a very nice gentleman, happy to patiently give you advise and direction.
I’m quite happy that we gave Rhong Tiam a second visit. We are both quite fond of good Thai food and often find Thai chefs at lots of other Asian restaurants. Our favorite sushi place on Marco Island is Thai owned and also features many Thai dishes. And next time I think I’ll give the Duck another shot.
JoshEatsandDrinks 