Discover creative Thai cuisine in downtown Mount Vernon

  • By Theresa Goffredo Herald Writer
  • Thursday, October 18, 2012 8:20am
  • LifeGo-See-Do

Whether you’re picking pumpkins or checking out the Skagit County cultural scene, go to Thai House, a delicious refuge in downtown Mount Vernon.

On a recent early Sunday afternoon, my husband and I were driving around downtown Mount Vernon looking for lunch.

Where to go? Been there and done Skagit Valley Brewery and the Co-op. But ah. The Thai House was open — with no parking in front.

It was the good sign we were looking for.

Entering Thai House is like entering a piece of ginger root, in a good way. The walls and booths are done in a soothing, warm amber tone, a fountain softly gurgles somewhere, and gentle Thai tunes play softly in the background.

I just wanted to melt into a booth and eat something hot and spicy right away. There apparently were many other people with the same plan, because the restaurant was humming with a lively lunch crowd.

My husband, Peter, and I scanned the robust menu. We both had the same idea: order from the chef’s specialty section.

Peter zoomed in on the wasabi tuna ($15.99). He’s a wasabi nut.

Curry sounded like the prescription I needed on this soggy afternoon, and I couldn’t resist the green curry with avocado.

Avocado in curry? That seems different, I thought. The dish also contains asparagus, bell peppers, ginger and bamboo ($14.99).

We began with spring rolls from Thai House’s extensive appetizer menu, which includes such offerings as chicken satay ($7.95); Thai House steamed dumplings of ground shrimp, chicken, garlic, water chestnuts and green onion, wrapped in wonton wrappers ($6.95); or crab Rangoon, five fried and wonton-wrapped yummies that mix cream cheese with crab and garlic ($6.95).

Our spring rolls were encased in a light and fluffy pastry, and the vegetables and mung bean noodles inside were hot. Perfect with the cool, sweet plum sauce. ($5.95).

Our entrees arrived just as we were finishing off the spring rolls. The aroma was pretty intoxicating. Pete’s dish was artfully displayed, with the food rising high on the plate and topped off with a tuft of fried vegetables, looking like a party decoration.

Pete dug in and liked that the tuna was a thin cut, quickly seared, and that the wasabi was not in your face but more on the subtle side. He could breathe through his nose with no harsh consequences.

My dish was scrumptious, and it seriously provided three meals: lunch, and then Pete and I shared the leftovers with rice for dinner.

And the avocado in the green curry was generously chunked and in some kind of magical way kept its shape throughout the lifespan of this dish. It did not turn into guacamole.

The vegetables were fresh and crunchy, and the ginger-infused coconut-milk sauce seeped through my body like a health wave.

According to the Thai House website, the restaurant has been family owned since 1999, the cuisine features all-natural herbs and ingredients, and local produce is used in all of the entrees. The food contains no MSG, the website says.

Executive chef Pen Sritong is originally from Bangkok. Her culinary career took her to Vail, Colo., in 1990 where she became a protege of several elite chefs.

Pete and I hope Chef Pen continues her restaurant and her creative flair for food for some time to come so that the next time we are in downtown Mount Vernon on a soggy October Sunday, we can drive right to Thai House, and maybe even get a parking place in front.

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.

Thai House

616 S. First St., Mount Vernon; 360-336-2966 www.thaihousemv.com/

Specialty: Thai food with vegan and vegetarian options.

Hours: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; dinner, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays. Dinner is served all day from noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 8:30 p.m. Sundays.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.