Ton Kaew Thai Restaurant: Family-run restaurant does Thai food its way

  • By Anna Poole Herald Restaurant Critic
  • Thursday, March 6, 2008 1:59pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

EVERETT — Behind all the fast food joints that line both sides of 128th Street SW near the freeway exit, there’s a family-owned Thai restaurant that puts its own twist on many dishes.

Ton Kaew Thai Restaurant, which opened recently in a remodeled taco stand, serves pan-fried tapioca pancakes stuffed with Chinese leeks (6.95), has a larger variety of seafood in its main dishes, and uses ingredients such as shitake and white mushrooms for new flavor combinations.

At the same time, the menu has our Thai favorites, including larb chicken salad ($7.95), panang curry ($8.95) and black rice pudding ($3.25).

The house specialties are “Divine Rice,” which is described as “Bangkok’s favorite basil dish,” crab fried rice (both $11.95), seafood in yellow curry ($10.95) and selections from the grill such as fresh vegetables ($8.95) and a New York steak Thai-style ($11.95).

On a recent Saturday visit, my friend ordered one of the house specials — sweet and sour chicken. I had the beef pad Thai, and we split an order of yum woon sen. All were $8.95.

Let’s begin with the most popular — pad Thai. My dish was a familiar mix of rice noodles, bits of scrambled egg and sliced beef with a richer-than-usual flavor. This plus was offset by the fresh vegetables — carrot strips and bean sprouts without any fresh basil.

Although the sweet and sour chicken had the familiar red color, it wasn’t the anticipated taste of the syrupy-sour sauce served in most restaurants. Instead, it’s sweet and sour, but chili gives the dish heat and its red color. My dinner companion ordered his dish “one star,” and we agreed this was the perfect setting to balance flavor and heat.

The yum woon sen is a salad that’s served on torn iceberg lettuce and layers bean thread noodles (also called crystal noodles), ground chicken, tomato slices and seafood in a spicy lime sauce. The sea scallops, prawns and calamari rings were very fresh and perfectly cooked. The salad was as different as it was delicious.

And this delicious difference means Ton Kaew Thai Restaurant is doing it their way.

Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.

Contact Anna Poole at features@heraldnet.com.

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.