EVERETT — Once in a while it’s fun to leave the lunch box at home and treat yourself to the midday meal out of the office.
We decided to give Nakorn Thai Restaurant a try.
It’s cheap, fast and friendly, and the portion sizes are big enough for a second meal of leftovers.
The small, storefront location a half-block off W. Marine View Drive in downtown Everett has been serving Thai food for a long time, but came under new ownership in December.
This is a place for generous, tasty plates of straightforward Thai dishes. The dining room is decorated in a blend of modern furniture and lighting with a feel of old world Thailand. About a dozen tables fill the room and bright red cushions accent the purple lamps that hang from the ceiling.
The owner says she has hired a new kitchen staff, and they make quick work preparing bountiful plates on short, lunch-hour schedules.
Combination plates are the star of the weekday lunch menu.
Seven different Thai dishes are offered, each with a choice of chicken, tofu or mixed vegetables ($7.95), or prawns ($9.95).
Each combo includes a small green salad topped with a sweet sesame dressing. Soup is an option on the menu but wasn’t available the two times I visited.
Then a heaping plate of lunch comes with a large side serving of pad Thai, a sweet noodle dish tossed with egg, bean sprouts and peanuts. A crisp, fried egg roll filled with fresh veggies also is included, and then a small bowl holds whatever entree was ordered.
I tried the garlic chicken, sliced white meat tossed with broccoli and carrots and enough garlic to flood my glands with the pungent aroma for a few days. A colleague ordered a red curry with three stars — more than enough heat for me but barely enough for my co-worker to break a sweat — that was flavorful without being too rich. Lunch entrees comes with a choice of white or brown rice.
We both went home with a box of leftovers; mine was enough for a second lunch.
On another day, I went back for lunch and decided to try something off the combo menu. I ordered Khee Mao noodles with chicken ($7.95), which typically are pan-fried wide rice noodles with lots of vegetables in a chili paste sauce. The kitchen didn’t have the wide noodles and instead used thinner, rice noodles. Again, it was a huge portion with a zing of spice, enough to test all my taste buds.
There are a variety of drinks including beer and wine. Since it was the noon hour, my friend skipped the alcohol and tried the Thai iced coffee, a blend of coffee, sweetened and condensed milk and spices topped with whipped cream and a mint leaf ($2.50).
There’s a full dinner menu, too, with a variety of appetizers ranging in price from $6.95 to a sampler of four items at $10.95. Dinner entrees start at $9.95 and top out at $15.95 for chef specials including an assortment of curries or deep-fried chicken, duck or prawns with a choice of sauce.
I skipped desserts because it was too much to have at lunch, but I couldn’t help notice the plate of ripe mangos sitting on the counter. My bet is they must be used for the mangoes with sticky rice ($6.50). This usually is a blend of fresh fruit and rich coconut milk held together with sweet rice.
With good food at the right price, I’m sure I’ll be back and next time I leave, there will be one less mango on display.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
Nakorn Thai
1105 Hewitt Ave, Everett; 425-303-8303
Specialty: Thai food
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sundays and holidays; lunch specials 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays
Delivery: Free within two miles with a $25 minimum order
Price: Inexpensive
Alcohol: Limited beer and wine selection
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