Bothell’s Pen Thai offers lots of tasty choices

Published 9:01 am Wednesday, November 26, 2008

BOTHELL — I stared at the Pen Thai menu, and all I could think about was a radio show. “Radio Lab,” a NPR show I’m fond of, recently aired an episode on choice. The episode explained that our brain has logical and emotional centers. Those centers help us make decisions in our lives, such as what to have for dinner and whether to order an appetizer. In my mind options overlapped, creating a fuzz of noise, “Maybe I should have curry, but then again noodles sound really good, but then I can’t have the fried rice. …”

The challenge at Pen Thai in Bothell is narrowing down the options. The place offers 11 pages of menu items. I finally just decided — undoubtedly using the emotional center of my brain — that I wanted an appetizer and something with noodles. With the choices appropriately narrowed, I finally made some decisions.

Tip No. 1 for eating at Pen Thai: Be prepared to spend some time perusing the menu. In addition to a huge menu, Pen Thai also features a nice selection of beer, wine and cocktails. The drink menu changes seasonally, as does the dessert menu.

Tip No. 2 for eating at Pen Thai: Order the Miang Kum appetizer. Miang Kum is, as my husband so eloquently explains it, like a party in your mouth. The centerpiece is large, fresh spinach leaves. You fold a leaf into a little cup and fill it with good stuff before popping the whole thing in your mouth. The ingredients — ginger, toasted coconut, dried shrimp, slices of chili pepper, peanut, lime slices, shallot and a sweet sauce — do not sound like they should go together. They do.

Also, now might be a good time to mention Tip No. 3: The chilies are hot. Don’t let the cute little slices fool you. One chili per leaf is a safe place to start. Increase the chili ratio as your taste and tongue dictate.

We ate at Pen Thai on a Friday night. The restaurant was nearly full, but we were seated quickly. One downside to what was otherwise a rather pleasant meal was the noise. Pen Thai is noisy. The acoustics are terrible and all the voices echo terribly over each other, making it rather like eating in a noisy bar.

Tip No. 4: Visit Pen Thai at the lunch hour, when it’s less crowded, if the noise is going to bother you.

The service was excellent. Our waitress appeared at appropriate intervals, and got us all drinks and anything else we needed promptly. I never once found myself looking around, hoping to catch her attention.

I ordered the Phad Khi Mao from the vegetarian menu ($10). My friend is vegetarian, and I wanted to be able to share the dish with her. You can also order the dish with chicken, beef, pork ($12) or prawns ($14). The Phad Khi Mao was tasty. The wide rice noodles were served with egg, broccoli, bamboo shoot, carrot, basil, tomato and onion. I loved the noodles. I often find Thai noodle dishes too oily, but this dish was not. It was full of flavor and the broccoli and bamboo were nicely firm, not overcooked.

My husband ordered Scallop Prik Pao ($15), which was large scallops with basil and a variety of veggies in a chili paste. He ordered it hot, and it was certainly spicy. It was spicier than my preference, but I ate some anyway. The spice was balanced well with the other flavors, so it didn’t overpower the scallops or vegetables.

Tip No. 5: If you like spicy food, order at a 4- or 5-star level. You’ll be happy. Also, if your spouse has a more sensitive tongue, it’s a great way to make sure your leftovers don’t disappear from the fridge.

Our friend ordered the Sizzling Tofu Basket ($13). It was the only thing we ate that disappointed, despite the entertaining foil basket wrapping in which it arrived. The tofu, bean noodle and veggie mix was bland. Soy sauce made it a little more interesting, but I wouldn’t recommend it or order it again. The menu has plenty of other, tastier options.

I also tasted Emerald Curry ($12) and Swimming Rama with chicken ($11). The curry was great, with a nice, strong coconut flavor. It went nicely over the rice that came with dinner. Brown or white rice is available, and both are good. The Swimming Rama was one of my favorites. I loved the thick peanut sauce over the spinach and chicken. The spinach was a smidge watery, but I still enjoyed the dish and would certainly order it.

One final tip: Eat at Pen Thai with a lot of people. It’s great fun to pass around the dishes. And the more friends you bring, the less painful it will be to narrow down the options.

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