EVERETT – The last time we visited this location across the street from the Everett Events Center, in 2005, it had new owners and was changed into a Thai restaurant. Now, new owners have transformed the place into a beautiful oasis, which they call Thai Gusto.
According to our server, the remodel took two months, and the change is dramatic. Gone is the auditorium feel. Low dividers filled with unusual items such as small red peppers and lime-green rolls of straw carve the cavern-sized dining room into manageable areas. There’s a grand piano tucked in a spot near the door and traditional gateway.
Black chairs and natural wood tables replaced the plain ones of the past. The storefront windows wear flower etchings and the interior is painted in warm tropical colors such as mango, lime and mustard. The industrial, unfinished ceiling is black, making it feel invisible, and palm frond-like fans circulate the delicate aromas from the kitchen.
The menu’s makeover is just as spectacular. There are gold flecks in the paper used for the wine list. A wooden chopstick acts as a binder for the beautifully designed menu of 70 choices. Most entrees can be ordered with chicken, pork, beef, tofu or seafood, and the prices vary accordingly.
Thai Gusto opened on a Thursday because that’s the new owner’s birthday. My friend and I stopped in for dinner the next day. Despite being so very new, our servers were knowledgeable and attentive.
For our dinner, I considered ordering one of the combination dinners, which feature dishes from the different regions of Thailand, but my friend wanted to compare his standing Thai favorites – garlic chicken ($8.50) and Pad Thai ($7.95) – with the same dishes served in other restaurants. We shared these two dishes plus an order of fresh rolls ($5.50 for two) along with my order – Gusto Sizzling Platter made with beef ($10.95), which is one of the eight house signature dishes.
The fresh rolls were just that freshly made with crisp basil and carrots plus thin noodles and strips of tofu. The usual prawns were missing, but the peanut sauce made us forget their absence. This peanut sauce was more than thinned peanut butter. It boasted a robust peanut flavor with accents of lime and chili. I could have eaten a jar of it.
My friend felt the same way about his main dishes. After a few bites, he commented that his two entrees were beyond perfect and I agreed. My main dish was a little disappointing because the strips of tough or overly marinated beef detracted from the flavorful sauce and sesame seeds.
Over our desserts of mango ice cream and sticky rice topped with Thai custard ($3 each), my friend and I decided that this was one the better Thai dinners we’ve enjoyed.
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.
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