For years it was Taste of Thai. Now it’s Bhu-Ping Thai Cuisine, named after a winter palace nestled in the mountains of North Thailand.
The Everett restaurant sits between Wild Hare Bar &Grill and the vacuum cleaner shop with the stuffed gorilla on Evergreen Way.
A reader sent an email to The Herald recommending we try it. This was a good enough excuse for a co-worker Reshma, a web developer, and me to escape from the newsroom on a dreary Friday afternoon.
Reshma is a true foodie. She writes a popular food blog (www.myfoodarama.com) and she loves to cook.
All I know about food is that I like to eat.
The midday rush was over by the time we arrived, but lunch was still being served (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.). We were welcomed by the friendly owner, who started off our meal with bowls of warm sweet-and-sour soup.
“Just what your tummy needs to work up an appetite,” said Reshma, the mother of two young boys and a tummy needs expert by association.
She said the soup had a perfect balance of sweet, sour, spice and salt.
We ordered from the plate lunch menu that came with an entree and rice plus a side of Pad Thai. What a perk! Usually Pad Thai has to be ordered as a separate dish, so it’s all or none.
Reshma chose Red Curry Chicken ($8.99), a paste with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, bell peppers and basil.
“The curry smelled fresh. Lemongrass, red chili peppers … the right temperature and consistency,” she said.
I had Cashew Chicken ($8.99), a stir-fry with vegetables. It had good crunch and was flavorful. The Pad Thai was some of the best I’ve ever had. The sauce had kick and the noodles were just the right amount of clumpiness.
The portions were more than I could eat at one setting. I was already fantasizing about finishing off the leftovers later that evening during my Friday night ritual of watching “Kitchen Nightmares” reruns.
Gordon Ramsay won’t need to make a visit to this palace.
The menu is diverse, with chef’s specials such as Pad Cha Lamb ($14.99), stir-fried lamb with eggplant, green beans, herbs and lime leaves and Grandma Wan BBQ Chicken ($13.99), a family recipe passed down through generations.
The newly refurbished eatery is family owned and run by Choosak Chuenchowwai and his wife, Hua. They closed their Capitol Hill restaurant after buying a house in Everett two years ago. They didn’t plan to open another restaurant but then the Taste of Thai site came on the market.
“The place found me,” Choosak said. “We hadn’t been looking. My wife likes to cook.”
And here they are. She cooks. He greets customers and serves.
They are still experimenting with the menu and testing what works with the local crowd. Macaroni salad with a fish sauce didn’t make it beyond the trial phase. It was popular in Hawaii, where he lived before Seattle. In Everett, not so much.
“They like really spicy food here, much more than Capitol Hill. They are going the full 5 stars,” Choosak said.
The restaurant has a soothing ambience. Dark wood contrasted by striking yet subtle wall colors. Mirrors. Statues. Granite tabletops. A piano came with the place.
A back room was turned into a snazzy wine and beer room brimming with bottles. Many are Washington-made, such as Columbia Valley’s Kung Fu Girl riesling that pairs well with spicy dishes.
“It took about six weeks to get everything done,” Choosak said.
The doors opened in late August.
“The owner was kind and courteous, soft spoken and never bothered or hurried us,” Reshma said. “That is something I greatly appreciate.”
It was relaxing. I could have easily sat there for several hours sipping Kung Fu Girl wine, and maybe pounded out a few bad tunes on the piano, if she hadn’t made me go back to work.
Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
Bhu-Ping Thai Cuisine
6600 Evergreen Way, Everett; 425-405-3783; www.facebook.com/bhuping.
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Closed from 3 to 4 p.m. daily.
Alcohol: Beer and wine.
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