To me, a Friday night adventure can be something as simple as trying a new restaurant in a different part of town than my usual comfort zone spots. Fortunately, my dining companion is ready for adventure as well, so we hop in the car and head north. Good word-of-mouth and a love of Thai encourage us to try Million Thai Restaurant.
The restaurant is small enough that the sunlight coming in the front window fills the entire room. Our server entertains our many, many questions about the menu without once rolling her eyes at us. She warns us that the curries on the menu are listed in order of spiciest to least spicy. We are spice-lovers, all the way. After a few sips of sweet, lemony, orange-hued Thai iced tea, I dig into the first of many dishes to arrive at our table. The green curry is as spicy as promised – and it’s at the top of the list. The first taste almost brings tears to my eyes. It’s the spiciest curry I’ve ever had and it is swoon-worthy. The creamy green nectar seeps into the sweet, fluffy mound of coconut rice, lending its zippy flavour to the starch.
The pad garlic pepper brings my taste buds back from the spicy side with a pleasantly mild garlic sauce. The restaurant claims it is the most popular dish in Thailand – and that may be true – but it can’t compete with the kick of the curry.
We come full circle with the drunken noodles, a pile of heat-laden stir-fried noodles and veggies. The basil tempers the fire of the dish, creating an ideal balance.
(4109 118 Ave., 780-477-1617)
