I never thought I'd see the day when men embraced Thai food with the kind of fervor they usually reserve for the Super Bowl, electronic gizmos, weed whackers and hunks of steak, charcoal-broiled to a juicy medium rare. Macho flavors rule
the day at Phuket ThaiBut in just one day, I heard from three men -- strangers to each other -- all independently buzzing about Phuket Thai. Talk is to be expected when bigger restaurants are involved, but Phuket Thai is a small restaurant in the McCully Shopping Center. At its surface, it's indistinguishable from about 50 other Thai restaurants around town.
The decor is simple and those who were lucky enough to visit the Italian restaurant Mocambo while it existed may recognize the faux leopard print chairs and art work recycled here.
Where other Thai restaurants present mild-mannered menus with a delicate balance of flavors, Phuket Thai's food is unusually assertive, bordering on brazen. Chiles, garlic, fish sauce, sugar and salt are used in abandon.
The combinations are overpowering, yet predictably addictive. Each time I stopped eating, thinking I had enough, I'd only take up my chopsticks again a few minutes later. My brain was alerted to the sensory and caloric overload. The rest of my body was in denial, simply enjoying the extravagant experience.As I sat there, absorbing the sodium, another dude tromped in, announcing, "I'm baaack! Can't keep me away. The food is so good!"
APPETIZERS represent the tame portion of the meal and Phuket Thai's combination platter ($8.75) gives a good sampling of pupu. There are two pieces each of 2-inch spring rolls, half-dollar-size fish patties studded with mild green peppers, Phuket chicken wings stuffed with a long rice and vegetable mixture, and shrimp rolls, which most of us recognize as summer rolls of vegetables and halves of boiled shrimp folded into rice-paper wrappers.
From there you can dally with the likes of ginger or lemongrass soups ($3.50-$4.25) or green papaya salad ($6.25), or head straight to the curries. Given a choice of mild, medium or hot, a hot response will cause your waiter to further inquire, "American or Thai hot?" Of course, you realize a second's delay or wavering on your part is an answer.
I opted for the smooth green curry with scallops ($8.75) prepared with a medium degree of heat, which was just at the threshold of pain. The curry also comes with a choice of chicken ($7.25), beef ($7.25) or shrimp ($8.75).
I saved the "Thai hot" preparation for the Thai garlic beef ($7.25), and OK, so this may not be very polite, but it gave me the sniffles. Over at the next table, I overheard people speaking of a friend being in tears from the "American hot" preparation. It wasn't the hottest food I've ever had, but I wouldn't want it to be.
Thai ginger string beans ($7.25 with chicken) were stir-fried to a quick crisp. The dish came with more chicken than beans but the beans were so good, I wished it were the other way around.
Fresh island fish is also on the menu at market prices, steamed with chile and lime sauce. A less expensive alternative would be to order the sweet and sour fish, usually mahi, at $10.95.
Crab legs ($10.95) are available, but the meat gets mushy, saturated with sauce. For crab, like lobster, I'd just head over to Phuket Thai's neighbor, Fook Yuen.
Phuket Thai: McCully Shopping Center, 1960 Kapiolani Blvd.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily
Prices: About $25 to $35 for two
Call: 942-8194
Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
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