Pakarang

Dear Em,
A few weeks ago we met up with friends for dinner. Your daddy & I don't know a whole lot about the Providence area, but we're so lucky to have friends who do. They introduced us to Packarang, a Thai restaurant, & I'm so glad they did. I already loved Thai food, & I think this has become my new favorite spot.

Originally, we were supposed to have a large group of ten, & I worried that the restaurant would fit us all (I had heard it was a smaller place). Things got in the way for people, & we ended up with just a cozy group of six. As we walked in, I realized I had nothing to worry about. The place was mostly empty & there was plenty of room (it was a Wednesday night).

Your daddy & I chatted with a friend at the bar & got some drinks while we waited for the others to arrive.  Once our party was all present, we were promptly seated nearby what looked like a raw sushi bar. I quickly skimmed the menu & was immediately disappointed. Sigh, no nime chow. It's one of my favorite Thai dishes, & I was bummed they didn't offer it. As your daddy & I discussed what other appetizer options there were, I glanced at the specials menu. They had Spring Rolls listed, which is basically nime chow. Seriously, it's the little things that make me happy. Is it silly that I was relieved?

We started with an order of the Spring Rolls, & they were some of the best I've had. Not necessarily because of the rolls themselves. I mean, the rolls were good. They had mint leaves rolled into the middle, my favorite part. The peanut sauce is what really made these rolls, though. I'm not typically a big fan of peanut sauce, but this sauce had a spicy kick to it that made me a huge fan. I would put that stuff on everything.

You'll have to take my word for it that we ate Spring Rolls. They were too yummy for me to stop & take a picture. Soon after finishing our Spring Rolls, our entrees came out. I've liked Drunken Noodles at some of the Thai places we've eaten at in the past, & I decided to try Packarang's take on them.  The Drunken Noodles at Packarang are filled with spicy, fresh noodles, red peppers, onions, jalapenos, mushrooms, & basil. I, of course, asked for squid in mine.

I was a little surprised when I first looked down at my dish. The noodles looked almost like egg noodles.  There also seemed to be a lot more veggies than noodles. This wasn't at all what I was used to when I've ordered them at other places. 

Well, my entree quickly became my favorite plate of Drunken Noodles thus far. The jalapenos gave the dish a pleasant, spicy upgrade. I also liked the dish being heavier on the veggies than the noodles. I use the word heavier loosely, because the plentiful veggies actually made the dish seem much lighter. The veggies were just so flavorful...mmmm...I get hungry just thinking about it. It was a large portion of food & I was able to take half home for lunch the next day. Let me tell you, I was psyched to be able to taste those flavors a second time.

Your daddy ordered the Wild Boar Basil, I think mostly because it's fun to say you're eating wild boar. The plate is prepared with with sauteed pork (which doesn't seem as fun as saying sauteed wild boar) with peppercorn, mushroom, string beans, red peppers, & basil leaves with curry paste.

Your Daddy said the plate was good, but not his favorite. It just wasn't anything special. Apparently, the idea of wild boar is more fun than actually eating wild boar. Your daddy just likes lots of spice with his food, especially his Thai food. His favorite spicy dish is so hot he says it feels like the food is going to burn his face off. You may be asking yourself why anyone would want to eat something that burned your face off. I really don't know, but your daddy does. So, while the Wild Boar Basil was good, Daddy says he's going to stick with the curries next time.

Overall, we had a great night with great friends & great conversation (except for the part when I probably went into way too much detail about childbirth...whoops). While his entree wasn't a hit, your Daddy looks forward to coming back & trying one of Packarang's 8 curries. That's right, there are 8 to choose from. I hope to go back, like wicked soon. It's going to be hard for me to chose between ordering the Drunken Noodles again or trying a curry...but I'm sure I'll overcome this challenge.

I wonder if you will be a Thai food fan. Hmmm, does Packarang have Thai chicken fingers?

I love you so,

Mommy