Lunchtime With Tillie: Thai 101

Now that award season is over, it’s time to get back to business!
Hey everyone and welcome back to your regular Lunchtime With Tillie presentation. This time, yours truly and Lil T went to Thai 101 on Myrtle Avenue.

Now as shown by them receiving the coveted “Best Bang for Your Buck” honor at last week’s LWT Awards, it’s obvious we’re fans of Myrtle Thai at our homestead. As a matter of fact, I had never even tried Thai 101 before. I was always kind of leery about it – with its name and signage, it just reminded me of a place you’d come across in a mall or something. And the eating’s never really that great in a mall.

Anyway, Tillie and I went there last Friday, you know, when there was that wintry mix thing going on throughout the day. That necessitated us finding a place within a two-block radius from home, and as we’ve hit nearly everywhere else around for LWT, Thai 101 was duly elected. I packed her up some shells and cheese, just in case, and we were off.

When we got there, the waiter told us feel free to sit anywhere. The aisle separating the restaurant was kind of narrow and I didn’t want Tillie’s stroller to get in his way. I ended up sitting kind of close to the front door and he suggested that it might be too cold there for the baby with people coming and going. So we ended up getting settled in closer to the back of the place.

The waiter brought Tillie and me glasses of water, and I started going over the menu. I had an idea already of what route I was going to take: red curry with chicken. You see, when I go to a place I hadn’t been before, I like to order a dish that is or is comparable to my favorite at a similar restaurant. I figure if they get your staple dish right, then you can feel free to explore other menu options. What can I say? I’m just a staples-comparing kind of guy!

With my plans mostly set and the lunchtime options so affordable, I decided to delve further into the menu and see if I can sneak something else in for me and T. In addition to the red curry with chicken lunch special, which I got with a bowl of soup, I ordered the chicken curry puffs for an appetizer. Granted, a good amount of food, but as always, Tillie and I were up for the challenge.

As we were waiting for our first courses to come out, Tillie was pretty chill. She was savoring her water, which to you and me might not seem such a great drink option, but to her it was quite refreshing!

The soup and the chicken curry puffs came out at the same time, and I took the obligatory first bite of puff to make sure it wouldn’t be too hot for Tillie to handle. I determined it was OK and gave her a little piece of the pastry filled with ground chicken and potatoes. That seemed to be a good enough combination for her and me too. The puffs were so tasty, in fact, I ordered another round! My soup, while not anything super-special – broth with carrots, cabbage and Thai basil – was also tasty.

Then the red curry came out, and if anything, I thought the presentation of it was very appealing: The curry sauce and chicken lined the bottom of the bowl, with a heaping mound of rice on one side and vegetables on the other. It was almost too pretty to eat – almost. It wouldn’t be LWT if I didn’t eat the food! I took a bite and thought it tasted good, but not great. It was a little spicy, but I went ahead and dished up some for Tillie: She likes food with some kick to it! Really, it ended up just being some rice with an essence of sauce on it, with a lot of carrots and green beans thrown in for good measure for her. She’s a growing girl after all!

After the food was all done we bundled back up and got the check. The tab was pretty decent as the lunch special is only $5.95 for an entrée and soup or salad. We probably would’ve stumbled upon the deal of the decade, but we got some food to go for Tillie’s mom and had the exorbitant amount of chicken curry puffs! I think those little pastries, combined with the good service and friendly vibe of the place, will bring us back again.