LOTUS THAI

3761 Sixth Avenue

(619) 299-8272

www.lotusthaisd.com

Hours:

Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sat.-Sun. 12-3 p.m.

Dinner: Sun.-Thur. 5-10 p.m.

Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.

By David Nelson

When the Tiger is in Bangkok, you most likely are at Lotus Thai. At this long-popular Hillcrest retreat for drunken noodles and green papaya salad, the selection of curries spans the Thai culinary rainbow, which is to say red, green, yellow and creamy white.

“Tiger in Bangkok” is one of the dishes listed on a short, elegantly-composed “Hillcrest Special” list presented by the two-eatery mini chain (the other location is downtown, at Market Street and Ninth Avenue). This entree combines luxury, in the form of marinated, grilled and sliced rib eye steak ($14.95), with some of the delicious seasonings typical of Thai cuisine, such as rice powder, slivered onions, cucumber, cilantro and lime. The tiger in question takes Bangkok by the tail thanks to big, mouth-filling flavors that include a pretty solid dose of heat in the marinade used for the beef; it’s spicy, and after a couple of bites a forkful of steamed rice helps tame the heat.

Thai restaurants often are notable for their style and décor, and at Lotus Thai, servers wear vivid purple and gold Thai aprons that proprietor Ton Sangkapong says are virtually impossible to obtain at present. But while they last, the aprons (didn’t the Assyrians favor the same color combination?) present a bold look that complements the intricately paneled walls and such traditional touches as the framed portrait of the king of Thailand. At night, candlelight crafts a welcoming and relaxing mood, and reflects off water sculptures that divide the squarish room into two more intimate spaces.

Although you’ll search long and fruitlessly before you’ll find a traditional Thai restaurant that does not prominently display a photograph of the monarch, it requires little effort to find Thai eateries that treat wine as an afterthought. Lotus Thai takes a much more customer-friendly approach – hospitality, after all, concerns itself with meeting all of a guest’s needs equally well – and presents a wine card whose interesting choices stretch as far as Chilean vineyards, which produce vintages that in fact nicely accompany the restaurant’s curries and specialties. Sip a Chilean chardonnay with one of the more interesting of these specialties, a larb ($9.95) made with duck. In these parts, traditionally spicy but refreshing larb salads most commonly are prepared with ground pork or finely minced chicken, but Lotus Thai instead tosses shredded roast duck with rice powder, dried chili peppers (this is hot stuff, make no mistake), cilantro, onion and carrot and a sprightly lime dressing that brings it all together. The kitchen will season to suit, of course, but if you order larb on the tame side, the result is wimpy rather than intoxicating.

The specials list also presents a couple of ways to enjoy mango, including the Summer Mango Salsa, which is available whenever the fruit is in prime condition ($9.95). It’s a light and pleasant salad of shredded green mango tossed with minced chicken and ground, subtly pungent dried shrimp, along with slivered red onion and plump cashews. In a quite different mood, the Tropical Mango offers a choice of batter-fried chicken or shrimp ($11.95 or $13.95) stirred into a creamy sauce and topped with fresh mango. The textures of this dish are particularly enjoyable, as is the sweet finish provided by the ripe fruit.

Curries are among the most typical of Thai preparations, and a mild green curry sauce brings together the delicate flavors of the Zucchini Ringlets ($14.95), which as might be guessed are hollowed slices of zucchini, in this case stuffed with a mix of minced marinated pork, shrimp, bell pepper and longan fruit. It’s a good dish, but for a curry with “oomph,” turn to the standing menu for sharp red and yellow curries, sweet and creamy Panang curry, and the distinctive Mussaman curry studded with toothsome roasted peanuts. As is common at most Thai restaurants, the choice of meat (or vegetable combination) chosen as the main element of these curries determines the price of the dish. Here, the price ranges upwards from $8.95 for vegetables or tofu, topping out at $14.95 for scallops or duck. Options in the intermediate range include chicken, beef, pork, “mock meat” (one would have to guess, otherwise, it’s a mystery), shrimp and squid. Just like the curries, various preparation styles – dishes flavored with pungent Thai “holy” basil, or sweet-and-sour style, or with a sharp blend of garlic and peppercorns — are priced according to the choice of main ingredient.

Lotus Thai takes a modern approach and bills appetizers as “tapas,” a term that encompasses pleasantries like steamed pork-and-shrimp dumplings with a black vinegar dip ($7.95), tasty corn fritters served with plum-cucumber sauce ($6.95), and crisp pastry “lotus flower cups” filled with curried minced chicken and vegetables ($6.95). These make enjoyable preambles both to rich main courses like the honey-glazed duck salad ($10.95), and to a pot of spicy, coconut milk-based tom kha soup brimming with tender shrimp ($10.95). A good selection of noodle and fried rice dishes complete the main menu, and for dessert, the fried ice cream is enjoyable, not least for the booze-fueled blue flames that lick the underside of the crisply coasted snowball.

David Nelson has written about dining in San Diego since 1980 for a comprehensive list of Southern California publications.