By Samantha Taylor
One thing I love about writing these articles for you is that it challenges my daring side and urges me to try things I might never have done otherwise, like eating a frog leg. Yes, I am shocked myself, but I’ll talk about that in a minute.
I have also grown fond of searching for places that offer outdoor dining options, for times when the weather is great. I recently found this authentic Thai restaurant, which also serves very high quality sushi. It is called Bangkok Sushi and it’s near the Veterans Expressway and SR 54. You can choose to dine in or choose outside like I did, to enjoy the lush green plants and the soothing fountain.
Bangkok Sushi has a large array of dishes, from tasty soups and mouth-watering entrees to a few vegetarian options. I honestly never had Thai food before and the owner, John Chieopanich, was kind enough to take the time to explain what makes Thai food special. Apparently, Thai cuisine has become very popular in America because it is healthy and flavorful at the same time, with lots of herbs and spices that amp up the taste, but not the calories.
Everything on the menu is cooked to order, and uses only the highest quality fresh ingredients, something he takes great pride in. This is very important when serving sushi, so sushi lovers must check this place out. He shared that Thai food has similarities with Chinese cuisine, but employs different techniques, including the spices used.
All this discussion made me eager to try his specialty, so I asked him to whip me up a fantastic Thai dish. He asked if I wanted frog legs, too. Oh my, I have never had one of those, but the adventurous me emerged, and I thought it would be awesome to share the experience with you so I said, “yes.” So, how was the frog leg? I’d have to say that it was actually pretty good, a lot like eating a chicken wing.
The main meal he whipped up for me was a Panang Curry dish with Jasmine rice, a kind of brown rice that he imported from Thailand. The dish included chicken and vegetables. I liked how it was so unique and delicious, an interesting way to eat chicken and veggies — because of the infusion of coconut milk and ground peanuts in the curry sauce.
It’s impressive that they offer brown rice, very rare in sushi places. Make sure to ask them to use brown rice when you try their sushi.
Tuna lovers should also visit Bangkok Sushi as their tuna is really fresh. John pointed out that tuna meat should be dark, not light. Light-colored tuna means it has been frozen, something they don’t do at his restaurant.
I am now a Thai food-loving convert because John is right — lots of flavor, low calories — my kind of food. I will be back, soon.
