We had a pretty small group this week and I think it was because a lot of people felt intimidated by our choice of Thai food. I’ll be honest, this was the first time I’d had Thai, and I was a little intimidated myself. Not because I thought the food would taste bad, but because I wasn’t familiar with it and feared it would be way too spicy. To curb this fear we brought along some Thai veterans, and would you believe I found Thai cuisine to be pretty wonderful food after all…
After recommendations from friends on Facebook and word of mouth we selected Angel’s Thai Cafe on Monroe Center. Angel’s is a relatively new restaurant, having just opened in December in the storefront once known as Four Friends.
Food
We had a party of 4 this week, 2 Thai rookies and 2 Thai veterans. We started out with Fresh Rolls, which were fresh vegetables, steamed noodles, chicken, and shrimp wrapped in rice paper. They came with a thick, sweet sauce which was the perfect complement to the rolls. I was a bit skeptical at first because I’m not a huge fan of shrimp and lettuce, but these rolls were really good. I would definitely order them again. As the name says, they tasted very fresh.
Another member of our party ordered the Fried Tofu. Personally this was not my favorite dish, but its only because I’m not a big fan of tofu. Those that liked tofu really liked the Fried Tofu.
The last part of our first course was the Tom Kha Soup which had galanga, tomatoes, lemon grass, green onions, mushrooms, cilantro and lime juice with coconut milk. I’m going to be honest, the waitress had to do some convincing to get me to order this soup, as it was a bit out of my comfort zone. The soup bowl was the size of a small pan – definitely large enough for us all to share. Overall, I’m glad I tried it…Tom Kha is really good.
With each entree they ask you how spicy you would like it on a scale of 1-10. What we selected is indicated after each meal. We had the Pad Pak (1) which was like a stir fry with pork and brown sauce.
The peanut curry noodle with beef (6) had broccoli, bean sprouts, bell peppers and green beans stir fried in a peanut curry sauce.
The Drunken Noodle (7) was made with bell peppers, spanish onions, green onions, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts all pan fried in a cooking wine sauce (with a very attractive presentation, I might add!)
Our Thai veterans both agreed that the chef hit the spiciness level spot on. I could even taste the different between the two dishes that were ordered as a 6 and a 7. I’m not one to partake in spicy foods, especially those that burn my mouth, make my nose run and cause me to inhale a pitcher of water in 1.2 seconds, so I’m the wimp that ordered my meal as a 1 (the Pad Pak). Personally, I absolutely loved it. Keep in mind, since this was my first Thai experience, I have nothing to compare it to. I tried the other two dishes but they were way too spicy for me. Other members of our party were really happy with their food and said they believed Angels was on par with the “best of the best” when it comes to Grand Rapids’ finest Thai restaurants.
We finished the evening off with a Three Chocolate Mousse dessert, which was fantastic! Yes, I’m fully aware that mousse is not Thai, but the only other choice was strawberry shortcake. Plus, when someone is serving you chocolate, you don’t complain that its not a dessert authentic to the region.
Atmosphere
Angel’s has some outdoor seating right on Monroe Center. Right across the street is Rosa Parks Circle, where the Grand Rapids Swing Group was conducting dance lessons. It got kinda loud, but really, its all part of the liveliness of downtown.
One thing that we were all a bit disappointed with is that this is the first restaurant in 6 weeks where we have not met the owner. I understand that Julie and Lang Lee own Angel’s and our server explained that they are usually there day and evening, but had some family in town so they left a little early. Maybe we’ll have to stop back and say hello sometime. It might sound funny, but meeting the owners of these restaurants really does make the experience for us. Its a great feeling to get to know the history of the restaurant, and to hear the enthusiasm in the owners’ voices as they tell us about their business. You can read more about how meeting Mark, Bernie, Luis, Ursula, and Fouad enhanced our experience at each of their respective restaurants.
Parting Thoughts
My first Thai experience was a super one. I will definitely go back to Angel’s, and try some of the other local Thai spots in Grand Rapids. If you’re feeling a little apprehensive about Thai cuisine, just ask for some recommendations when you stop in. Believe me, we had a ton of questions for our server (who was super pleasant and knowledgeable by the way!) In the end, we all liked everything we tried, and for us two Thai rookies it was a reminder of what great things you can find when you step out of your comfort zone.
