Orchids Thai

One of Pasco’s hundreds of homely strip malls conceals the charming and elegant Orchids’ Thai. ‘Tis true that the plain often conceals the beautiful. Gino and I landed at Orchids after trying and failing to gain sustenance at not one, but two sushi establishments. Kazu’s was mysteriously closed and we walked in Hiro’s open door only to realize that the new restaurant actually wasn’t quite finished yet. (Both future posts.)

The food is fast, cheap and delicious. Usually those three adjectives don’t go with ‘charming and elegant’, but Orchids is a unique blend. Inside is a pleasing blend of beauty, cleanliness and peaceful comfort. Orchids and other blooms surround diners and booths are cushioned with silk pillows.

You won't be forced to overstay your hour lunch break, but it does fill as noon time progresses. $5.95 is the going price for a mid day meal and most entrees come with a salad with a peanut dressing and a delicious little cilantro noodle soup. The Thai iced tea is terrific. I could live on that stuff, but then I’d be as caffeine-addled as Rachael Ray after a midnight Dunkin Donuts run. The waitress said that Thai iced tea starts with a special Thai tea blend. This is followed by an insane amount of sugar and then topped with a generous amount of half and half. Healthy? Probably not. Do I care? Uh…no.

I am a neophyte in the realm of Thai cuisine, but I am definitely an enthusiast. The green curry is my favorite, and I’m having a hard time advancing to other menu items. The coolness of the coconut milk contrasts perfectly with the sinus-clearing curry in the sauce. The chicken is tender, the vegetables are crunchy, and jasmine rice finishes a symphony of flavors. Green curry (Thai: แกงเขียวหวาน) is a central Thai dish made with fresh green chillies, flavored with Thai basil, and chicken or fish meatballs. This dish is one of the spiciest of Thai curries, but still not too hot in my opinion. I tried one of the noodle dishes, ‘Pad see ew’ (Thai: ผัดซีอิ๊ว) – which are noodles stir-fried with see ew dum (thick soy sauce) and nahm plah (fish sauce) and pork or chicken. Also, quite good. With great addition to detail, each entrée is adorned with an orchid or a carrot butterfly. Gino has had the Pad Thai and Gino has pronounced it good. Pad Thai (Thai: ผัดไท) is rice noodles pan fried with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or tamarind pulp, chopped peanuts, and egg combined with chicken, seafood, and tofu. Yum!

This restaurant also addresses the pressing question – how many paddling wooden elephants can fit in a two foot canoe? (The answer is seven.) Be sure to check out this little gem!

Five forks!

Pasco County
8647 Regency Park Blvd
Port Richey, FL 34668
(727) 844-3125
Lunch - :-)
Dinner - $
http://www.orchidsthairestaurant.com/