Coconut Thai (Carrollton, TX)

Coconut Thai
2512 E. Belt Line
Carrollton, TX 75006
http://www.coconutthaigrill.com/

This is the first part of a series that explores the ethnic dining that has started booming throughout Carrollton. We have a wide variety of cuisines easily accessible including (but not limited to) Korean, Indian, Puerto Rican, Colombian, and many more.

Coconut Thai recently opened on the corner of Webb Chapel and Belt Line. The owner, Marayat Gary, was a former partner of Asian Mint, which is a popular Asian fusion restaurant. The businesses surrounding Coconut Thai give it a hole-in-a-wall vibe, but when you walk inside, the vibrant interior has matching lighting to accentuate the paintings on the walls, also made in-house by none other than the owner’s daughter. The candles on the tables also add a nice, charming vibe.

The waitstaff are to eager to show diners what Thai cuisine has to offer, whether they are new to the cuisine, or they can handle the fieriest of dishes. There are always good suggestions for something new to try, from familiar Central Thai dishes such as Pad thai or penang curries, to something from their wide variety of Northern and Southern dishes that brought my attention to the restaurant. All entrees during these two visits were requested at four or five star spice level. Basically, I asked them to make it as spicy as possible and said “Thai spicy”. Though this system can be inconsistent: I’m not completely sure what they define as “Thai spicy”, whether it is four or five stars.

The first visit here spawned from my friend’s craving for red curry. When our orders were taken, I asked our server for a recommendation on a spicy off-menu dish, mentioning that I can handle the spiciest dishes at other Thai restaurants just fine. She quickly suggested Gai Pad Ka Prow (spicy basil chicken), and had me sold on how this dish has fragrances playing nicely with intense heat. We started with the soft shell crab appetizer as I have started developing an addiction for this stuff, thanks to V’s in Houston.

The soft-shelled crab is deep fried, covered with a creamy sauce, and comes with a small salad that has mixed greens, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and some carrots. The crunchy texture of the fried crab did not get mushy despite the thick, creamy sauce. I enjoyed the batter which was not too greasy. The salad has a subtle nutty flavor and scent due to some sesame oil. It’s a great flavor enhancer and releases wonderful fragances that add a nice lift to the salad.

Gai Pad Ka Prow with Khai Dao (spicy basil Stir-fry Chicken, Khai Dao = fried egg) is a Central dish that has stir-fried chicken, some garlic, fish sauce, chilis, and the key ingredient: ka-prow (holy basil). All of this is put over rice, with a fried egg on top. Our server clarified that the diced chicken is the authentic way this dish is served. Quite an aroma exudes from this dish, and it is pleasing for both the nose and the mouth. Not only does the basil make this dish fragrant, it also provides hot and spicy flavor. The spice was excellent, and I also enjoyed the crispy textures from the egg and slightly charred holy basil.

The red curry has beef, coconut milk, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, snow peas and sweet basil. Although we requested Thai spicy, the coconut milk makes it milder and gives a creamy texture to the curry.

On my second visit, we ordered the Spicy Catfish from the menu and feeling brave, I asked if they’d be willing to make me some Jungle Curry. Our appetizer was the Sweet Corn Patty.

I honestly could not taste the red curry marinated into the corn patty. The corn patty itself was too sweet and tasted much better with the addition of the sour cucumber and peanut sauce. This also had a nice batter that had light grease.

Their pad ped pladuk (spicy fried catfish) is the spiciest entree I have tried at this restaurant. It is a fried catfish bathed in red curry with a stirfry of bell peppers, onions, carrots, Kaffir leaves, celery, and sweet basil. The dish should be eaten with everything mixed together so the heat takes maximum effect. While I enjoyed it because of the spice, it falls short on texture since the catfish was soggy, even on the first bite.

Gaeng Pa (Jungle Curry) is a northern Thai dish, whose name is derived from the Jungles of northern Thailand. This curry has a watery consistency that results from the lack of coconut milk, as coconuts do not grow in the north. Nothing tames the heat from this combination of spices, slivered ginger, lemongrass, green beans, and chicken. The burnt red broth hits with a very harsh kick delivered about 20 to 30 seconds after the first bite. While it is spicy, the catfish was honestly far spicier. The heat was there, but the curry could be made more complex by improving the balance of taste and heat. Jasmine Thai’s is my favorite take on this dish, and theirs has a slight sourness amidst the the spice and pungent flavors.

Coconut Thai is an interesting locally owned restaurant and makes a big contribution by providing access to authentic Thai. All of the dishes so far have been exciting and full of flavor. Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations too, whether it’s your first time, or you are a veteran looking for a sinus drenching, spicy experience.

[Cross-posted to NeighborsGo]