Several months ago, an Erie favorite, Khao Thai, closed down for good, but it wasn’t because of a lack of business. In the local Thai cuisine scene, Khao Thai was one of the best, and it was sad to see it go. Well, it’s back. The owners have set up shop in the old pizza shop next to another Erie staple, Sara’s. It is an odd location for a Thai restaurant. Still, the space is bigger, and parking is better than either of Khao Thai’s two previous locations. In a somewhat controversial move, the Erie Downtown Development Corporation evicted Khao Thai and several others to develop what is now the Flagship City Food Hall, and from their longtime spot on Perry Square, Khao Thai moved to a small location on West 8th Street across from the West Erie Plaza. After a couple of years, however, they opted to close. There were many reasons for it; as I said, it was sad to see it go.
The same people who brought the Erie area Khao Thai are back with a new place called Thai Taste Cuisine, and it’s pretty great. The menu is basically the same as Khao Thai, with the various authentic dishes we’ve all come to love. My favorite is the Red Curry with Seafood, which I ordered for this first try at the new restaurant. It was terrific, as always. For those of you who aren’t familiar, here’s a definition of Red Curry:
Red curry (Thai: แกงเผ็ด, RTGS: kaeng phet, pronounced [kɛːŋ pʰèt], lit.: ‘spicy curry’) is a Thai dish consisting of red curry paste cooked in coconut milk with meat added, such as chicken, beef, pork, duck or shrimp, or vegetarian protein source such as tofu.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_curry
In addition to the Red Curry and its delightful coconut milk base, they add bamboo shoots, green beans, bell peppers, and basil leaves. You have your choice of proteins: Beef, Chicken, Shrimp, or a Seafood blend consisting of scallops, squid, and shrimp. The disk is served with Jasmine Rice on the side, one of my favorite types of white rice. I mix the rice into the curry slowly as I go along, and it helps soak up every last drop of broth. I decided to try ordering my Red Curry as Thai Hot. Typically, I don’t go beyond Mexican Hot, but I’ve been more adventurous where spiciness is concerned over the last few years, and I’m enjoying the experience thus far.
When my order arrived, I was pleasantly surprised that my face didn’t melt figuratively; if anything, it was pretty mild. The flavors were amazingly well-balanced, and I was delighted to enjoy one of my favorite Thai dishes again. I will use their spiciness number scale for my next visit and see what happens. Like another local Thai restaurant here, Thai Eatery, Thai Taste Cuisine also offers a one-to-five scale of spiciness, so I’ll give that a shot next time.
If you enjoy Thai food, I recommend Thai Taste Cuisine. The restaurant is spacious, the service is excellent, and the prices are well within the levels we’ve all come to expect. After you enjoy your meal, you can take a walk on Erie’s beautiful Presque Isle State Park and stop in at Sara’s for a milkshake. What a combination… Happy eating!