Thai Prime
3.5 out of 5 stars
4142 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa. Appetizers: $4-$19; entrees: $12-$40; desserts: $5-$12; wines by the glass: $8-$14. 813-302-9168; facebook.com/thaiprimemetwest.
I'm not a big shopper, so when I'm required to descend upon the Westshore-International Plaza district, it's unfamiliar. I zoom along Boy Scout Boulevard like a bird of prey looking for dinner.
Actually, I am looking for dinner. But finding Thai Prime when my iPad says I've arrived is like being sucked into a strange restaurant-laden acre with valet parking at every turn. It's an upscale outdoor food court with parking in the middle. Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Texas de Brazil, Kona Grill, Del Frisco's Grille... Blo Blow Dry Bar. It seems I've lost the scent.
Where's Thai Prime?
It's then that I spot it, tucked under a covered walk right under my nose. I'm happy I'm not really a bird of prey, lest I starve to death.
The kitchen and bar's space is welcoming, the staff is friendly, and the tall ceilings hover over dark wood-plank walls with a fascinating metal bas relief border of galloping horses and elephants. I'm not sure what it's made of, but it resembles cast pewter. It's a wonderful detail that pulls my attention from the task at hand. Meanwhile, my focus restored, I note the extensive menu follows what seems to be a growing trend of adding Japanese sushi to classic Thai dishes.
My table finally settles on gyoza pork pot stickers, plus traditional lemon grass hot and sour soup (tom yum) with chicken and a sushi appetizer to see how that side of the menu fares. And the sushi does pretty well. The California roll is fresh and light on the palate, and our four nigiri pieces of crab, whitefish, salmon and tuna are spot on. The fish is luscious, while the sushi rice has the right texture and light acidity that's often missing. It's a small point, but it brightens up each bite.
Now, we steel our taste buds for all things Thai. The soup is wonderful, with a layered broth, lovely aromas and earthy mushrooms. The heat is assertive as one would expect, without being overpowering. Even a picky tablemate, who's just being introduced to Thai cuisine, is smiling. The tom yum is indeed yummy. We also enjoy the pork dumplings; they deliver as expected. The wrappers are thin and slightly crisp, which works well with the mild, soft pork filling.
After seeing a picture on Yelp, I convince one companion to order the whole Paradize Snapper. Despite the market price of $40, it's too striking a presentation to pass up. The entire fish (from head to tail) is deep fried and served "swimming" upright on a bed of mixed vegetables with chili sauce. This isn't unusual in Asia, but atypical for the U.S., where we're used to seeing our proteins neatly packaged without any reference to their original appearance. More importantly, the fish is delicious. It's easy to separate the cooked fish from the center bones, and since you've got meat on both sides, you'll likely have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. TP offers a choice of seven sauces, each with slightly different mix of fresh, crisp veggies.
Sliced after frying, the panang duck's crisp, dark brown breast comes hot and sizzling like a fajita platter. As with the fish, there are multiple sauces. Our panang version features zucchini, bell peppers and coconut meat with curry sauce on the side. The very nature of this preparation renders the duck well-done, so sauce is a welcome addition. Though the curry is surprisingly mild considering Thai food's penchant for hot stuff, it offers plenty of flavor. The profile reminds me of creamy Punjabi butter chicken.
Pad Thai is a classic preparation of thin rice noodles with egg and a slightly sweet tamarind sauce. Of course, it's topped with crunchy sprouts, as well as an ample supply of crushed peanuts and fresh lime so that you may combine every bite as you see fit. We decide to top ours with beef; our Thai newbie is surprised at the larger, well-done squares instead of rarer strips that might show up in Western preparations. Nonetheless, it's a nice introduction to this cuisine if you're a bit heat averse. The kitchen is able to turn up the heat on any dish for folks who want a more authentic (i.e. scorching) sense of spice.
The hit of the evening for our first-timer is the small, warm hole-less doughnuts. They're freshly made, not greasy, soft and seductive. One dip into the accompanying condensed-milk glaze ignites visions of Krispy Kreme's "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign. However, these are more substantial, and each guest is in control of the sweet goo factor since you dunk to taste. This twist on American junk food is sure to please.
Our more traditionally Asian-seeming dessert is ripe mango slices, accompanied by sticky rice bound with coconut milk and topped with black-and-white sesame seeds. It's not too sweet and a lovely combo that'll expand your horizons if you've yet to explore desserts from the Far East.
TP also has a selection of creative cocktails, beer (including Thai and Japanese bottles) and, wisely, four rieslings by the glass — which is always my match to enjoy with this delightful, spicy cuisine.
Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system.
