Silver Dish Thai Cuisine earns more than just silver medal
A plate of Drunken Noodles available at Silver Dish Thai Cuisine.
A bowl of Penang Curry available at Silver Dish Thai Cuisine.
A bowl of Mango Curry available at Silver Dish Thai Cuisine.
A plate of Goong Gra Bok available at Silver Dish Thai Cuisine.
A plate of Mango Salad available at Silver Dish Thai Cuisine.
Fried bananas and ice cream available at Silver Dish Thai Cuisine.
Thai restaurants hold a special spot in my heart.
My first date with my wife was at a Thai restaurant in Provo. The food was exquisite and the conversation was sparkling. We were asked to leave because we were there for more than two hours.
Needless to say, the massaman curry was exceptional.
As I was debating which restaurant to dine at for this review, Silver Dish Thai Cuisine, which had opened in the last few months, caught my eye for this very reason.
My younger sister, who posts photos of everything she makes at culinary school on Instagram, was in town, so this was a perfect way to get the opinions of someone with more expertise than just a couple of foodies.
Silver Dish Thai Cuisine noticeably provides that hole-in-the-wall feel I’ve come to expect from dining in downtown Provo. It’s a natural fit for the community.
Staff members were friendly and quick to get us seated, even in the middle of the dinner rush.
The menu was typical of many Thai restaurants, with curries, noodle dishes and a few staples of Asian cuisine.
Our party of four started dinner with an appetizer of Goong Gra Bok, a traditional Thai dish of shrimp rolled in wonton wrappers, then fried. It was fairly basic, but had a unique saltiness that complemented well with the dip on the side.
Once we polished off all six wrappers, it was time for the main dishes.
Let’s get the worst item out of the way now. My younger sister eyed a mango salad on the menu she thought would be a good, healthy option. It was comprised of a few, large lettuce leaves topped with shrimp, cashews, cilantro, julienned mango and a sweet, tangy house dressing with noticeable hints of rice vinegar and ginger.
But the dressing was the downfall of the salad’s potential. The salad was practically swimming in dressing, making the whole dish very soggy. Plus, the lettuce wasn’t shredded. There were several large leaves that made the bed of the salad and they were difficult to cut through.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to what makes this restaurant a staple in Provo’s food culture.
My sister’s boyfriend ordered Mango Curry With Beef. The curry was a perfect viscosity and the sweetness of the mango perfectly paired with the accompanying spices in the curry.
At least one mango dish in this meal went well.
My wife ordered the Penang Curry, a variant on red curry, but with a stronger blend of coconut flavor than a traditional red curry. The chicken was perfectly tender and the coconut made the curry creamy and rich.
I chose to deviate from the group and ordered the Drunken Noodles, another traditional Thai dish. There are many theories to the origin of the dish’s name, such as a drunk man making the dish or rice wine being used in the original dish’s recipe. Regardless, just know there’s no alcohol in the dish.
The noodles were intensely spicy; the peppers and chili seasonings were almost overpowering, especially since I requested a three out of five on the restaurant’s spicy scale on top of the dish’s already peppery profile.
Once I’d finished off three glasses of water, I was able to appreciate the bold smack of flavor brought out in the dish. After a few samplings, this was by far everyone’s favorite dish.
My mouth was still tingling a bit, which led us to ordering the restaurant’s fried banana and ice cream. Three bananas were wrapped in fried wontons sandwiched between two scoops of ice cream with chocolate sauce and caramel drizzled over the plate.
Our only complaint with the dish was the difficulty we all had in cutting the rolled bananas. If we just had a knife, it would be a lot easier to enjoy. Still, it was a sweet way to finish off our meal.
If I were to dine there again, I definitely would choose less than a three on their spicy scale. I generally appreciate the pungent kick of spicy cuisine, but this was a bit excessive for me.
New restaurants are dotting downtown Provo. Silver Dish Thai Cuisine absolutely stands out among the crowd of new offerings, thanks to its mastery of traditional dishes and pronounced palette of herbs and spices.
SILVER DISH THAI CUISINE
Where: 278 W. Center St., Provo
Hours: Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Prices: $5-12.99
Info: (801) 373-9540, silverdishthaicuisine.com
Dining
