June 2009
Bangkok “home” cooking
Ruan Thai
by Katie Dozier
Photos by Julie Wiatt
When you arrive at a strip mall in Wheaton, you may not even notice Ruan Thai sandwiched between a dry cleaner’s and a used car lot. But with one bite of the Yum Watercress appetizer, you will know that you have stumbled upon the best Thai restaurant in our area, despite its dreary locale. Ignore the stained drop ceiling and mostly bare walls; instead, focus on the art that appears on every plate.
The steaming chicken satay arrives kissed with char from the grill, accompanied with fresh peanut sauce and sweet and sour cucumber salad. The bitterness of the salty grilled meat, the sweetness of the peanut sauce and the acidity of the cucumber salad combine into a morsel that caused one of my dining companions to moan with pleasure. At under $6, the satay is big enough to share for a first course—if you are willing to forfeit a few choice skewers, that is.
Even among tough competition, the standout appetizer was the Yum Watercress. The large bed of hot fried watercress is topped with plump shrimp and squid that are as crispy on the outside as they are juicy and soft in the center. Toasted cashews and a sauce of lime and chilies elevate the dish to one that you will find yourself craving days later.
Skip the salads though, unless you enjoy large chunks of Iceberg lettuce.
On Ruan Thai’s menu, a chili pepper symbol indicates that a dish will be spicy. While many restaurants liberally dash their menus with stars and peppers, here they indicate genuine heat. Fortunately Chef Krisana Suchotinunt is happy to accommodate guests that request their food less spicy.
One fiery find on the menu is the Mooh Cook Foon. On a bed of lettuce, strips of grilled pork rolled in black pepper arrive with a sweet and sour lime dipping sauce that includes freshly chopped Thai chilies. The pork tastes smoky and tender. As a garnish, shredded carrots offer a nice crunch as they calm the heat.
A great pairing for any spicy dish on the menu is a Singha. The pale lager from Thailand works well with spicy dishes because its slightly sweet flavor adds balance to your meal. The beer is served ice-cold in a chilled glass.
Connoisseurs often claim that the true test of a great Thai restaurant is in the famous Pad Thai. At too many Thai restaurants, the mushy noodles are drowned in sweet sauce and garnished with shriveled rubber disguised as shrimp.
At Ruan Thai, the thin noodles glisten with a mixture of tamarind pulp, fish sauce, sugar, and chili powder. This family-run restaurant’s signature Pad Thai is pure comfort with bites of soft noodles and crunchy peanuts. The dish is also garnished with sautéed shrimp, spring onions, pickled turnips, tofu, and bean sprouts. Glance at your fellow diners and you’re likely to see many forks dipping into this Thai classic. And it’s no accident; this dish is the macaroni and cheese of Thai food, and boasts a large portion for under ten dollars.
For those patrons not enamored with spicy food, Ruan Thai still offers a wide selection. One such find is the fragrant yellow curry. The golden coconut milk sauce coats chicken and potatoes that fall apart in a delighted diner’s mouth. A marriage of sweet and salty, the dish serves as a gentle introduction to Thai food for children and skeptical patrons alike.
Ask for a dessert menu, and you will get a verbal list from your waitress. Egg custard, mango with sticky rice and fried bananas are offered. Of the three options, the fried bananas win by a slim margin. The hot little balls of bananas arrive drizzled with honey and sesame seeds. True to her mastery of textures, Suchotinunt’s fried bananas are crunchy on the outside and meltingly soft on the inside. If it isn’t too warm outside, hot tea makes a nice accompaniment.
When one of my dining companions inquired, we learned that “Ruan” translates to home. This is no surprise, as service even on a packed Friday night is warm and efficient. Need another napkin? Ask, and it will appear in under a minute.
With the compact and often loud dining room, many locals opt for takeout. Do so and you will be pleased with the contents of the well-packaged carryout bag. The restaurant does not have a website, so it is best to grab a menu for home the next time you’re dining in. Believe me, it will not take long to memorize the menu numbers of your favorite selections. Keep in mind that fried dishes will inevitably get soggy with a wait, so it is best to savor these items in the restaurant.
Ruan Thai
11407 Amherst Ave.
Wheaton, MD 20902
(301) 942-0075
Monday – Saturday 11:30 am -10:00 pm
Sunday 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Appetizers: $2.95 - $7.95
Entrees: $8.95 -$13.95
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