the tasters group visit thai chow. march 19, 2014 the tasters visited wan reinhardt at thai chow restaurant in fort branch, in. wan is the owner and chef, she does it all...shopping, food prepare, cooking, and serve the food at thai chow.
the tasters arrived at 6:00 pm; we were a crowd of 26 people so the small garage/pole barn converted into a restaurant was filled. having dinning experience at thai chow we wisely pre-ordered the food. we also were familiar with the “atmosphere” or better said, lack of. however, the food is the reason to visit thai chow. the train running just feet away and the folding tables and chairs just had to the “interesting décor.”
we ordered a thai favorite to start the meal...pad thai. this dish is usually served with peanuts. wan was gracious enough to prepare a "nut free" version for a taster with nut allergies. then we tasted the yum neur. the yum neur was a delicious and a refreshing iceberg lettuce salad with tender sliced beef garnished with mint, cucumbers, and onions. you can also order yum neur with shrimp. sticky rice is a must for the pad ped pla dook. this is a stir fried catfish with chili paste, peppers, and pea pods, the sauce on this dish is spicy but tasty and perfect on the rice. wan serves this dish and many others with fresh thai basil grown on site.
the last dish on our menu for the evening was panange chicken. the panange can be ordered with either beef or chicken. this is a wonderful blend of spicy from the chili paste and thai herbs, and creamy from the coconut milk. it was excellent! as a surprise wan had also prepared a stir fried dish of crispy noodles for the group. the tasters give thai chow an overwhelming 25 points out of 25 possible...all for the food and service!!! remember to order a head of time or expect to wait.