thai fuku - “experience the best. recently, i visited this new cocoa beach restaurant that opened september 2012 in the strip mall with extreme surf shop. the eatery is a little difficult to locate from the road but it is directly on n atlantic ave (a1a) two blocks from 520 on the west side. look for the two small neon green canopies with unique asian white framing. it is easier to park behind the restaurant although there are spaces in front. my group of twenty women arrived before noon. this was our first visit.
the place looks small from the outside but it feels more spacious once you are inside. the ceilings are two stories high which really helps. walls are almost neon green. the color repeats in the front windows panels. lovely orange hanging lamps add more color. there are several lovely wall hangings. at the back of the restaurant, there is a wall-mounted flat screen tv. the décor is crisp and modern. we ate on wooden tables. there are also a few booths.
most of us ordered from the lunch menu and almost everyone was very happy with her meal. after we all arrived, the sweetest server that i have ever encountered took our beverage orders. for my meal, i ordered the thai lunch special pad thai. i am not too adventuresome with thai food. a relative suggested that i try this dish on a previous visit to another thai restaurant so i ordered it again. the dish is not spicy and consists of stir-fried rice noodles, eggs, ground peanuts, bean sprouts and green onions. all of the specials come prepared with your choice of: chicken, pork, beef, mixed vegetables or tofu, $7.95, shrimp, squid or scallops, $8.95 or jumbo shrimp or mixed seafood, $10.95. our lunch specials also came with miso soup and a crispy spring roll that was so delicious. our dishes arrived on heavy white square dishes. since my chicken pieces were just a bit dry, i suggest you try one of the other add on options.
two women sitting near me ordered lunch specials also. one ordered the cashew nut: stir-fried snow pea, onion, bell peppers, baby corn, mushroom, celery, carrot, cashew nuts, topped with cilantros and scallions, with shrimp, $8.95. another had the broccoli: stir-fried broccoli, baby corn & mushrooms in stir fried sauce with cilantros & scallions on top, with scallops, $8.95. both of those dishes had a mound of steamed white rice served with them. a third woman near me ordered an additional side salad with ginger dressing and we marveled at how fresh and appealing it looked. we regretted that we did not order it. there are 15 choices on the lunch special menu. some have a red pepper after it designating a spicy dish. another menu symbol tells diners that the dish contains raw fish. many of us took home boxes of leftovers, as did i.
the entire menu is quite extensive. four different duck or fish dishes are $9.95. if you have a bigger appetite, you can add one of six thai appetizers, $3.95-$6.95. if you prefer japanese food, they have many choices for lunch. there are six choices of bento lunch box, $11.95, tempura/teriyaki/hatsu, $7.95-$8.95 or sushi/sashimi, $10.95-$13.95. additionally there are thai entrees, house specials, and weekly specials. check out the uncle john’s specials (could this be named after owner john lekprasert.) for something different on the menu, try the new ahi tuna pizza, cajun tuna guacamole, sashimi deluxe or salmon sashimi wraps. i wonder how the pineapple fried rice tastes. thai fuku is also popular for sushi and bbq. why not come for happy hour every day from 4-6 pm-beer, $2-$3, wine, $3 or sake, $5, $8. there are alsofooddeals at happy hour. for example, my pad thai is $5 at happy hour.
our service throughout the meal was very attentive, polite and professional. the server refilled our beverage glasses just when we needed them refilled without anyone asking. she served all of us plus other tables with a beautiful smile. we each had separate checks and the server handled it flawlessly. i think that we will all return since everything went so smoothly. all the ingredients looked fresh. the sauces were tasty. every meal looked appealing. you just know that the staff takes time with presentation. portions are big and prices are reasonable. the restaurant is very clean. there is something for everyone on this ambitious menu. i hope that the owners are very successful in cocoa beach. john and his wife, too previously owned thai fuji in rockledge. rockledge’s loss is cocoa beach’s gain. i intend to bring my husband with me next time for dinner. maybe i will try the garlic duck, which is not spicy, or the tamarind lobster with fried rice if i want to splurge