Authentic Thai Dining/Groceries in ATL??

[stacystacy13]

Hi,

We have an au pair moving in with us on Friday from Bangkok. We would love to make her a gift basket with some snacks from her home country as well as have a list of authentic restaurants for her to find home cooking. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Stacy

[Candy Wrapper]

Hi Stacy!

I was originally from Bangkok and I know some authentic Thai restaurants in ATL.

There goes my list:

1) Thai Restaurant of Norcross ( 6065 S. Norcross Tucker Road, Norcross, GA 30093 Tel: [phone])

- They serve one of the most authentic Thai in ATL area....almost too authentic that a lot of American customers find it a bit too intense.....lol. I like their papaya salad (unlike most Thai restaurants, they don't make it sweet), nam sod (ground pork salad with ginger), spicy shrimp soup (hot, sour,and very spicy), pad thai (never have one myself but most people talk highly about it). My only complaint is they seem to use a lot of MSG. Not a good idea to dine there if you're sensitive to MSG.

2) Thaicoon & Sushi Bar (1799 Briarcliff Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30306 Tel: [phone])
http://thaicoonatlanta.com/

- Thaicoon is a meeting spot for Thai community in Atlanta. On weekend, they serve street food commonly found in Thailand (like, meat & three in the south) such as Thai style noodle soup, Thai style sukiyaki (both soup and stir-fry styles), northeastern style BBQ chicken and ribs. They make their own desserts (sticky rice mango, black rice pudding, coconut custard...ect). They also have so-so sushi......not bad but nothing special.

3) Rain Asian Fusion (2345 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30324 Tel: [phone]

)

- Rain is operated by the same owners of Thaicoon with a more fusion touch. On weekend (Sat lunch-dinner and Sun dinner), they have crispy catfish with green mango salad (yum pla dook foo) <---- very yummy and refreshing! Also, their duck salad with apple is delicious. Make sure you save some room for desserts.....sticky rice mango, green tea creme brulee, custard in a pumpkin, and chocolate mousse....they're all good! My advice is skip pad thai and sushi. Their pad thai is soaky & too sweet and sushi is so-so (not bad but you can better sushi anywhere else).

I blog about it in Thai here :-)

http://www.bloggang.com/viewdiary.php?id=candywrapper&month=07-2008&date=03&group=1&gblog=22

4) Bangkok Thyme ( 4969 Roswell Rd Ne, #235, Atlanta, GA 30342 Tel: [phone]
)http://bangkokthyme.com/

- I once believed they had the best pad thai in Atlanta. However, it downgraded a little bit the last time I visited. Still, a very decent pad thai that I'm happy to eat.......lol. They have a very nice panang curry, tasty stir-fried basil noodle, papaya salad and yum neau (beef salad) have a wonderful balance of flavor. One of the most famous items is firecracker tuna. A deep-fried rice on a sheet of seaweed is topped with tuna tartar and spicy mayo.....very tasty :-) I like most of their food, however, their masamun curry and terriyaki combo is too bland.

5) L' Thai (4880 Lawrenceville Hwy Ste 14-15, Tucker, GA 30084 Tel: [phone]
)http://www.lethai.com/

I have never been there but I have a lot of Thai friends who always praise the restaurant...so I just want to include in the list. L' Thai is the first organic Thai restaurant in Atlanta area and recognized by the Thai Ministry Of Commerce as one of the best Thai restaurants in the world outside of Thailand. They hand-pick most ingredients from the owner's garden. Most people recommend their soft basil roll, larb (thai style salad), pad thai, red curry, and coconut sherbet <---made from coconut JUICE, not coconut milk...very clean & refreshing...I have a friend who always has a craving for it.....lol.

Read some reviews by the local food critics here:

http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/GoodEats/Content?contentView=clReview&oid=oid:89361

http://blissfulglutton.blogspot.com/2...

Hope that helps and enjoy!! :-)

[ted]

Cool! I haven't been to Thai of Norcross in forever and ever. So, I was hesitant to recommend. Will have to make an effort to get back there now.

[Candy Wrapper]

Ted, I stopped by 3 weeks ago and the food was tasty! :-)

[jamilone]

Ooh, hello! (sorry; a lil excited 'cause this is my 1st time ever responding to a post ;-)) Anyway, as for making a gift basket, go to the BUFORD HWY FARMER'S MKT on Buford Hwy. right outside the 285 perimeter. You can also check out the ATLANTA FARMER'S MKT (formerly called Hong Kong supermarket) on Buford Hwy and Clairmont Rd. Restaurants? I suggest Penang -Thai/Malaysian cuisine- located....yup, you guessed: Buford Hwy (and Chamblee-Tucker Rd.) So as you see, Buford Hwy (also affectionatley called International Village) is what's happening. Along with the places I've suggested are tons of other markets and restaurants that you can give a try. Hope this helps!

[Milt]

Penang also has a location in Kennesaw on Busbee Parkway just north of Barrett Parkway - near Town Center Mall.