Thai Angel Restaurant :: 1812 Vets Highway, Islandia

We’re back! And we’ve ventured outside of Smithtown. This time to the Thai Angel Restaurant in Islandia. It’s tucked into the outdoor mall on Vets Highway in Islandia (next to the Walmart and Dave & Busters)  and nestled in a corner with confusing signage that hangs over the Radio Shack sign. It’s easy to miss.

Jennifer ate:

Spicy Noodle with tofu from the lunch menu — ($10.95)
Thai Iced Tea (a must-have with any Thai dish) — ($2.50)

I’m just going to start out with “yum”. And not just because I love Thai food (I do).

It’s easy to miss Thai Angel because of the way the mall is laid out, so keep your eyes open, you don’t want to miss this place. There’s a bar when you first walk in which, during lunch, has several bored-looking people standing around waiting for their to-go orders. Once you’re seated, the large dining room has high ceilings, deep red walls with gold-painted Thai goddesses, and beautiful solid wood high-backed chairs that I liked, but Chuck and Aaron didn’t.

Of course, before I go on, I must mention the temperature. I know it’s cold outside (in the 20s) but come on. That means you have to better heat the inside. The restaurant was freezing cold inside! Cold enough so that you can barely feel your fingertips and your food cools more quickly than you can eat it. Even the guys were cold. Moving on…

The lunch menu has a nice selection of offerings and come with soup or spring roll and Thai salad. The Thai salad came out first and was yummy! The peanut dressing is usually good, but this one was spicy as well, which I enjoyed. Next came the vegetable spring rolls, which were delicious. Probably because they were fried. But the light sauce they sat in was also very tasty.

I’m glad I saved my Thai Iced tea for the main dish though, because it was perfectly spicy and the tea takes the sting out. The broad rice noodles were super and the veggies were perfect. I wish I knew how they are able to make their tofu so crispy and tasty. It was outstanding. I would have liked a few more veggies, maybe a bit more tomato and basil, but the overall flavor was delicious. Really, really good. I will probably be craving this again tomorrow.

The bottom line:

Spicy Noodle with tofu – so yummy.
Thai Iced Tea – perfect.
Overall rating: Gotta go! Now! Go. Really, really good. Just bring a warm coat. And maybe gloves.

Chuck ate:

Chicken Pad Thai from the lunch menu ($10.95)

Ok, first things first. Thai Angel is a really nice looking place with rich color on the walls, Asian decorations and appointments, and clean spacious bathrooms. It was a bit cold in the restaurant though. In regards to the chairs, while they looked nice, they were incredibly uncomfortable. They felt similar to pew seating, not concave scallops to hug your hiney, just flat wood.

However, we didn’t come here to talk about chairs, we came to eat. And eat we did. The salad was good and spicy (which was surprising), but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Next was the clear noodle soup which was also good but I would have liked some more noodles in it (it was a bit veggie-heavy for my tastes — Jen would have liked it though ;P). The meal arrived quickly and on large, leaf-shaped plates — a very nice, subtle touch. I usually like trying something different, but since this was the first time here, I figured I would go with the safe bet and order the Chicken Pad Thai. Boy, was this a good move! The Pad Thai was excellent. Just the right amount of spicy (for me) with generous amounts of finely chopped chicken, noodles and veggies. I ate the entire plate and felt satisfied (not full).

The bottom line:

Chicken Pad Thai — Excellent flavor and a generous portion.
Overall rating: Excellent food and decor, just bring along a cushion.

Thai House Restaurant :: 53 W. Main St., Smithtown

The Thai House Restaurant on Main Street in Smithtown is tucked discreetly along the main row of narrow storefronts. Joan Reminick from Newsday says, “The spice is right at this up and coming Thai House in Smithtown.”

Jennifer ate:

Pad Kae Mao ($7.95 lunch special)
House Salad (comes with lunch special)
Thai Iced Tea ($2.95)

It’s easy to miss the Thai House on Main Street. An unassuming exterior boasts a favorable Zagat rating in the window and opens into a tasteful and simply decorated dining room. (But don’t come on Tuesdays, it’s closed!) It was fairly quiet for a weekday lunch hour with three or four other parties already seated. Menus and water were brought to the table quickly, but nothing on which to nibble as you browse meal options.

An extensive selection of Thai cuisine is presented in an easy-to-understand fashion, with additional pages in the back to explain various spices. (A helpful tool if some of the menu items are unfamiliar to you.) Each menu item is also clearly explained so you have a very good idea of what you’re ordering.

I treated myself to a Thai iced tea, which I highly recommend. It’s a creamy, sweet tea that compliments potentially spicy dishes typically available at Thai restaurants. The lunch menu was diverse and extensive. I chose the Pad Kae Mao, a mildly spicy, sauteed flat noodle with vegetables, basil, onion and red bell pepper. Lunch menu selections come with a small house salad with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, fried bean curd and their house special peanut dressing.

Both were delicious. The salad was light and tasty. The Pad Kae Mao portion was on the large side, but was full of flavor and well balanced. (I’m stuffed!) Contrary to other local Thai restaurants and in keeping with more traditional Thai customs, chopsticks are not made available. It is my understanding that chopsticks are not traditionally used in Thailand, Thai people use spoons, forks and knives to eat their meals.

The bottom line:
Thai iced tea – Always a treat. A sweet, flavorful tea.
Pad Kae Mao – Well seasoned, not too spicy, just enough to “feel” the flavor.
Overall rating: Yum! Great traditional Thai food at an affordable price. I will most definitely go back!

Chuck ate:

Gang Massaman w/ Chicken ($7.95 lunch special)
House Salad (comes with lunch special)
Thai Iced Tea ($2.95)

What an interesting little restaurant. Inside was nice and bright; from the Thai design decorating the interior to the photos on the wall — this was an inviting and comfortable place (nice plush seat cushions, too!). The service was prompt and very respectful/friendly. They seemed genuinely thankful that we were dining with them, and were eager to refill water glasses and clear our empty plates.

Since this was the second time I had ever eaten Thai food (the first being Pad Thai at a Manhattan restaurant last month), I wanted to try something different that included curry. My palette is fairly resistant to spicy foods so I figured I’d be safe . I really appreciated the “spicepedia” (my word, not theirs) that explained all the spices used in Thai cooking, as well as their medicinal values (who knew curry had anti-flatulance qualities?).

The Gang Massaman was excellent. The combination of the sweet coconut milk and mildly spicy Massaman Curry complimented with chicken, onions, potatoes, red peppers and rice was amazing. I only wish the dish had more red peppers.

The salad was nice and light with a sweet peanut dressing. On Jennifer’s insistence I had the Thai iced tea. It was very unique, having an initially “rounded” sweet taste with a sharp tea aftertaste. I liked it, but not being an (unsweetened) Tea drinker, it had limited appeal for me (Jennifer actually finished mine).

The bottom line:
Thai iced tea – If you like tea, you will like this alot. It would be really good on a hot day!
Gang Massaman – Mild and sweet with the vegatables cooked to perfection.
Overall rating: Great price, great place, great food. I will be back. Oh yes, I will be back!