When I first heard about Thai Street Eats, I was picturing a rundown and dilapidated cafe crafting some of the best Thai food around, so when I finally arrived at 9018 S. Penn, I was a bit bemused when I saw it was a repurposed eatery inside the gorgeous Panang Thai Restaurant.
I was a little scattered by this restaurant-within-a-restaurant ruse, but, of course, it was the food that truly matters, and no doubt, Thai Street Eats, Panang Thai, or whatever it's called, delivers some of the best Thai in South OKC.
After I placed my order, I walked to the Asian grocers next door for a few items, which is always a good time. When I arrived back at Thai Street Eats, my order was out the door and ready to be consumed.
I started with the E-San Sausage ($10.00) – a very aromatic and porky appetizer of plump sausages filled with traditional spices, served with fresh ginger, well-rounded chilis, and leafy cabbage.
Though it sounds like a Beck latter-day single, the E-San Sausage is more than a soundtrack. Every bite of the taut sausage spurted warm liquid, and the taste of the meat, with its spices, peppers and juices, was where it's at, making it one of the best platters of all time. If this is what they serve on the streets of Thailand, sign me up and toss me in the gutter.
Even though we wanted more of these sausages, my guest and I turned our attention to the main courses.
My partner-in-sin had the Crispy Pork Stir-Fry Kai-Lan ($13.00). Featuring stir-fried crispy pork with Chinese broccoli, chili, onion, and bell peppers, it was served with white rice and topped with a fried egg.
The crispy pork was sincerely tasty, with one side glowing pink and tender while the other screamed rough and tumble. Along with the warm peppers and sticky rice, it created a domineering entrée for the whole family.
Sticking with the pork theme, I chose the Thai Garlic Pork ($13.00)—or the Moo Gra Tiem, if you please – a slab of stir-fried pork covered with chopped garlic and “house special sauce” and topped with a fried egg.
Miraculously, this special dish was a cut about the rest. The pork was incredibly good, but the wind-chopped garlic and the amazing “secret sauce”—give me a bottle of that!—along with the cilantro combine it into one massive bowl for a backstory of full flavor.
From the zipped-up pork to the buttoned-down rice, everything was so good at Thai Street Eats that I wonder if they're selling it short by putting it inside another restaurant. I see the logistical reasons behind it, but it deserves its own home, preferably on the street outside my house so I can eat those sausages every day!
Cómpralo ya!
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