Beyond the food, I am always amused by the service and menus.  I love the small, bizarre little shop front that houses this cafe.  Its sign is sometimes flickering, a few letters might be missing light, and you never know if they are even going to be open when you arrive.  If they are open, the dining room is full, sometimes even packed.  Some might find these characteristics annoying or frustrating but somehow I find them endearing.

Another side note you should know before arriving is they prefer for you to share your dishes.  Maybe prefer is not a strong enough word….they nearly demand you share and do not understand why you would want to order two of the same dish.  We’ve been told, “You are in Thailand now.  We share dishes here.”  This is totally cool with me, I actually love sharing and trying several dishes, but my husband would sometimes just like his own bowl of Gang Dang without having to share with anyone.

After a few years of dining at Chanon Thai, we understand the rules and we often share or get take out.  They still remain our favorite Thai in Salt Lake.  In fact, after a bad day the Gang Dang puts a smile back on my face.

Oh and if you want brown rice come before 6pm.

Chanon Thai Cafe
278 E 900 S

After settling back in after a few weeks of crazy traveling around the country, I asked some Twitter friends what I had missed in the food scene of Salt Lake. They told me about Ekamai Thai, one of Salt Lake’s newest Thai food cafes. Ekamai is located near Pioneer Park and conveniently also right by several of my favorite food stops in the city: Aquarius (freshest seafood in town), Bruges (to die for Belgian waffles and fries), Tony Caputo’s Market (delicious gourmet foods market and restaurant), and Carlucci’s Bakery (who sells my favorite cannoli in town). Now I can grab some Thai food after picking up some specialty cheese at Caputo’s or fresh tuna steaks at Aquarius, and maybe even a waffle on my way out. It is almost foodie overload in this little street across from the park.

When asking about Ekamai on twitter, I was told that it was “Like a street cart with a door and roof.” After checking it out myself I agree with that statement but also add that the food is absolutely beyond what you would think of most food cart food. Food carts are stepping up in many cities around the U.S. and you can read more about food carts in my post of Portland here. This tiny cafe serves up a delicious assortment of Thai food favorites. Their menu changes daily so make sure and check out their website or if you’re in the area you can check the chalkboard by the street to see what they are offering that particular day.

I had the pleasure of meeting my fellow food friend, Heather from slclunches on Twitter, who shares my love for adventurous dining and trying new things. We went on a Thursday and loved their Coconut Curry Chicken Soup. I ordered the one-choice lunch option, which is only $4.99. You can get two choices for $7.99. I tried the brown rice, which was a beautiful, almost purple, rice, and ended up being tossed right in with my soup making for an amazingly tasty lunch.

All of their food is fresh, from the fresh ginger in my soup to the bright green basil in the curry. I highly recommend their food and their outdoor dining is inviting. The owner makes sure to greet everyone and see how they all like the food. Friendly service, fresh tasty Thai food, cool location…I couldn’t ask for much more.

Ekamai Thai Curry
336 West 300 South
Monday-Friday 11am-7pm
Saturday from 12pm-7pm

For more info read Heather’s review at The Salt Lake City Lunch Examiner.

My Thai is a relatively new Thai Restaurant on 300 West in Salt Lake. Some coworkers introduced me to My Thai recently and since then I’ve been back just to have a few of these delicious fresh spring rolls. All of their food was tasty but these spring rolls were especially good. Probably the best in the valley. Fresh mint, lettuce, clear noodles, shrimp, chicken, bean sprouts, and carrots are rolled with special care into rice paper. All of the ingredients are fresh but what really makes the rolls so amazing is the sauce that comes with it. I have no idea what is in the sauce besides peanuts but it is delicious. Go try My Thai!
My Thai
1425 South 300 West
(801) 505-4999

La Caille is a French restaurant that is near the foothills of the mountains and is surrounded by green landscapes with small ponds, a winery, and lots of beautiful peacocks. It’s a great place for a romantic dinner, reception or Sunday brunch but I’ll save that review for another day.

There is much to be said about the Asian style La Cai; the prices were as the reviews said- very reasonable and the food was even better than expected. But what I really didn’t expect was the great atmosphere. State Street is known for good ethnic food restaurants (like Taj India and Thai Siam) but they usually come right along with pretty below average eating areas. La Cai has several private booths to sit in along with tables lining the windows. The private booths could fit 4 people and they have a curtain enclosing them from the rest of the restaurant. We took forever to choose an entree, because we are two indecisive women who are just happy to be going out to eat together. We finally landed on Lemongrass Chicken and Curry Vegetables. The Lemongrass Chicken was highly recommended by our waiter and reviews on-line. And I must say they were all stated correctly, the lemongrass chicken was delicious. It was served over steamed rice and sautéed in lemongrass and chili to add a little spice.

While we were there I spotted some of my Korean friends and we asked them what they chose from the menu. My friend Daniel, who comes here religiously, said he always orders the Pho (rhymes with “duh”), a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup. Next time I would like to try that, if I can stand not to reorder the Lemongrass Chicken. So, I appeal to you today to save your money and try La Cai, the Asian alternative to the beloved French La Caille, you will be sure to leave with a better fortune.

For additional thoughts on their lunch menu check out Salt Lake City’s Lunch Examiner.