True Thai

Date visited: Wednesday, June 6

The first time I went to True Thai (2627 Franklin Avenue East, Minneapolis; 612.375.9942) I wasn't too impressed with the food. I ordered the Pad Thai with tofu, and it was good, but not exactly special. I was happy with the beer menu, which featured a bunch of selections from Bell's Brewery.

I went back to the restaurant this week expecting an average experience, but I was happily surprised when I ordered the red curry with kabocha squash. It was flavorful, kicky and a little sweet. It also helped that I started the meal with some of the freshest egg rolls I've ever had -- they were hot and crispy, and the vegetables inside weren't over-cooked. Excellent. It should also be noted that almost every dish on the menu is vegetarian-friendly.

In some unhappy restaurant news, I was stuck in the suburbs for lunch about a week ago, and my only nearby food options were chain restaurants located in strip malls. I decided to try Chin's Asia Fresh because I had never been there before. What a mistake. I ordered the Thai Peanut Stir-Fry with Tofu and fried rice. The Thai Peanut sauce was over-powering and spicier than typical chain fare, and it came with tough little nuggets of tofu. The fried rice was greasy and bland. Yuck. I won't be going back -- ever.