Thai Time Asian Bistro

We began with a couple choices off the short (well priced) beer and wine list, with a J Pinot Gris (pear, lemon, crisp) and the ever-popular Lagunitas IPA (can’t go wrong with that). Our first course was the tom-kha coconut soup, which had thick-cut red and green peppers, carrots, mushrooms, sweet onions, green cabbage, whole cherry tomatoes, and plenty of fresh, crisp large shrimp. Very colorful, it had an excellent sweet-to-heat ratio (we ate every bite).

The beautifully presented appetizers included some Harvest Fair double-gold medal winning fresh summer rolls (vegetarian; served with a thick, excellent peanut sauce); “yummy” chicken satay (one of the several whimsically named menu items) served with a tangy cucumber salad (cucumber, red onion, shredded carrots, crumbled peanuts) and speared into the other half of the cucumber; and savory lamb satay, which was incredibly flavorful and tender and included fresh onions, tomatoes and iceberg lettuce on the plate.

A 2009 Chateau Souverain Chardonnay (tropical nose, butter, toast) went especially well with the Bangkok fish, a breaded, crispy, deep-friend sole cut into several small, thin filets with a julienned salad of onions, tomatoes, carrots and green apples, which were a nice, sharp contrast to the sweet-tasting fish. As a garnish on the plate, a tomato was cut thin to look like a perfect rose bud. The roasted duck curry was a lean cut, sliced into medallions with pineapple chunks, tomatoes, red and green peppers, mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini. Its red curry reduction sauce had a mild but building heat. Both portions were plentiful.

The pad Thai was not too sweet or spicy and had thin-cut chicken with a mound of noodles and fresh shredded red cabbage and a carrot that was cut to look like a poppy. It was also a generously sized portion.

For dessert, we truly enjoyed the Thai iced tea crème brulée (also a double-gold medal winner at the Harvest Fair), which tasted exactly like it sounds, but without the traditional caramelized top. Served with fresh-sliced strawberries, it was a lovely end to the meal.