The first time I experienced Kwao Thai, I was on a hunt for some great Tom Yum Soup (Spicy Sour Soup). I had tried several other Thai restaurants all through the south island looking for a bowl to compare favourably to my first-ever experience of Tom Yum during a trip through Cambodia. Cambodia borders Thailand and the two countries share culinary influences.
Good Tom Yum begins with a combination of lemongrass, galangal (a member of the ginger family), coconut milk and kaffir lime, which form the foundation of much South Asian cooking. This four-part combination is energizing on the tongue in a light and refreshing way. Add a little spice, a little sour, and you have a flavour explosion. Now add plainly prepared protein, vegetables and starches, and what results is a flavour profile that is fresh, never heavy, and never cloying. My Victoria Tom Yum quest ended at Kwao Thai that day, and it has become a favourite go-to place for Thai food.
Kwao Thai is a bit difficult to notice. It sits shy and squat in the middle of a minuscule shopping shack at the corner of Fraser Street and Esquimalt Road in Esquimalt. At first glance, it may seem a mere extension of the much showier Saigon Char-Broil. Shun the Saigon door on this trip, and force yourself a little to the right. Kwao Thai is next door, its menu beginning on the outside window with a full-colour strip of photos of tantalizing dishes on white plates. Step inside for a couple more full-colour collages. Plates are identified by name and number, though several numbers are missing. For the full menu, pick up one of the little red Take-Out menus piled on a shelf by the door, and keep it, take it home with you, for you will return. Take-out orders are a big part of Kwao Thai’s business, and there is a constant stream of folks picking up or placing orders at the counter to take away.
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If you prefer to stay, Kwao Thai does offer table service, but there are only four. I took a table at the back, the window being occupied. Decor is spartan. Mint-milkshake green walls are mostly bare, and the kitchen and storage areas are open to public view. It is permissible to claim a table, and then order at the counter, but I was presented with that little red take-out menu right away. Though I love the Tom Yum, I opted this time to try something different, selecting the Stir-Fried Basil ($16), and I did find a few heat-wilted strands of basil clinging to cuts of long beans, red and green bell peppers, bamboo shoots and loads of tender boneless chicken in a soy-based sauce. I chose chicken, but I could have selected beef, pork, tofu or just veggies. Or, for an extra $1.95, I could have enjoyed eight large prawns.
Heat options offered are mild, mild-medium, medium, hot, and Thai hot. I’ve sampled mild and medium in the past. My 83-year-old aunt who can’t tolerate much spice at all enjoys a bowl of Tom Kha (Coconut Milk Soup) with mild spice. Medium is intense, so I chose mild-medium this time. That hyphen describes it well. My first few bites offered little noticeable pepper, but as I progressed through the meal, the burn built up, and I was happy to have ordered the small Steamed Rice ($4) to temper it some. I soon had a good sweat happening. Medium takes me to the edge of my spice tolerance. I can’t imagine what Thai hot would do to me, but I can imagine that someone out there is brave enough to try it.