Chanon Thai Cafe
278 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City ; 801-532-1177
(see
map)
Always popular for lunch with $6.95 specials, it's also a worthy jaunt for an affordable delicious Thai dinner.
| Overall |
 |
| Food |
 |
| Mood |
 |
| Service |
 |
| Kid-friendly |
YES |
| Noise |
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Cuisine: Thai,
Price: $
Hours: M-F, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; M-Th, 5-9 p.m.; F, 5-10 p.m.; Su, 5-9 p.m.
Liquor: --
Corkage: $ 0
Reservations: Not accepted/necessary
Accepts:    
Website:
Recommended Dishes: Pineapple shrimp curry, Massaman curry, mango sticky rice.
June 25, 2008
The spice is right at well-priced Chanon Thai
By Vanessa Chang
"That's it," the Voracious One declared. "I've had it. We'll never eat here," he fumed after we discovered that Chanon Thai is closed on Saturdays. He fumed another night when we were told we could only order take-out when we asked for a table at 9:45 p.m. (the sign says they close at 10 p.m. and many tables were still full).
I couldn't blame the Voracious One for his frustration and appropriately named appetite and hunger -- especially with my ongoing promise of getting to taste some of the best and most beloved Thai food in the area.
We'd only been in for dessert many moons ago when I said I loved their mango and sticky rice ($4.95), only the kitchen was out of mango. I told him how much I liked $6.95 lunch specials, especially if the soup of the day (included with fried spring roll, rice and your choice of one entrée) is the tom yum studded with shrimp and evaporating hints of lemon grass and kaffir lime leaf.
When the restaurant first opened on this stretch of 900 South and 300 East, it immediately became a hit, thanks to more-than-reasonable pricing and great flavor (a party of six can eat well for about $90). After some gripes from longtime fans about a downturn in quality and slow/sloppy service, it's going through a bit of an upswing and I wanted to see how much it had changed. The Voracious One loves Thai food and could help me eat through the menu, so he seemed the perfect dining companion. If only I could get him a taste of the place.
"It's good here," I cajoled. "We'll try again and you can see if it was worth it."
We finally made it on a busy Monday night with some friends and their 2-year-old daughter who insists on telling everyone who would listen she's "almost 3" and on her way to Disneyland. She immediately caught the eye of the owners who are also the servers.
For all the complaints about awkwardly paced meals when the appetizers and entrees arrive at the same time, slow check service, or waiting for someone to take your order, you can't deny that these folks are just plain nice. No wonder they have such die-hard, loyal fans.
Though they don't have a children's menu, they were accommodating and even doting on the little one, providing bowls of plain hot jasmine rice and a Sprite to replace her usual glass of juice with dinner. They even let her feed the fish in the dining room's fish tank and asked her about Disneyland.
After a slow start getting orders, the kitchen took good care of us, too. "It's OK you order a lot of food?" our waitress asked half-shocked, half-polite. "Yes," we said. We're making up for lost time."
Even with a fairly large dinner menu, the kitchen's technique is impeccable. The Massaman curry ($8.95 -- your choice of beef, chicken pork or tofu), though luxurious with coconut milk and silky potatoes, is balanced with astringent tamarind juice and a shower of freshly chopped cilantro.
The tempura shrimp ($7.95) was all shrimp with a thin layer of panko -- what a pleasant surprise. Cream cheese in wontons ($5.95) is popular, but deep-fried pouches are so much better when studded with tender chicken that has been seasoned with fish sauce. Even the tofu tod ($4.95) a humble sounding dish of deep-fried tofu featured a naturally occurring crispy layer, surrounding a custardy soft interior.
Chanon's spice levels are more Thai than American, which suited us, especially the Voracious One who also happens to be a spice freak. Even when the ground beef larb ($8.95) or the sliced beef num tok ($8.95) sent our sweat glands into overdrive, we could still taste the fresh mint, lemon grass and lime juice playing against the heat on our tongues. We think of it as a culinary facial or tableside detox. A caramel-colored Thai iced tea ($1.95) doused the flames. If you still think you can't handle it, go mild.
Finally, the Voracious One (after finishing off the curry and the last chicken wonton) got to have his dessert. Fried bananas are everywhere. But the one at Chanon is one of my favorites. The secret? Really ripe, almost blackened, bananas that taste as if they've been slowly sugar-roasted for hours. The homemade coconut ice cream doesn't hurt, either. The "D1" offering is a combo plate with a decadent baked coconut custard, sticky rice and, yes, fresh mango ($6.95).
Once we put our forks down to actually converse, we agreed that everything about the meal was "good" if not better. The Voracious One continued to forage on our various plates as we paid for our tab. I gave him a questioning look across the table.
"OK," he conceded. "It was totally worth it."
Tribune's rating system
Overall rating
1 star Good
2 stars Very good
3 stars Excellent
4 stars Extraordinary
Entree price
$ Entree under $10
$$ $10-$18
$$$ $18-$25
$$$$ Above $25
Restaurant Noise
1 bell Quiet (under 65 decibles)
2 bells Can talk easily (65-70)
3 bells Talking somewhat difficult (70-75)
4 bells Raised voices (75-80)
A bomb Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)
The Tribune covers the cost of all meals at reviewed restaurants. Star ratings are based on a minimum of two visits. Ratings are updated continually based on at least one revisit. There is no connection between reviews and advertising.
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