Although I live in Vietnam I never lost my craving for Thai food. I lived in Thailand for almost 5 years and totally fell in love with Thai cuisine. Street food is my favourite and nothing beats sitting out on the streets of Bangkok in the wee small hours digging into Khao Ka Moo, Larb Moo, Tom Yum Goong, Pla Nin, Pad thai and so many more Thai takes on fabulous Far East foods.
So about once a week now, I come along to Thai Street in the middle of Thao Dien in Ho Chi Minh City’s fashionable District 2. Thai street is a open air restaurant modelled on Thai Street food. The decor is fun and funky with the air conditioned section fashioned to resemble the BTS Sky Train in Bangkok. The entrance to the toilets also is modelled on the BTS. The cashier sits in a Thai street “money exchange” hut.
Thai radio floats over the airwaves bringing Thai pop songs to your ears as Thai food primes your tastebuds. It is altogether a pretty authentic Thai experience as all you senses are given the Thai treatment. The food is very good,though being a creature of habit I almost always go for the Larb Moo, one of my all-time favourites. This hot minced pork salad relies on roasted ground ground rice and mint for much of its distinctive taste. As with most Thai food it’s fiercely spicy and full of complex flavours.
The lunchtime specials include free flavoured ice teas which are great. So for a healthy, hearty serving of Larb Moo, a portion of steamed rice, the obligatory raw veggies and a beer mug full of Iced Thai lemon tea, I have to fork out the princely sum of VND130,000, that is just about 5 and a half of your US dollars or about 4 of my British pounds. Brilliant value and a treat that I look forward to each week.