The dining scene in Novato has certainly perked up over the last decade. In spite of the chains that still hold sway, a number of small and large, down-home to upscale spots offer discerning palates a variety of tempting choices.Unfortunately, unless you frequent the city's strip malls, you may not know about some of the smaller, tucked-away spots--for instance, Thai Bistro in The Square Shopping Center at the corner of Novato Boulevard and Wilson Avenue. It doesn't look like much from the outside. But once inside, everything else melts away as you are transported to a Parisian-style bistro. Long, semi-sheer black curtains cover the windows, shielding diners from the busy parking lot; red and black faux-finished walls are adorned with prints and paintings, mostly of Paris, but with a few Thai scenes, too. A small fireplace sits against a wall not far from the entrance. Tables covered with black linen tablecloths and placemats with autumn-hued maple leaves add to the urbane mood. Around the small dining room are various Thai accents--ornate chests, elephants, etc. The background music is French and European--we heard no strains of Asian music. It's a lovely atmosphere, and not at all what we expected.While the wine list (all available by the glass or bottle) is small, it does include interesting and creditable selections. An assortment of beers is offered as well.The menu is extensive--and tantalizing. Most of the offerings are in English, which was a surprise. Hungry, and unable to make up our minds, we started with the temptations ($12.95), a combination of chicken satay, Thai Bistro rolls, taro rolls and golden tofu, served with sweet and sour sauce, peanut sauce and a cucumber salad; crying tiger ($9.95), grilled strips of filet mignon served with lime sauce; and Thai pot stickers ($7.95), deep-fried dumplings with chicken and vegetables, served with the house plum sauce.
We were quite impressed with the presentation--large, rectangular, white plates, with items arranged symmetrically, and thin slices of apple at each corner. The placement of each item, including garnishes, was careful and precise--simple, yet aesthetic. The colorful plates for our appetizers, with painted fruit, wine and cheese, were another indication that this is not the typical neighborhood Thai eatery.We enjoyed each bite of the temptations platter, but we particularly liked the taro rolls, deep-fried vegetable rolls stuffed with silver noodles and taro root, wrapped like a long, thin hard candy wrapper. Taro? I had no idea it could be so delicious. The Thai Bistro rolls were good, too: deep-fried marinated chicken, shrimp and crab meat. The four pieces of tofu, also deep-fried, were cut into cloverleaf shapes. The fried items were light and not at all greasy. The skewers of barbecued chicken were tender and good; and the peanut sauce was primarily peanut-y, not overly sweet. The pot stickers were deemed delicious. And the few slices of filet mignon, with a very tangy lime sauce, disappeared so quickly that only two of us got to taste them. I was told they were excellent…We didn't try either of the spicy and sour soups with lemon grass ($4.50), the salads (other than the cucumber salad--with an excellent rice vinegar dressing) or Thai Bistro plates ($12.95). There were so many dishes to choose from, and a number of them sounded tempting.
We were pleased, though, with what we did choose. The entrees looked just as appealing as the appetizers. We chose a special, the prawns and asparagus ($17.95), which, except for the accompanying cone of Jasmine rice (and cilantro), was the least Thai-like dish: succulent grilled prawns and thin, bright green asparagus stalks atop a bed of sautéed peppers, onions, peas and cloverleaf-shaped potato pieces, along with a plum sauce; each item was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. The pumpkin curry ($15.95) looked so charming, served in the pumpkin shell--with four large basil leaves under the cut-top--we didn't want to touch it. Inside were steaming chunks of pumpkin, tofu (can be ordered with chicken, beef or pork; prawns or salmon are $3 extra), peas, green peppers and carrots steeped in red curry sauce (the curry paste is housemade), a delicate, delicious combination that was also very warming, though not very spicy. It was accompanied by a cone of Jasmine rice sprinkled with sesame seeds; brown rice can be ordered for another $2.50. According to the menu, the dish comes with rice and salad, though the salad was missing on ours. Pad Thai ($12.95), also excellent, was a generous serving, yet not too heavy on the rice noodles or bean sprouts. This trademark Thai stir-fry, prepared here with a housemade "special sauce," had the requisite egg, tofu, bean sprouts, green onion, ground peanuts and a handful of prawns, not tiny bay shrimp. Pad Thai connoisseurs will not be disappointed; it was flavorful and satisfying.
The desserts were presented as elegantly as the rest of the meal. Of the three offered we chose fried bananas and ice cream ($7.95) and sticky rice pudding ($6.95). The coconut ice cream, topped with whipped cream and strawberry slices, was surrounded by fried banana pieces and strawberry sauce; the four strawberry slices at each corner were topped with a tiny dollop of whipped cream and sprinkled with crushed peanuts. Not a knockout dessert by any means, but it was good and definitely enhanced by its presentation. The sticky rice pudding, sprinkled with crushed peanuts and encircled by mango slices, was an interesting combo of flavors and textures, especially for those who prefer desserts that aren't cloyingly sweet.
Chef Louis Tundloktrakul demonstrated both her skill and creativity in every dish we had. And our server was extremely gracious and efficient. She was helpful, but not the least bit intrusive. The prices may be higher than other small Thai restaurants in the area, but considering the ambiance, the attention to detail of the preparation, presentation and service, we definitely got our money's worth. Although takeout is available, I'd save that for somewhere else--eating in is all part of the experience here.
