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Food: Thanks for the Thep
New Thai restaurant in Inverness an 'angel' at your table...

by Lois MacLean

Inverness. It's almost impossible to say the name without a sigh, as though the memories of times spent there are far away in the distant mists of time. In truth, the breezy little summer town on Tomales Bay is as far from the workaday world of Marin County proper as you can get, even though it's less than an hour's drive from Highway 101. I'm always glad I took the time to make the trip.

In Inverness there's a slower pace to life, and much of it, unless you work there, is devoted to leisure. There are trails to hike, beaches to explore, a bay to kayak and inns of all stripes in which to lay your body down. But when you think about it, especially given the fire that closed Manka's a couple of years ago, there aren't all that many places to relax over a meal.

Given its often misty weather and Scottish and Czech history, Inverness might seem an unlikely place for a Thai restaurant. But when the most recent owners of Barnaby's, in the Golden Hinde Inn just north of town, decided to close, Anthony Walker and his wife Natwana found the waterfront spot she had been seeking for years, ever since a psychic in Thailand told her that she would own a restaurant on the water.

Thepmonggon is indeed right on the water, with several decks on two levels and three walls of windows looking out over the bay and marina just below. The interior is quite simple, with wooden floors and tables, a few banquettes and a bar at the entrance with a TV for checking the sports scores after you've been virtuously exercising outdoors. The views of the bay and shoreline are subtly soothing, and the Walkers have ambitious remodeling plans to take advantage of their location by expanding the outdoor seating and sheltering it from the weather with heaters and canopies during the winter months.

Thepmonggon opened in May of this year. Natwana, who is the executive chef, started out with an abbreviated menu that she planned to expand over the summer months, but Anthony, who manages the dining room, told me that they were instantly so busy that they never had time to add new recipes. So on the night we ate there, the dishes could only be ordered with tofu, chicken or prawns. In the past two weeks Natwana Walker has developed nine new specials that did not appear on the menu when I ate there, and they now include beef, pork and duck. This answers my concern that the menu at Thepmonggon did not include enough variety, especially for a group hoping to share family-style. Anthony told me that by next spring they hope to have added a total of 30 new menu items.

The Walkers have wisely retained the Tomales Bay tradition of offering oysters ($2 apiece, or $22 for a dozen). They serve them either raw or barbecued, and you can ask for half and half. We couldn't resist ordering a half dozen, accompanied by small pots of Thai chili sauce, a fiery barbecue sauce and garlic butter. They go down easily with Singha or Phuket beers ($4.50), or locally brewed ales on tap ($5). They may go down too easily, though, since for the price, some of the bivalves are awfully small.

Thepmonggon also has a growing list of wines from Kenwood and Lang wineries, ranging from $24 for a bottle and $7 for a glass of Kenwood 2005 Yulupa Merlot or Chardonnay to $35 a bottle and $11 for a glass of Lang 2006 Zinfandel or Barbera.

After the oysters, we moved on to Nested Prawns ($8.95). Five huge, succulent pink prawns had been wrapped in egg vermicelli and deep fried, then served over a bed of shredded cabbage with a sweet lime and chili sauce. They were great, messy fun to eat and quite tasty, too, although we needed to ask for additional sauce to moisten the crunchy fried noodles.

But we were disappointed in corn and chicken cakes ($7.95), similarly fried coins of corn-studded chicken forcemeat served with cucumber slices. Even when dipped in the same sauce with diced red onion added, they were dry, chewy and virtually flavorless.

Next came Tom Kha ($9.95), the creamy, lemongrass-scented coconut soup. We chose it with prawns, and they turned out to be the same gigantic ones we had sampled earlier. The soup itself was thinner and less rich than some, but still delightful with its warm interplay of sweet citrus and pungent spice. A big tureen served four appetizer-sized bowls, which were perfect given that we still had several entrees to come.

And come they did. Within moments of being served our soup, all three of our entree dishes were delivered to the table on big white plates. Presentations at Thepmonggon are simple and unsophisticated, much as though you are being served in a family home.

Yellow Maasa Mun curry with chicken ($12.95) was mild and sweet, simmered with potatoes, carrots, onions and tender slices of chicken, then sprinkled with roasted peanuts. Our server had asked us to specify the level of heat we wanted in our dishes, and we had opted for mild in deference to a companion who cannot tolerate very hot food. But I was sorry to miss that wonderful interplay of flavors that hit the palate one by one in truly spicy Thai food, finishing with that last lingering kick of chili on the tongue. So I went back for lunch one day to try the Ruby Red Curry with chicken ($12.95), and I ordered it spicy. The sauce was flecked with chili, and fiery on the tongue, but I wished for a stronger dose of curry flavor as well.

We hadn't realized from the menu descriptions how similar our remaining two choices would be. Basil Satay with prawns ($11.95) featured more of those big crustaceans sauteed with garlic, basil and chili, in a sweet soy-based sauce with crescents of onion and pepper. Eggplant chicken and prawns ($15.95) tasted almost exactly the same, with the addition of chicken and melting slices of Asian eggplant.

The servings at Thepmonggon are ample. There were four of us dining, and we took home portions of all three entrees, with the leftover jasmine rice.

The only dessert offered is coconut ice milk with coconut chunks ($4). It's light and refreshing, served in a little coupe, with a couple of salted cashews on top. I liked the contrast between the mellow vegan ice milk and the salty nuts, and would have liked them chopped and sprinkled over the top.

Thepmonggon means angel dragon. Anthony Walker says you need both to run a restaurant. Their menu also lists the health benefits of Thai seasonings. Galangal, the Thai ginger, assists in digestion and cures hiccups. Lemongrass reduces fevers and headaches and coconut milk lowers bad cholesterol and boosts immunity. Thai chilies help you to sleep and keep your heart healthy.

I recall a fall afternoon a few years ago, after a kayaking adventure on the bay through Blue Waters Kayaking, which is just next door to Thepmonggon (which was then Barnaby's). It was wonderful to climb out of the kayak, change into dry clothes and stroll next door to unwind on the deck with a platter of oysters and a bottle of wine. Now you can warm up with spicy Thai food as well. Thepmonggon is a work in progress, and it will be interesting to make a return visit to find out what happens next.