Ala-Thai Classic: Lard Sha Na Na

[Ed. Note: Normally the LITG gang would not have selected the Carp to rate any restaurant that never serves cornbread.  But, as you will see below, due to the head injury to Tojo, we made an exception. Please forgive us.]

I was honored to be invited by the gang to write the first real review of one of the Ala-Thai restaurants in the Gump: Ala-Thai Classic on Ann Street. As the Show Dog pointed out, the owners of this family Thai restaurant did not screw up like Coca-Cola by changing the formula and issuing a “New Coke” and then having to bring back “Coke Classic.” They opened two different places at the same time after establishing the brand in a very dingy place on Coliseum Boulevard (which I think is now closed). They operate Ala-Thai East a/k/a West Shorter on the Atlanta Highway and Ala-Thai “Classic” on Ann Street.

We, of course, would never drive past a Classic Gump establishment to visit a place with similar food in the East where the rich folk dwell so today, Tojo, Cheers and Show Dog met for our regular Monday lunch at the Midtown Plaza Development (managed by our own Gump developers McClinton & Company) and located Ala-Thai by moving toward the big phallic symbol in the SE corner of the center.

Coincidentally, the menu listed a lot of priks: There was “Prik Pao Noodles”, “Prik Khing”, “Pad Prik,“, “Lard Prik” and that well-known prik: Mao Prik (actually it was Pad Khee Mao). They even had “Crazy Noodles” as if noodles themselves were not wild enough. Nothing really wets the old appetite like a big plate of Lard Prik or Crazy Noodles does it? Actually, Pla Lard Prik is a classic Thai fish dish with spicy garlic, lemongrass and sweet chili sauce. And the noodles were not crazy at all. At other places they are called “Drunkards’ Noodles” which are made from delicious wide rice noodles, chicken, tofu, chopped garlic, red sweet peppers, red onions, cabbage, eggs, white pepper, fresh lime juice, bean sprouts, white vinegar, date palm sugar and “prik phom” which are ground red chilies. It was pretty mild until I spiced it up with the sweet red pepper sauce supplied on the table for a very different and memorable lunch treat not too gassy or burp inducing. And “Lard Na” has nothing to do with that stuff we fat-assesses use to cook in the South, but is actually rice noodles with broccoli covered in a house gravy and a very tasty gravy at that. If you are timid, you can always just order the dish that sounds the best to you. Cheers suggested the “Tom Yum.” (which is a hot and sour soup with plenty of meat) for one new to the menu.

Lard Sha Na Na

One note: Inside we found a clean and neat place with a vaulted ceiling and some Thai-themed constructions, some of which were hazardous to our tallest member. Poor Tojo collided with one of the Thai roof shingle thingies hanging down like a sharp icicle. Although his bald dome was marred as he was in line to pay and we heard him mutter: “Oooch” [Tojo’s attempt to say ‘Ouch’], Tojo’s acting—usually overdone as you would expect from a former professional wrestler--was not sufficient to earn a free lunch. Actually, the lunch was so good Tojo was happy to pay despite the scob on the noggin. So despite the ‘interesting’ names for the dishes and the hazardous cashier-area construction, Ala-Thai was four for four in satisfaction from the LITG gang and at $8.75 per lunch WITH their fresh and soft spring rolls (not fried) with what tastes like sushi and cream cheese inside (delightful and easy to eat with the chopsticks) it was a pretty reasonable deal well below the Tojo-line. But please forgive me if I cannot resist giving Ala-Thai the following high rating based upon the votes of those LITG members in attendance.....yes, you guessed it....... Four Priks, no, this is funnier.....Four Puds.

Oooch!

Lunch in the Gump: Lek's Railroad Thai Curries Flavor

Hot Thai

You do not have to endure the civil unrest in Thailand to enjoy really good Thai food for Lunch in the Gump. Located in the old Union Station down on the river (300B Water Street), Lek's Railroad Thai is consistently rated as one of the top-ten places to eat lunch or dinner in the Gump. Even the fussy Shadow Pup raved about the place for dinner on her Sup in the Gump blog not long ago. (Did you know she was pictured on the DeJaVu CSN&Y album?)

Shadow Pup with her peeps David, Stephen, Graham and Neil at the shooting of the album cover.

But I digress. This blog is primarily designed to address luncheon concerns although a good argument could be made that given the proclivities of the LITG Gang, we ought to be rating bars in the Gump also. Lek's is a good example of a good restaurant that has one of the neatest bars in town but does not attract a bar crowd because the restaurant is so popular. For those concerned about mundane things like money, the lunch menu lists numerous curry and other entrees for $7.50 to $8.50 and they all come with soup and one of the best spring rolls around. Those in a hurry will be pleased to know that if you order off the lunch menu, you will in and out in less than 30 minutes from the time you sit down--which might be a problem because the place usually has a line to get in which moves pretty fast for the very reason stated above. And for those concerned about your carbon footprint, Lek's is on the "Lunch Trolley Express" route and is near the inter modal bus facility.

Now as far as food taste and quality is concerned, Lek's is outstanding. I like curry and their Musmin Chicken Curry and Red Curry Chicken are my personal favorites. The latter is served in coconut milk with bamboo shoots and red peppers. No, they do not serve milk steak just because they use coconut milk in several dishes.

Red Curry Chicken Half-Finished or, if you are an optimist, half-full.

Now if you always want fried chicken, cornbread and collards cooked in fat like that lard-ass Bama Bing, this is not the place for you. But if you occasionally want good portions of spicy Thai food that will not put you into a grease coma, Lek's is a nice change of pace.

Side effect of food coma as demonstrated by Darla

I, for one, am a lunch renaissance man. I can enjoy The El Paso Chile Company, The Davis Cafe & Lounge (another lunch/bar spot) and Lek's all in the same week. Lek's also has a real sushi bar that appears popular with the Maxwell AFB Air War College students from Thailand. At least the mid-level officers. If you are new to sushi, I would recommend--despite the name--The Bama Crunch Roll.

Specify "Thai Hot" if you like more of these.

Lek's is open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 PM for lunch M-F. I have to go with Shadow Pup and give this place a five pepper rating. She is, after all, an Lh.D.