2024-04-07 14:54:07
In one of the alleys of the Carmel Market, there is an authentic Thai restaurant in Shushu with traditional dishes, a Thai market atmosphere, perfect Pad Thai, and not least – prices that have not yet met Israel
Cooks the dishes she grew up on. Chef May Photography: Merv Wasserman
Thai cuisine is taking over the Carmel market, and we have no problem with that as long as the positive price trend continues for our pockets – the consumers. Currently, along the market there are no less than six Thai restaurants, and there is a situation where we missed a stall or two hiding in one of the alleys. The newest entrant to the blessed takeover is “Ahn Thai”, and has nothing to do with the restaurant that operated and closed in Lilienblum. The name means “Thai food”, and that’s what you’ll find here, without the tricks, in its basic form, only less spicy than the one you remembered from that trip to Thailand.
Like in a Thai market, including the heat and humidity. Han Thai | Photography: Merv Wasserman
Simplicity is the name of the game here. It is a small and modest place on a residential alley that exits the market, with a few tables and chairs outside, and inside a counter where the dishes are served, and adjacent to it are also three seats overlooking the two woks that make up the “hot strip” in the place. Mei, a Thai girl who came to Israel from Bangkok six years ago and is pregnant with an Israeli, is responsible for heating the woks and sautéing the dishes. She barely speaks Hebrew, and all the Thai women there call her “the housekeeper”.
Like the food and the atmosphere, the design also throws you directly into a home place in Thailand, with huge photos of the dishes at the entrance, and a menu with graphics from the past. The authenticity also applies to the food with familiar dishes from Thai cuisine that are prepared authentically just like in homes in Thailand, without any pomp or restaurant elegance. May is not a chef and has never cooked in restaurants, but she has an excellent hand, and after making friends fall in love with her food, she was energetically convinced to open her own place and bring the gospel of home cooking that flows in her veins, to the people of Israel who love the flavors of the East.
An exotic dish from northern Thailand. Cao Sui | Photography: Merv Wasserman
Loyal to the Thai versions she has known all her life, she makes no adjustments for the Israeli audience, except for the reduced spiciness that comes from human compassion. Because Thai cuisine is known as one of the spiciest in the world, and here the spiciness goes down the throat without the need for a fire extinguisher.
The wok is king
If you take a peek into the interior kitchen, where the cold bar is operating, at any given moment you will see hardworking hands vigorously peeling the papaya hairs for the well-known and beloved sum tam salad, a mandatory dish to start the meal. I’m sure you’ve tasted quite a few of these in the past, and the one here is executed with impressive precision, and full of juicy sour-salty-sweet juice, which mixes with the crispy papaya matches together with cherry tomatoes and plenty of small peanut fragments (NIS 38). Also on the list of firsts you will find a generous portion of large and fragrant wings seasoned with Thai spices, deep fried and served with a sweet or spicy chili based sauce for an addictive dip (NIS 45).
Thai mama’s food. Pad Kepao | Photo: Courtesy of the venue
As for the main course, it’s easy, safe and delicious to go for the well-known and beloved – a Pad Thai dish that always comes out well, with vegetables or with the addition of chicken or beef (NIS 45/50/55). It is excellently executed here with rice noodles of the thin type, crunchy vegetables straight from the market, soy and also tamarind which adds depth and interest. The happy news is that there are plenty of successful wok dishes based on rice or noodles, all of them generous in size, will ensure satiety, and on the way will send you back to that vacation in Thailand for less than NIS 60 per head.
Classic, fun and gets the job done. Pad Thai | Photography: Merv Wasserman
Dishes from the north and sweet potato for dessert
Even though the weather is getting warmer, it is worth lingering over the soup section which includes six exotic dishes. Next to the spicy sour tom yum that is rich in Thai spices such as lemon grass, kaffir lime and powerful galangal (NIS 55), Tom Ka Gai, a less pungent and more relaxed Thai classic that combines coconut milk with chicken (NIS 55) is served here.
The list continues with “Kau Sui”, an exotic soup from northern Thailand that is characterized by a dreamy creamy texture, and comes with a choice of tofu, chicken or beef (NIS 55/60). Unlike Tom Yum and its ilk, here the seasoning is completely different and features strong curry, turmeric and soy flavors, which are balanced by a small vegetable bowl that is served alongside the soup, containing finely chopped purple onion, thick sprouts, fresh cilantro, pickled green leaves and a lemon wedge. Under the layers of vegetables you will find thick and bite-sized egg noodles, and on top of a typical dish decoration – fried wheat noodles that add crispness and fun to the bite. We fell head over heels in love with this special soup thanks to the pure pleasure of flavors and textures that we eagerly sipped to the brim.
A refreshing finish that calms the burn. Tapioca with sweet potato in Han Thai | Photo: Courtesy of the venue
In the dessert phase, cool down the hot atmosphere and powerful flavors with a refreshing tapioca dessert based on tapioca pearls swimming in a fragrant coconut cream, topped with seasonal fruits according to the market findings. Now the dish is served with strawberries, blueberries and hold on tight – sweet sweet potato cubes, and don’t be surprised if you find purple sweet potato inside as well. The authentic and exotic Thailand is right here, including the humidity in the air.
I’m Thai – Yishkun 45 Shok Carmel, Tel Aviv | Opening hours: Sunday-Friday 11:00-21:30 Saturday closed, there are deliveries
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