The Urbanspoon app is a cruel driving force.
I've been trying to limit my lunch outings to the Cary area,
if only because it's close to home. Moreover, I've discovered that I've
occasionally had to shake the app more than once (any by "more than once," I
mean five, six, or seven times) to find a place that I've not already seen, or
a bakery or other dessert place that's not really lunch fare. However, after a
several spins, I pulled Tom Yum Thai.
I'd been familiar with them for a while now. Last year, a
group of us were looking for a place for Sunday lunch and went there...only to
find that they're closed for lunch on Sundays. So I was looking for an excuse to get out
there again. The fact that the rooster statues are an Ingress portal was sheer
coincidence. ;)
Admittedly, I wasn't really up to a dine-in experience, so I
ordered takeaway. There were a few dining tables outside the restaurant, and the
inside was darkly lit--relying mostly on outside light from the windows--but
tastefully decorated. Unlike other Asian eateries that feel the need to pour as
much gold, jade, red plastic Buddhas, and other cliches into the decor, Tom Yum
turns the volume down (it's there, but not garish) on the cliche and plays up
the style and elegance. Hardwood flooring, dark woods, white table linens, and
white flower pots with warm-colored arrangements give the dining room a sharp,
sophisticated appearance--and they know it. "The place to see and be
seen!" boasts their website. Tom Yum's speed was exceptional. It took
eleven minutes from the time I stepped out of my car until I was stepping back
in to it with food in hand.
The lunch menu was a bit confusing. The menu on their
website said that lunch specials came with soup and a spring roll. When I got
there, the spring roll had been covered up with tape. When I ordered, the
waiter said that the lunch special came not with soup, but a spring roll.
Looking at the menu, I was looking forward to the Tom Yum soup, but it could
wait until another time. Sure...I can be flexible.
The fresh spring rolls had a nice taste to them. The
cilantro, sprouts, and sausage in particular played into the plum sauce.
However, the fact that the rolls were sliced made eating them difficult and
frustrating. I don't think I had a single one that didn't either break apart in
my chopsticks or leave half of their contents in the tub of sauce. They just
didn't warrant the $6 for the appetizer.
Now...Tom Yum's got a little bit of swagger to them. I like
swagger. Not only do they bill themselves as they place to see and be seen, but
their spices run medium, hot, and "Thai" hot...because regular hot
just isn't hot enough. I decided to try the Pad Thai, if only because it’s a
common dish that I can use as a baseline—the way I use General Tso’s Chicken as
a baseline dish when I check out a new Chinese takeaway place. Having seen from
other reviews that the chef is liberal with her spicing, I played it safe and
went for the medium option, and I was glad I did. For $8, the portion was
decent and the heat was present during and after a bite—but it wasn’t
overpowering, nor did it have me scrambling for water after each bite. The
noodles weren’t overdone and mushy, and the chicken tasted like white meat
cuts. The spring roll was standard. Not bad, but not special, really. Soup would have been better, I suspect.
Admittedly, based on lunch reactions, Tom Yum was decent for
the entrée. The appetizer and side item left a lot to be desired, but I didn’t
go there for appetizers and sides. Also, given that they seem to play a bit
more upscale in terms of atmosphere and decor, I suspect I’ll stop by to dine in for dinner some night. Still,
for a fast lunch order of Pad Thai, Tom Yum Thai hit the mark.
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