A little bit of Thailand at Little Bangkok

Atlanta, GA

Welcome back and Happy New Year, fellow foodies!

Our first post this year is a special one - it marks Petchiboon, Markus, and my very first shared adventure!  The three of us were finally able to get together and share a yummy meal together at Little Bangkok while we were visiting family in Atlanta, Georgia.

This little restaurant is a cute little place off of Cheshire Bridge Road, and when I say little, it mean it is quite small.  But great things come in small packages right?  Well, sometimes, but this place surely is one of those great packages.  Lots of traditional Thai decor around the restaurant- the front desk resembles a traditional Thai hut of sorts too!  It was a super busy night when we arrived.  It usually is but the food is definitely worth the wait.  Parking is very limited but the surrounding lots (gas station and church?) are open for use for dinner starting at 6pm.  Take out is a smart way to go if you aren't looking for a wait thought.  On to the goodies!

The table was full of lots of foods tonight because we were celebrating a happy event, my mommy's birthday! :)  Happy Birthday!

First, we ordered the papaya salad as our appetizer.  I don't think that it is in the menu, but feel free to ask for it anyway.  They are always more than happy to make it for you!  The salad was served in a cabbage bowl and came with sticky sweet rice, cabbage slices, and some beef jerky.  The papaya was fresh and crisp; the salad was salty and a medium spicy heat.  I think it could have done with a touch more sour, but it was still pretty authentic in comparison to other restaurants. 

My mommy, grandma, and I decided on the lad na.  Chinese broccoli and soy beans, in a gravy sauce served over wide flat rice noodles with your choice of protein.  We decided on the chicken but I Petchi and Markus got the beef.  The noodles were cooked to perfection - a chewy and slightly crisp bite covered in a savory gravy.  (For those of you foodies that have never enjoyed lad na, the noodles are first stir fried alone and then again with the gravy and veggies.)  The mixture was delightful; not too sweet and not too salty.  Considering most Thai restaurants do not offer this dish due to its necessity for more laborious preparation, it was all that much more enjoyable.

My daddy picked the Massaman Chicken curry dish.  It came with chicken sauteed in a massaman curry sauce with avocado, carrot, potato, onion, peas, green onion, and cashew nuts, all served over white rice. 

My uncle picked the spicy noodle dish called pad kee mow.  It was a dish of wide flat rice noodles with broccoli, carrot, mushroom, tomato, hot peppers, red bell peppers, white onions,  basil and a choice of protein (in his case, chicken.)  It was made to pure tastiness.  The peppers and broccoli were tender, the noodles chewy, and the spiciness, just right.  The flavors were balanced nicely though nothing spectacular.

Finally, grandpa's dish.  He got the fried fish special.  A whole white fish deep fried and then covered in a gravy sauce with lots of veggies and herbs.  This fish was prepared in a panang curry fashion, with traditional curry, in a creamy coconut milk with broccoli, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and basil.  The fish was cooked nicely, not overcooked and not burnt in anyway, and the flavors were deep and warming.  The mixture of the coconut milk and the savory spicy curry made for a delish dish that tops my favorite fish preparations.  The crispy skin and sauteed veggies were nice texture contrasts to the firm yet moist meat of the tilapia fillets.

 

With the generous portion sizes, we were not ready to have any desert but the coconut cake that walked by our table looked delectable.  hehe...

Overall, we had a wonderful experience here.  The servers were very nice and helpful in picking our food, were always around refilling our glasses and ensuring we had everything we needed, and even got in a few jokes to really make for a friendly atmosphere.  

Though the restaurant is small, it is quite cozy and well maintained.  A clean bathroom is always a big plus!  Little Bangkok is great for any occasion, ranging from a quite date to a family dinner party.  All thumbs up from the Stuffed Foodies staff!   :D

So, How Nuts Are We about Little Bangkok?

Food: 5 coconuts. Great fast Thai (and Chinese food though we didn't order any this time.)
Service: 5 coconuts. Yummy food served quickly with a smile.
Repeatability: 5 coconuts. This has always been a go-to Thai place for me and my family and since their portion sizes are generous and their prices reasonable, the tasty eats will always have me coming back for more.