Local Restaurants Vol. 8 – Thai Thani
Posted by disneyholidaytownhome on June 23, 2009
Finally!
I’ve talked about doing some reviews of the local ethnic-based eating establishments. It’s taken awhile, but we finally managed to hit a couple.
My family and I left some time during our last trip up to Disney Holiday Townhome (DHT) for some exploration. The whole family just loves Thai food. In fact, it may be our all-time favorite! We had (briefly) looked for a Thai restaurant on our past trips up to DHT, but had never gotten very serious about it. This time, we were determined to find one!
Holy Cow!
Yes, that’s what I said when I couldn’t find a single Thai restaurant in Kissimmee. Coming from an area where there seems to be a Thai restaurant on every other corner, it was amazing to us that there seemed to be none within 5 miles our DHT!
Thai Thani
On one of our vacations to the Kissimmee area, we had noted a Thai restaurant just south of SeaWorld, which is 8 miles from DHT. After doing a fairly exhaustive search on the Internet, I determined that this restaurant, Thai Thani, was the closest one to us. After looking at a few reviews on-line, we decided to give it a try.
Located just 7 miles from DHT, Thai Thani is located in a shopping center just south of SeaWorld on International Drive. This would put it on the southern edge of Orlando.
Thai Thani’s decor is beautiful. There are tables for larger (or smaller) groups, and booths for a more intimate setting. The staff was very friendly and attentive, seating us immediately and answering any questions we had about the menu.
Speaking of the menu, it is very lengthy! There were 68 different dishes on the dinner menu. I know for sure because they are all numbered. With so many items to choose from, the only thing I could order up front was delicious Singha beer. For someone who is even a mild beer lover, I strongly suggest you try this beer! I’m very much a lover of Bavarian beers, but this one has been in my top ten favorite beers for many years.
Once the drinks were served, we had finally made our decisions. We started off with an order of egg rolls for the table. The kids both got won-ton soup as well. For entrees, my kids went with the chicken Panang curry. My wife got the House Fried Rice Combination, which included pork, beef, chicken, and shrimp. I was torn between the Phad Thai, the chicken Phad Kee Mao, or the duck Panang curry. I finally decided on the duck Panang curry.
WARNING: There seem to be two camps for Thai restaurants – those who use fish sauce and those who do not. Thai Thani does use fish sauce.
UPDATE: I just went to my “regular” Thai restaurant. They told me that all I needed to do was to ask for no fish sauce when ordering. I thought that they actually cooked with the fish sauce. Apparently, it’s added prior to serving. Good news for those of us who aren’t fish sauce fans!!
My family’s “regular” Thai restaurant doesn’t use fish sauce. I’ve been to some that do, and have not been impressed – I just don’t like the taste. Having said this, Thai Thani’s Panang curry is not overpowered by the fish sauce like I’ve seen at a couple of other Thai restaurants. The kids were very happy with their curry! I was a bit less enthused, and had wished that I had tried one of the other two dishes. I’m not sure if it was the fish sauce, or the duck. I love duck, but I’m not sure I’m a big fan of duck in curry. My wife was very pleased with her selection.
The portions were huge! My daughter had half of her entree left to take home. The rest of us did better, but none of us “cleaned our plates”! If it hadn’t been for the discrepancy in the degree of spiciness between my son and daughter (the spicier, the better for my son!), I think they could’ve gotten by on a single dish.
Prices were a bit on the high side for Thai restaurants. The lunch prices, which are around $10 for an entree, are about what I’m use to paying for dinner. The dinner prices for entrees average about $14.
Our Home Away From Home
We’ve been looking for a “place to call home” in the Kissimmee area, in terms of Thai food. I think we’ve finally found it. Thai Thani is a beautiful place to take the family for some very authentic Thai cuisine. If this is your type of food, you won’t be disappointed!
Up Next
Another ethnic restaurant review is standing in the wings! Which “country” will we visit for our next meal? Stay tuned!
