March 11th, 2011
Charlotte, NC
“As soon as I graduate I am outta here!” “I can’t wait to leave this place and never look back!” “I…I…I just want to dance!” These were phrases I often heard made by my high school classmates… or at least by the characters of high school films at the time. Growing up in the small town of Gaffney, SC typically inspired that singular goal, departure. I, oddly, seemed to enjoy the few benefits of a small southern town enough to not feel the need to participate in these musings. I was content with the idea of commuting to larger neighboring city for my career while spending my home life in the area of my upbringing.
Of course life rarely seems to work out exactly as your methodically-calculated 12th grade dreams are dreamed. I left Gaffney for Columbia, SC, followed by moves to Charlotte, NC, Nashville, TN and back to Charlotte where my wife Catherine and I have made our home with our son. What I quickly learned, post-exodus, was that having been exposed to a Chinese restaurant with an all-white staff, an Italian eatery that offered 2 liters of red sauce for every 6 ounces of pasta served and a Mexican place (that I still consider pretty good eats) housed in the building of a former fish camp while being raised in Gaffney- I had essentially been exposed to nothing.
Now don’t get me wrong, my hometown still has a plethora of “southern” finds that rival any others you might come across…but it’s supposed to have those – it’s a southern town. I mean, from a global standpoint, I had no clue. My parents did a good job of trying to help my brother and I to venture out (in the culinary sense) through travel to cities as close as an hour drive on interstate to those in other countries. By 16 I was both a helpless sushi junky and I had eaten at the same café 3 times in one visit to Paris because of my instant addiction to their Moules. But all of my great meals at that point were destination foods. I had not yet put together that if I lived in one of these locations I could sample such vittles more often than on a bi-annually basis.
Thus far in my blog it can be justly assumed that while I certainly enjoy investigating food from any and all available cultures, my true loves tend to hail from the realm of Asia. I love the spices, the use of fresh non-processed ingredients and most of all the variance in the cuisine between each country and region. Anyone that hits up the China/Saigon Dragon and Happy Sushi Buffett on a regular basis can just move on – or else pay close attention, maybe you can learn a thing or two.
One country’s offerings I fell in love with right about the time I moved to Charlotte for the first time (and around the same time that I was also falling in love with my future wife) were those of Thailand. Wonderful noodles dishes, awesome curries and always at least one menu item built around a crispy-skinned bird, what was not to love? Catherine and I spent much of our early dating life at one of 2 little places in Charlotte close to where we lived. When we moved to Nashville we brought our love of Thai food with us and soon found a worthy restaurant near our house that actually delivered. We were up to our elbows in Pad Thai and Green Curry at least twice a month.
Upon our return to Charlotte, however, finding a new Thai temple did not prove as easy. Inconsistent service and food quality plagued us. It seemed that as soon as a new shop opened in our vicinity, it would offer a lack luster experience and be shuttered in what seemed like a months’ time.
Though once lost, we were found - about a month ago. I had the day off from work and swung through uptown Charlotte get a quick trim at The Cut Babershop. They have some of the coldest beer in town (and some of the friendliest stylists as well, check’em out) and, as such, the two I had during my haircut left my stomach very prepared for lunch by the time I walked out. Remembering that a friend of mine was now running a fairly new Thai place in uptown, called Basil, and had been telling me how good it was, I thought it the perfect time to check it out. I could not have been more right. This was just what we’d been looking for – even if a good distance from our house.
I sat down at a high top in the bar and noticed that both the bar and main dining room were still really busy to be towards the end of lunch. Having a very modern Asian look inside, but not intimidating at all – I could see that even just hanging out for early drinks and snacks at this place would be a good idea. I ordered my first Singha (a Thai lager that I recently learned is pronounced simply Sing) and dug into the menu. I often find that eating at a place for the first time while alone is very frustrating in that I do not have others I can coerce into ordering an item with the sole intention of snagging a bite for my own purposes. Although I typically live by a sort of “I don’t give a damn what they think” mantra, sitting by myself at a table covered by eight or nine plates can sometimes leave me feeling a touch embarrassed. Based on this I decided to stick to an appetizer and an entrée only.
My first choice was the Beef Larb. A meat salad (is there any other kind) that is of Laotian origin, Larb was served all over southern Laos which included what is the present-day Isan Region of Northern Thailand. A highly spiced and flavorful mix of ground beef, rice and onions as well as super-bright herbs like cilantro, scallion and mint, it is finished with fish sauce (a favorite of mine) and lemon juice. Served with half a head of crisp, raw cabbage, when the plate hits the table your mind goes ”great, this looks just like those lame-ass, prepackaged lettuce wraps from PF I’m-a-fake-Chang’s.” When you load up your first crunchy little leaf with this beefy, oniony, fish-saucy goodness and take a bite your mind then says “these things whip up on those P.F.-cups more than Chuck Norris would on TBS’ Seagal Appreciation Day.” They are light and fresh but have a depth of flavor that make you think these flavors simmered together for days. What truly caught me of guard, but completely made the dish, was the fact that they were served with the cabbage. Raw cabbage has this inherent sweetness but with a slightly peppery finish. That combination played so well off of the spice in the salad. Also, they offer a much more solid platform than would your typical, flavorless, ice burg.
For my entrée I decided on Chef Suntorn’s Signature Dish – the Crispy Red Curry Duck. Wow…Wow. Beautifully presented, the duck was boned and sliced. Coated in the best Red Curry sauce I have had, rich and creamy with the perfect balance of spice and sweet. The duck was incredibly moist under its still crispy skin – meaning that it must have had the texture of pork cracklin’s before being sauced. Crunchy and vibrant vegetables like snow peas, green and red peppers contrast well with the soft potatoes and tomatoes in the sauce. What was really cool was that as the dish lingered on your plate and the sauce worked its inevitable softening on that crispy exterior, all you had to do was load a snow pea on your fork with a bite of duck and your mouth was tricked into telling your brain that the skin was still crunchy as hell. That kind of dish takes skill and if the chef’s other specialties are as well prepared as this then my next visits will not be disappointing. Also worth mentioning, both of the dishes I ordered could easily have served two people, they do not hold back on portions, making a big family-style lunch or dinner easy to accomplish. I very rarely regret where my life has taken me and even though I sometimes get a little twinge to move back to my small town roots, I know that the world that has been opened for me by some truly amazing restaurants is not going anywhere. They just leave me saying that “I can’t wait to go back!”
Basil Thai Restaurant
210 N Church St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
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