The Augusta Press recently donated a “Restaurant Reviewer for a Day” package to a Richmond County school fundraiser/auction, with 10-year-old London Young making the winning bid. This week, London invited me to Dine and Dish with her and her family, to share her thoughts on one of her favorite restaurants: Mai Thai. It’s not every kid who likes trying new cultural destinations — but London shares her thoughts on why Mai Thai is worth a try, for kids of all ages.
London Young knows Thai food — after all, she’s been coming to Mai Thai in Evans since she was a baby.
She, her sister, Britain, and her mom, Brandi, dine out at the restaurant at least once a week for dinner. But today, it was lunch — and there was a plus: It wasn’t quite as busy as it can get on a Saturday night. (If you do go for dinner, just “be patient,” said London.)
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As we walked in, London took us to a display of realistic and delicious-looking plastic food to help diners decide what to order, right inside the front window.
“I think it draws people,” she said. “You see people walking by and looking at it.”
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The restaurant is spacious, with tables covered in pretty patterned cloths in green and gold. The walls are a cheery yellow, with large-format classical Asian art.
“It gives you something to look at and not just the TV” — which is at the back of the restaurant. “And the music is always good!” she added.
While we didn’t get to see the owner that day, London said she’s usually there and speaks to everyone. Today, our server presented our menus with a smile and took the girls’ drink orders: Thai tea.
“It tastes like ice cream!” said Britain.
The full menu is huge, with appetizers ranging from spring rolls to Thai salads to wings; hearty coconut or lemongrass soups, entrees featuring your choice of chicken or tofu (or you can sub in pork, beef or shrimp for an extra fee), curries, rice noodle dishes, Thai fried rices, deep-fried fish in a variety of sauces, seafood dishes featuring shrimp, scallops or squid or all of the above, duck dishes, vegetarian dishes, even a kids menu for the less adventurous, including chicken teriyaki, chicken fingers, shrimp tempura or Thai chicken fried rice. During lunch Monday to Friday, there are also 16 lunch specials served with a spring roll.
Plus, many entrees can be customized to be gluten-free or to your level of spice (from spicy to extremely spicy!).
As a regular, London dove right in, ordering the chicken satay appetizer, the kids menu version of the Thai fried rice (hold the chicken but add vegetables and egg) to share with her sister, and a bowl of the S1, Tom Yum Soup — and surprisingly, adding tofu!
“It’s chewy, but it’s not too hard and not too soft,” said London. “It’s tender on the outside, and inside, it’s soft.”
Meanwhile, her mom ordered one of her favorites, E5, the Pad Prak, with chicken in garlic sauce.
“I love all the fresh vegetables,” said Brandi, who added that another favorite dish is N4, the Drunken Noodles. It’s rice noodles stir-fried with a variety of vegetables and your choice of protein.
The Thai tea arrived soon after, a rich brown sweet tea with a swirl of cream that when mixed, turned a pretty caramel orange. It’s very sweet, said both girls, so whether you’d like it depends on your sweet tooth: One of the girls finished hers quickly while the other took sips and saved the rest “for later.”
Steaming bowls of soup arrived next. Along with tofu, the lemongrass-scented broth was loaded with sliced scallions and button mushrooms. The lemongrass gave it a “kick,” said London: “The flavor is kind of sweet and sour, and I like that. You can choose the spice you want [London chose the least amount], and it still has a good flavor and isn’t too spicy.” Later, she also asked for a scoop of rice from her mom’s dish to add to the soup: “I feel like rice is good with it.”
Also offering a balance of flavors was the chicken satay, which featured tender grilled chicken, a sweet and savory peanut dipping sauce, and cool sliced cucumbers as a relish.
Meanwhile, mom Brandi showed off her meal, which featured lots of chicken, but even more fresh vegetables, prepared so they were still a little crisp: broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms, onions, green bell peppers, snow peas, and carrot discs shaped like flowers.
The kids’ Thai fried rice was also loaded with vegetables, which is a little unusual for most fried rice. There were peas, onions, bell peppers and tiny diced carrots, along with bits of scrambled egg dotting the rice. “It’s not like regular fried rice,” said London. “It’s fresher and less greasy and not sticky.”
Mai Thai also offers a seasonal dessert: sticky rice and mango. Lucky for us, it’s mango season, and the pretty plate arrived with a bed of glutinous warm sweet rice, dotted with fried mung beans and coconut cream, with cool golden slices of tender mango. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, reported London. If you’re not a fan of texture, this dish might not be for you, but the girls and mom Brandi all loved it, especially when you take a bite of the mango with the sticky rice.
“I never get tired of the food,” said London afterward with a smile. “I want to get it a lot, it’s really good.
“I think if you come to Mai Thai, it’s a very warm and cozy place. It has lots of details of the culture. The food is flavorful and never bland, and the food portions fill you up, but you’re not too full. It’s colorful and it feels like home. If you haven’t tried Asian food or cultural food, you should definitely come here.”
Make Your Reservation
Mai Thai
4272 Washington Road A, Evans
Entrée cost: $15.45 to $19.99
