I’d planned to order a curry. My friend Lorin said, “Why not three?” Which is why she’s exactly the kind of friend you want for a food review.
I’d already had a little sneak peek of Tifudi, the new Thai restaurant on Walton Way, located in a strip mall near Richmond Academy. It’s in the old Timbuktu Café location, near the Walton Way Veterinary Clinic, and the interior has been redesigned in deep chocolate browns and creamy yellows, with gorgeous Thai art and lots of charming elephants. Diners can sprawl in large booths, dine in a group at large tables, or have a more intimate meal at smaller tables or along a bar.
For my sneak-peek lunch, I’d selected one of 25 different lunch entrees, each served with a spring roll, to share with my friend Christy. We enjoyed the pad thai, scattered with peanuts and bright with fish sauce; the crisp and crunchy veggie spring roll; and an appethaizer (points to Tifudi for this clever pun!) of plump potstickers filled with savory chicken and pork — all while sipping on hot jasmine tea poured from a white porcelain elephant teapot.
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Now, with Lorin wanting to order three curries for dinner (some to share and enjoy now and the rest for leftovers for the week!), I could order something new for us to sample. And there was plenty to consider.
Appethaizers include all kinds of delicious fried bites, from wings to crab Rangoon to tofu to dumplings, along with steamed edamame. For dinner, I was tempted by the stir fries, like the pad khing, fresh ginger stir fried with mushroom, onion, bell peppers and green onion, with a choice of chicken or tofu (or pork, beef or shrimp for an extra cost), or the honey fried or orange friend chicken.
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There are eight different curries to choose from, fried rice and noodle dishes (including an noodle soup entrée), fish and seafood, duck and a good list of vegetarian items — plus soups, salads, desserts and a short kids menu — which makes sense since a lot of the main menu seems kid friendly. The restaurant also has a good variety of flavored green teas (from rose to lychee to strawberry), milk teas and slushes.
It’s also important to note that some of the items are spicy, but everything is clearly marked, and nothing we chose had a spice level higher than 2.
Lorin originally ordered the massaman, panang and mango curries, but our server let us know that last item wasn’t available since mangos are out of season — and I love that the restaurant clearly focuses on using fresh ingredients. He kindly suggested the yellow curry instead. And for my dish, I decided to order something new that my daughter and I could share: flounder stir-fried in a ginger sauce.
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Our meals came with a salad — fresh lettuce, shredded carrot, halved grape tomatoes, with a ginger dressing. It was simple, but so good — so much so that my daughter actually had her first bite of salad! The dressing made the salad — it was light and sweet and tangy and so fresh.
I felt like clapping when the parade of curries appeared, in beautiful white bowls filled to the brim and served with perfect little cones of white rice. The massaman was a gorgeous rich orange, dressed with a drizzle of white coconut cream, with crinkle-cut carrots, cashews, sliced avocado, potatoes, and sweet potatoes and Lorin’s choice of tofu. It was probably the heartiest of the curries. Next was the panang with chicken, a bright orange, creamier sauce flavored with a bit of lime, and with different, lighter veggies like zucchini, squash, bell pepper and carrot. And finally, the yellow curry with chicken, which reminded me of my aunt’s home cooking — it had potato, sweet potato and onion and was a more delicate flavor than the other two.
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Meanwhile, my fish looked and smelled incredible — lightly fried flounder, dressed in sliced green, red and yellow peppers, onions and some fresh cilantro, with a sweet and gingery brown sauce. The coating on the fish was light and crisp, the fish itself was white and delicate, and the vegetables were cooked to crisp tender. My daughter asked for a small piece, but ended eating half the dish. She liked it so much that she asked me to say, and I quote: “The food is num-num. Please come here!”
But even better than the food — and the food was so good — are the people running the restaurant, who were sweet and friendly and just seemed so genuinely glad to welcome us.
Tifudi joins a handful of small, locally owned restaurants on that section of Walton Way below the Partridge Inn, including the Chef’s House, Happy Garden, Los Cabos, Augusta Fish Market — in an area mostly known for fast food and takeout. So, I’d encourage you too: Come take a peek. What you find might surprise you.
Make Your Reservation
Tifudi
1944 Walton Way, Suite D
Dinner entrée cost: $14.95 to $24.95
