Le Chef Thai
This terrific little Thai restaurant is a mere three doors away from my new apartment and is fast becoming my canteen.
Luncheon menus from 11-12 euros for curries or Pad Thai (rice noodles) including steamed or sticky rice, are copious and delicious. Abandon your chopsticks and spoon up those savoury juices-your plate should be clean when you leave
On my first visit I selected red curry chicken that was hot enough to wake up my taste buds but not to overwelm the flavors. A cold bottle of the Thai beer, Singha is my beverage of choice here.
On my second visit I was joined by the Thai food maven Bob Glaser and we found the seafood curry (shrimp, calamari & Saint-Jacques to be superb.) We began the meal with chicken nems that Bob pronounced better than his previous favorite Paris Thai restaurant.
And in effort to sample every menu item my pal and neighbor, Dick Aherne had the Wok-sautéd beef & basil that was redolent of garlic and as I poached, placed a star next to it for future visits. Once again I went for a curry dish and once again the sauce was splendid but the fish balls were a bit bland.
The chef is actually from Thailand (not always the case in Paris,) the host is French and the waiter, Gregor, is from Freiburg.
Le Chef Thai
59 rue des Gravailliers • 75003
M-Sat: 12PM-3PM, 7PM-10:30PM
chef-thai.com
