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Thai Chili
Covington: 1102 N US 190. 985-809-0180. Map. WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY WHAT'S GOOD BACKSTORY DINING ROOM ESSENTIAL DISHES FOR BEST RESULTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Casual
AE DC DS MC V
The Mandeville-Covington corridor on the North Shore boasts a greater concentration of Thai restaurants than any other part of the New Orleans area. More gratifying is that all of them are pretty good. This is one of the best, with a lengthy menu and the ability (which I've tested on a few occasions) to put out almost any Thai dish you may have enjoyed elsewhere.
The menu is composed almost entirely of the Thai classics. A board of specials outside the front door has some more original items. Be sure to give it a good look before going inside, because you may never hear about those dishes again. At lunch is a buffet: $7.95 for all you can eat. Need I warn you against this?
Thai Chili was the first permanent Thai restaurant in the corridor. It originally was in an oversize building across the parking lot from the Winn-Dixie just off the Causeway. It moved to its present location a couple of years after the hurricane. The former occupants were a Mexican restaurant, then a Middle Eastern place, both of which left behind their handsome and unusual renovations.
One medium-size, spacious room has a unique sculpture on its back wall that suggests it came straight out of the jungle. The room is comfortably furnished. The happy staff is almost all Thai, but if you make yourself clear they will respond to all special requests. If you order more than one course, be sure to let it be known that you don't want the whole thing at one time.
Starters
»Veggie spring rolls
»Fresh basil rolls (cold)
Thai fried chicken strips
Chicken satay
Edamame
Fried shrimp, Thai chili sauce
Steamed chicken dumplings
Fried tofu
Fried squid
»Todd mun (fried shrimp cake)
Crab fingers with cream cheese
Salads
»House salad, carrot dressing
»Papaya salad
Thai cucumber salad
Yum woon sen (shrimp, chicken, noodles, lime dressing)
»Beef salad
»Larb (chicken or beef, roasted rice)
Soups
»Tom yum soup (hot and sour; chicken, shrimp, or mixed seafood)
»Tom kha (coconut milk, chicken or shrimp)
Won ton soup
Exotic vegetable soup
Entrees
»Asparagus shrimp
»Bangkok noodles with mixed seafood
»Shrimp with macadamia nuts
Choo chee clams, snow peas, pineapple
Basil mussels
Crispy duck
»Stir-fried duck with basil sauce
»Curry duck
»Volcano pot for two (Thai seafood soup)
Spicy catfish
Pepper steak
Thai Classics
The dishes below marked with a * are saucy Thai dishes with your choice of chicken, shrimp, beef, pork, tofu, or vegetarian
»Spicy Thai basil*
»Thai garlic with vegetables*
»Thai dried chili and cashew sauce*
Thai sweet and sour*
Thai vegetables in brown sauce*
»Thai ginger*
Baby corn and mushrooms*
»Thai broccoli*
»Thai red curry*
»Thai green curry*
»Panang curry*
»Musaman curry*
»Yellow curry*
»Jungle curry (many vegetables)*
Rama (peanut sauce with broccoli)*
Thai Noodles And Rice
Each available with chicken, pork, beef, or tofu
»Pad thai (rice noodles)
»Pad see u (soft flat noodles)
Drunken noodles (soft flat noodles, spicy sauce)
Pad woon sen (silver noodles, brown sauce)
»Chicken curried noodles
Thai fried rice
»Spicy fried rice
Pineapple fried rice
Thai Chili fried rice
»Todd mun (shrimp cakes and rice)
Kal todd (fried chicken, Thai sweet and spicy)
Desserts
Mango sticky rice
Coconut or mango ice cream
The restaurant is not easily visible from the highway. Look for the AT&T store, which is right next door in the perpendicularly-oriented strip mall.
They ought to have an easily-viewed display of their daily specials inside the dining room. The buffet adds less than nothing to the restaurant's well-deserved reputation for good food.
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Romantic
- Good for business meetings
- Open Sunday lunch and dinner
- Open Monday lunch and dinner
- Open most holidays
- Open all afternoon
- Unusually large servings
- Quick, good meal
- Good for children
- Easy, nearby parking
- No reservations
