Thai Delight Cuisine

1700 Shattuck Ave

Berkeley, CA 94709

(510) 549-0611

Reviewed 8/5/2007

Thai Delight fits right in amongst its heavy hitting neighbors in the Gourmet Ghetto. Serving organic veggies and free-range meat, it's a cozy restaurant with walls the color of lettuce leaves, and it The tables are small, the lighting is soft, and the place is quiet, making it a great place for intimate conversation. This was true of a Sunday evening around 8PM, when almost every table was occupied.

The service is inconspicuous and attentive.

You can get cheaper Thai elsewhere, but probably not with such a charming ambiance. (But I could be wrong--not nearly as knowledgeable about Berkeley as I'd like.)

We ordered the organic version of tom yam gai (sour chicken soup) and red curry. These were both beautiful dishes distinct with flavor. Chunks of cabbage and jagged carrots strips floated in the creamy sour soup. The coconut-flavored curry was vibrant with freshly steamed broccoli, string beans, and bits of chicken. (Grrr! I should have taken pictures of these beauties!)

But I had a lil' issue with both dishes. It was the rubbery fragments attached to the bits of chicken. They were impossible to chew and the thought of swallowing them grossed me out so I decided to secretly spit them into my napkin. The problem was I was with someone I wanted to impress, and we were engrossed in conversation. On the one hand, I did not want him to break eye contact with me; on the other hand, I prayed he might suddenly bolt from the table. I just wanted a moment to myself. Anything to avoid ugly table behavior or swallowing! I also wanted to eat more food, which I held off on until I could dispose of this nasty stuff which ended up being secured between my molars and cheek until he finally he looked down. I then did my thing hoping he saw nothing.

Still, everything else about the place was worthy of an excellent review. Next time I will go meatless. There are plenty of options like varieties of tofu, and wild fish. I have much faith that they will not disappoint. And perhaps in ordering those dishes, I'll have better table manners.