This post is brought to you by a STSL sponsor.
One thing that Jay and I probably used to be way better about before we had children was getting out and trying new things. If there’s one scalable thing that Jay and I would like to try and do more (I say scalable, because we’d love to do things like travel more too, but ya know…some day), it would be to get out and try more of the amazing restaurants and cuisines in our area.
While we consider ourselves very fortunate to be able to get out sans-kiddo now and then, sometimes it is nice to be able to have the whole family in tow, right? So most of the time, if we do have Lucas with us, we tend to go to places we deem “safe” (aka, large, loud, have hot dogs or mac and cheese on the menu, and or food we can have on our table quickly). Anyone else relate?
After a long week, we decided we needed (and wanted!) to just get out of the house and try something new, so our plan was to head out to a little (gasp) nearby Thai restaurant called SriSiam. I’ve heard people raving about at work for months now, so figured it’d be something fun and new to try. Neither Jay or I had ever been to a Thai restaurant, and even though we had no idea what to expect with bringing Lucas with us, we initially decided to give it a shot.
But then…I picked up Lucas from daycare. He hadn’t napped, he was grumpy, he was off the walls, and he was definitely in need of an early bed time. Darn.
So we did the next best thing.
Take out.
So part of the reason for the push to try the new cuisine? This month, as part of my partnership with FLYJOY and their 2016 Microadventure Campaign (you can check out my last post HERE!), we were asked to “get adventurous” and try a new-to-us cuisine. At first, we thought maybe we’d find a new dish to cook from home, but then I figured I’d wind up choosing a recipe that would need a bunch of ingredients I wouldn’t have on hand so we opted to go for food out.
But first, have you guys checked out the FLYJOY bars yet? They’re awesome. And they’re also non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, and Kosher D certified.
And since Lucas had already eaten an early dinner (and wanted no part of our Thai takeout), he sat with us and had a little snack of an apple and a FLYJOY bar.
Better yet? I love that FLYJOY has so many other facets of their company. They give a portion of all of their proceeds of each bar to HOPE International to fund small business loans and business training to help break the cycle of poverty and empower others in developing countries (you can find out more about the countries where HOPE works HERE!). So I loved their idea of this month’s adventure to reflect the “global mindset and passion that that they have for those around the world!
Now…as for our adventure into our first Thai dining experience? After browsing through the menu, we did see a number of things that were familiar enough to us (many of them reminded us of Blue Apron dishes we’ve had in the past, actually), so we tried hard to circumvent the familiar and go with some new, yet semi-safe things to try.
We got an order of Samosas for an appetizer, which are filled with chicken potatoes, and onions, and served with something they called a “cucumber sauce,” which was sweet and totally delicious.
For our entrees, we decided to pick two that we’d be able to share. The first was Pad See Ew, which was stir-fried wide rice noodles with egg, broccoli, carrots, and soy sauce.
The second was their “Sweet and Sour,” a thai style sweet and sour stir fried with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pineapple, carrots, and snow peas, served with jasmine rice.
As for the verdict from both of us?
It was good, but not spectacular. Even after I had finished eating, I couldn’t decide what my thoughts were on the Pad See Ew; some bites tasted awesome and had me going back for more, and other bites had a weird after taste. The Sweet and Sour, which I thought I’d like most, was good, but I almost felt like it was missing something. Or maybe it was too sweet? I don’t know. But my favorite part of the meal?
Definitely the samosas.
And, of course being able to enjoy it all at home with these two. <3
How about you guys? Do you like to get adventurous and try new cuisines often? What are some of your favorites?
For the locals – any favorite ethnic restaurants that you’d recommend??
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by FLYJOY. All opinions, as always, are my own, and I thank you all for your continued support surrounding sponsored content on STSL. <3
Julia @ Lord Still Loves Me says
My boss just took me out for my first thai experience and I loved it! If you do venture out again, I’d recommend any type of curry and lots of drunken noodles. :)
Kristen says
I had same thoughts about thai. My first experience I had Pad See Ew and Pad Thai. Like you some of the bites wowed me and some of the bites were ok. Definitely depends on where you get it from. The second time I had the sweet and sour to “play it safe” and try something new. It was way to sweet and didnt really taste much else but the sauce.
Jessie @ Just Jessie says
I like to try new cuisines, but it’s difficult where I live! There aren’t many options. When I lived in Milwaukee, I loved going to new places. Actually, one of the best places I went was this random “hole-in-the-wall” that you only knew about if you were in the area. A place would sort of “open up” in the lobby of a work building downtown and they would have Pakistani food until it ran out. Only open for two-three hours a day during the week and people would start lining up at 11 a.m. It was the weirdest thing, but SO good!
Courtney says
Hole in the wall places are usually some of the best!
Sarah says
Samosas aren’t even Thai, they’re Indian.
Danielle says
Next time if go with Pad Thai and a Red Curry with coconut rice. :)
Rebecca says
Samosas are Indian and they usually have a thicker wrapper and are eaten with a chutney such as tamarind or mint. I’ve eaten a lot of Thai. My favorite is probably yellow curry (which has carrots, potatoes and onions) or panang curry (a rich red curry). Green curry is also super rich and delicious. Most restaurants have a 1-10 spiciness scale you can use to order. You definitely need some spice!! Most people love pad Thai but I find the curries much more interesting. Green papaya salad is also very popular, but it does have seafood in it. Anyway, good luck with future Thai eating!
Sarah says
I came here to post the same thing…a lot of the stuff you tried wasn’t “authentic” Thai at all! Definitely try the curries instead of the stir fried dishes, and I also recommend the papaya salad. It’s amazing, but very unusual! I’d also recommend trying larb (also sometimes called goi). It’s a chilled meat salad that’s delicious. You can trust me here, husband is half-southeast-Asian ;)
Courtney says
Gahhh, I’m so bummed!! I feel tricked, haha! I’ll be sure to try the curries next time (and a papaya salad sounds amazing!). Thanks, Sarah!
Rachael says
Thai is a very popular cuisine here in Australia. You definately have to be picky where you go because some restaurants tend to use more of the sugary sauces for their dishes and taste more like Chinese than traditional Thai food. A good Thai meal will use lots of fresh and traditional flavours like ginger, lemongrass, galangal, chillies and coconut. Pad See Ew is always a favourite of mine along with a Pad Thai or mixed greens with coconut rice. If you can get fresh spring rolls they are amazing too!
Courtney says
Thanks for the tips, Rachael!
Julie says
Omg!! I have a serious Thai food ADDICTION. This is blowing my mind that neither you nor your hubby have ever had it!!
I do have to say though, please try it again when you aren’t pregnant!! As much as I love Thai food! (Like eat it once a week minimum kind of love). I could not eat it when I was pregnant! I just didn’t like it!! So, I vote to please try it again!!
Courtney says
LOL ok I promise, Julie! ;)
Chelsea says
I haven’t tried SriSiam but Celadon Thai in Latham (near the circle) is absolutely delicious. Their lunch specials are great, and are perfect as takeout for later that night! Definitely on the spicy side but you can order based on a scale. I loooove the drunken noodles there.
Courtney says
I’ll absolutely have to check that out, thanks Chelsea!
Shawna says
my go-to restaurant in my neighborhood (Hell’s Kitchen, which is basically Little Thailand of NYC!) is a Thai place actually! but being such a picky eater, i stick to a handful of their menu options and generally order a couple of apps as my meal. i’m not a noodle fan and i’ve had pad see ew but don’t enjoy it, and i don’t like samosas either…but the tofu avocado summer rolls and basil chicken dishes are always great. :) as for upstate restaurants, i’m a New World Bistro fan (went there this weekend for the boy’s bday dinner and although i know it’s not technically “ethnic” they definitely have a lot of variety on their menu and change things up), and i really like Garlic Lover’s Corner & The Hidden Cafe (i’m sure you’ve been to those but they’re great Mediterranean options). Hana is my fave sushi place (that counts, right??). there are some pretty decent restaurants up there! Ichiban just opened a place called Sushi House right by my parents’ in AP so i’m stoked to try that soon…oh and for Italian, La Perla is my fave. :)
Courtney says
I love hearing so many familiar restaurants!! I’ve been to many of them (YES to Garlic Lover’s Corner!) and agree that they’re all great :) I haven’t been to La Perla in FOREVER!
Shawna says
my parents literally live a mile from La Perla so that’s been “our family” restaurant for over a decade and it’s just such a great spot! :)