You Haven't Lived Until...

 For the last year, I have been taunted. I have lost sleep, tormented, and confused. In the words of the great Arlo Guthrie,  I was hung down, brung down, hung up, and all kinds o' mean nasty ugly things, over a decision that I made last September and October. That is, to not order a particular dish containing potatoes at my favorite Thai restaurant, Taste the Thai and Sushi House in Littleton, New Hampshire.

Potatoes are controversial, being that they are from the Axis of Evil. For a glimpse into my turbulent past with this lifelong adversary, read Please Don't Pass the Potatoes, from this blog from a few years ago.

The first time we dined at Taste the Thai and Sushi House restaurant, we were in for something good. Sometimes, you can walk into a place and feel the satisfaction of those dining, as well as the attention to quality among the staff. This was that kind of place. They are the winners of the Best in New Hampshire Awards.

We ordered the crystal dumplings, which were small and delicate, with a robust, thick dipping sauce. Truly a starter, and I was sure of this because had they brought me a galvanized maple sugaring bucket full of these, I would have eaten them all. The six we had was the preparatory note for a great dinner. We also had the pan-fried pork dumplings, sipping on the beautiful and mysterious Butterfly Pea.

Judy, our waitress, stood before us asking what we were going to have for the entrée. Donna chose the Tom Kha soup, just knowing it was going to be wonderful.  

Tom Kha Soup

When it came to my turn, I did something I often do. I asked Judy, "What is the meal that people keep coming back to this restaurant for?" For any good restaurant, there is a signature dish that brings people in, a must-have meal that the chefs have perfected and has become the heartbeat of the establishment.

You will know you have made a mistake when the server simply points to the most expensive thing on the menu and has no compelling story to tell. Sometimes I ask what their favorite is, but asking what the patrons' favorite is almost always gives the best recommendations. 

Judy did not hesitate: Masaman Curry. She pointed to it on the menu and said it is the most ordered item on their menu. People really love it. I noticed on the menu that CNN actually reported it as the #1 best meal in the world in 2017. I was in for an experience! As Judy described the dish's composition, I followed her words down the menu, and I hit the wall I just cannot breach. Potato! Why would they put this thing in the most delicious meal on the planet? It is so wrong! 

I told Judy that I could not do the potatoes and asked if there was another very popular item on the menu. She instantly directed me to the Ginger Stir Fry. 

Ginger Stir Fried Beef

Anyone or any restaurant can make a recipe, but there is an art to making a composed dish. The ingredients take on a new identity altogether and cease being what they were. This was that. I am grateful to our server, Judy, as I probably would not have ordered this dish and would have missed out on the experience.

About 5 weeks later, we were back in Littleton, and now it was the last couple of days of October. On our way in, we stopped here at Taste the Thai. We were very pleased to find that Judy was once again our server. Donna loves soups, and this time she took it to the next level by trying the Tom Yum soup with seafood. 

Tom Yum soup with Seafood

Again, I put my trust in Judy and asked her to order for me. She started to offer the Massaman Curry, but I reminded her about the potatoes. She knew who I was instantly because she then said, "Well, last time you had the Ginger Stir Fried Beef. I think you will really like the Thai Basil, Pad Kra-Prow." This dish came with my choice of meat (by which I mean beef) stir-fried with basil sauce, garlic, onions, green beans, bell peppers, and basil. (The mussel was actually from Donna's dish.)

Pad Kra-Prow

I am traditionally not one to order soupy dishes with broth, but I am getting better after this. It was superb in every way. The Jasmine rice, soaking up the warm flavors of the broth, was heaven. 

Ten months have passed since we last ate at this gem of a restaurant in Littleton. I realized that I had thought many times about how I did not order the Massaman Curry. It was a weight on me. Maybe even an old wound. We returned to the area in late August and early September of this year. As the week went by, I waited with great anticipation for the day when we would return to Taste the Thai and Sushi Bar. This is when I noticed something. The idea that I was steering around what CNN called the best dish in the world was disgraceful, or at least that is how I felt.

It made me feel babyish. For a kid who hated EVERYTHING in food, I eat everything now, except the ever-evil potato. This, to me, was a weakness. I struggle with weakness when it comes to myself. I have no tolerance for such insolent behavior. I have beaten the vices of my younger self with a fierceness that seemed to stop at this starchy threshold. Was I going to let this stop me from trying the #1 dish in the world? This question was burning me inside. I needed to do research.

First, what about this claim, made on the restaurant's menu about CNN? An exaggeration, perhaps? No, in fact, it was worse than that. CNN had been doing this since 2011. In 2017, Massaman Curry took the #1 spot. Through 2021, this dish held the top spot. In 2022, it shared it with 2 others and currently shares this seat with the Indonesian dish Beef Rendang (remind me to find that one!) OK, so it's not an exaggeration.

I turned to the authority on authentic Thai cooking, Thai-born Canadian Chef Pailin Chongchitnant. She is well-known for her YouTube channel, "Hot Thai Kitchen." Pailin is a factual and authentic authority on all things Thai food. I watched her make Massaman Curry, and I knew what I had to do. I needed to order it, and if I really liked it, I could make it myself in the future. I paced and deliberated internally, as one does when about to undertake a perilous mission. Potatoes were on the menu, and I had to have the full experience. No shortcuts. No substitutions. When something is labelled the best dish in the world, you do it.

When we arrived at The Taste of Thai and Sushi Bar, there was no sign of Judy. Tenish months had passed. Perhaps it wasn't her shift, perhaps she had moved on; we didn't know. This did not stop the restaurant from serving up the same warm, interactive experience as it had both times previously. The waiter, whose name I unfortunately did not get (something I try to avoid), was extremely helpful. I knew I was going for the Massaman Curry, and I was relying on him to make the choices for the best experience possible. 

There were options with this dish, and I wanted the most authentic. I asked what protein highlights the experience the most. Our waiter recommended the chicken. Excellent. He did not pick seafood just because it was the most expensive protein. Had he recommended it, however, I would have trusted him and accepted it. There was a three-dollar add avocado option. I asked what that does for the dish and whether that heightens its overall composition. He said no, it just causes you to taste avocado, but does not add to the Massaman Curry experience. So, again, I followed his recommendation.

I knew I could do this. After all, as a child, I had been forced to eat potatoes at everything just shy of gunpoint. I ordered, and there was no turning back. I was going to eat the best meal in the world.

When it arrived, Donna could not help but video me eating a potato, as others would not have believed her if she told them. 

All I can say is that Massaman Curry is a beautiful dish and absolutely my favorite curry out of all the ones I have tried so far. I love them all, of course. I could write an article about each one, respectively. This dish is like a warm blanket, with the right heat, silky, and designed to play the very notes of your senses.  

Massaman Curry

The dish here definitely had differences from Pailin's dish on YouTube. This one had thinly sliced beef strips. Convenient for a restaurant. Pailin's beef was thicker, browned, and braised, and looked quite tender after gently braising. The potatoes here were not cooked thoroughly. Pailin's were cooked more for sure. The flavor was exquisite. Yes. I need to make this. I, of course, will be making Pailin's as I will be able to virtually cook it right along with her.

Like anything that I make, eventually I will make it "my way." I know what you are thinking: Will I omit or substitute the potato?  I could see myself doing it. However, this experience is making me look at things in a different light. It is not just about me. The adolescent, low-key, tantrum-like refusal to eat something or include it just because I don't like it is starting to lose its form. Maturity is settling in, and perhaps, for my family, friends, and diners, I can put aside my petty, self-absorbed phobias and make this meal the right way.