Nothing beats a warm, comforting meal after a long day of enduring the cold weather. After trudging through the frigid temperatures, my body craves something warm and delightful to combat the icy wind and snow. One of my favorite soothing dishes comes from Amazing Thai, located on the end of Nassau Street in Princeton, New Jersey.
Founded in August 2019 by two sisters from Bangkok, Thailand, Amazing Thai offers traditional Thai recipes from the northern, eastern, southern and central regions of the country.
“We had a lot of experiences in the restaurant business but we took so long (at least 6 months to a year) to adapt and create Thai foods in Princeton. We hope the people here enjoy our food,” they told me.
“We love everything about Princeton,” affirmed the sisters. “We enjoy creating our recipes, representing Authentic Thai foods, and are very excited to see people love our foods.”
The restaurant created a welcoming environment, with its beautiful, golden leaf chandeliers, intricate wooden wall decorations, and gentle background music. I was greeted with large smiles from the staff and was immediately seated at a small table by the window, perfect for watching the snowfall outside. The people around me were devouring steaming bowls of curry, noodles, and stir fry dishes, as if they were the dishes that held the cure to any winter freeze. I was surprised to see that the place was also home to many Santa figurines; I tried to count them all, but the waiter, my savior, came to take my order and finally feed my empty stomach, rumbling in anticipation as I inhaled the spiced aromas in the air from everyone’s plates.
For an appetizer, I ordered the crispy spring rolls that are filled with carrots, basil, cabbage, and silky sweet vermicelli noodles and come with a lime-mustard seed sauce. Although I’m not a big fan of mustard, its addition to the sauce added the right tart punch, and made me dip the roll in for more. The rolls were fried perfectly, allowing for an excellent crunch between each bite. The crunchy vegetables, pungent seasoning, and delicate noodles soaked up the flavors of the tangy sauce that complemented the fresh vegetable filling and added just the right amount of acidity.
As an entree, I ordered a classic vegetable Pad Thai. The dish is a stir-fry made with rice noodles, eggs, radishes, peanuts, bean sprouts, scallions, and an assortment of vegetables including broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, snow peas, and green beans. The combination of such ingredients made each mouthful an incredible experience, as the different textures and flavors worked together in making a dish delectable. The crushed peanuts were scattered in between the delicate noodles and provided a nutty flavor. The crunchy bean sprouts balanced the soft chew from the steaming hot noodles, and the well-seasoned vegetables offered the dish an appreciable degree of freshness. However, the highlight of the meal was the rich, sweet-and-salty sauce that heavily coated the stir-fry. The sauce brought the ingredients in the dish to life, as each element was thickly painted with a fusion of fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and tamarind. The combination of salty, nutty, and a slight bit of sweetness left me craving more. The meal was satisfying and I licked my bowl clean with a happy, full stomach.
For first timers to Amazing Thai, the owners recommend the authentic Khao Soi, a northern Thai style dish that has egg noodles with slow cooked chicken immersed in a creamy coconut curry.
Their personal favorites include the northern style Lanna wrap for an appetizer and the Chu Chee Duck from the central and southern parts of Thailand for an entree. “The Lanna wrap is a very unique recipe that is hard to find in [the] US. The Chu Chee Duck is the perfect combination with spicy, crispy duck and the delicious curry sauce,” they attested.
Excited to be a part of Princeton’s dining scene, Amazing Thai anticipates sharing their cuisine in more places across the Northeast. “We hope to expand Amazing Thai in many locations in the future,” the sisters said. It would be incredible to see Amazing Thai in New York City, Miami, or even Los Angeles, massive cities where this cuisine needs to be enjoyed.
While the place is a bit of a trek away from campus, it is worth it. With each step I take through the snow, I feel as if I’m on a mission to the best comfort food in town. As the name suggests, Amazing Thai is truly amazing, and I highly recommend visiting the restaurant during the winter season for some delicious Thai cuisine.