Eats

Tongue Thai’ed

How to enjoy the spicy, savory, taste bud–changing joy of the Green Garden at Thai Blossom.

by Rheya Tanner / Photos by Fred Lopez

Anyone who has eaten at Thai Blossom knows the presentation is half the joy. That’s no different with the Green Garden entrée with shrimp. Vibrant veggies in a savory sauce are complemented by a hearty and adorable serving of white rice.

Green Garden is a joyful taste experience as well, thanks to its medley of textures. Crisp, crunchy sprouts, tender carrots, broccoli, onions, cabbage, and your protein of choice. Even better, you get to feel all healthy when it’s done.

Full disclosure, this is my go-to order, but it’s hard to go wrong with Thai. There is, however, one important caveat: it has to be at least a little spicy.

To those of you who eat ghost peppers for fun, great, no problem. But to those who burn up at the thought of spice: trust me, I understand. Growing up, I was an unreasonably picky eater. Even as I broadened my horizons, the one flavor frontier I was too timid to traverse was heat. I couldn’t wrap my head around why people wanted their food to cause them pain.

That is, until a few years ago, when a friend brought me to Thai Blossom for the first time. I placed my order, but made sure it would be mild mild. That was my first-ever experience with Thai food, and it was a positive one—but I knew there was something missing.

I said to my friend, “This is meant to be hot, isn’t it?” And he looked at me like I was an idiot, because I was. The highest heat level is called “Thai hot” for that very reason.

I left that meal with a newfound love for Thai food, and a resolve to develop enough heat tolerance to enjoy my next Thai meal as it was intended.

It took about a year before I felt ready to test my taste buds. I got it hot— well, medium—took one bite, and knew the heat was meant to be.

For the record, the mild is by no means “bad.” But heat puts those flavors into a new context; if I had to describe it, I’d say the burn sits on the surface, giving depth to the subtler flavors.

In case it wasn’t clear, though, I am not a gourmet, nor am I educated on the nuances of Southeast Asian cuisine, so take that with a grain of cayenne.

Hot or Not?

Every dish at Thai Blossom allows you to choose from one of four heat levels:

Mild: Not at all hot. I recommend it for those who shy away from spice.

Medium: More kick than what you might expect, but perfectly manageable for most. On par with Tabasco sauce.

Hot: For those who like it hot. I’m told by sources braver than me that its heat is on the enjoyable edge.

Thai hot: I’ll stick with medium, thanks.