A “Charm”ing Experience: Meet Lemoyne’s New Thai Restaurant

Our spotlight is on another new restaurant this month as we visit Charm, a Thai restaurant that opened in Lemoyne on June 2nd. The first thing we noticed when we stepped into the welllighted little building on Market Street was the elegant décor in shades of black, brown, gold, and cream, from the place settings to the bar counter, which, although the restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol, serves as a point for takeout transactions, as well as additional seating. The second was the liveliness: the place was packed! The friendly staff had their hands full with a full house plus frequent takeout orders. It was a Friday night, after all, and dining space was limited. Advice to those wanting to check them out: get a reservation, especially if you plan to dine during peak hours.

Clearly the place has managed to generate a good deal of local enthusiasm already in its first months, and we found the food to be deserving of the hype. To start, we ordered appetizers: two Thai rolls for them, and a veggie roll for me. Both plates arrived hot and fresh out of the fryer. Both varieties were typical eggrolls prepared well: the Thai rolls had a pork-based filling, while the veggie rolls had just the common non-meat fillings such as cabbage, broccoli, carrots, and bean thread noodles. Both were served with a thin pineapple-based sauce. Also during appetizers, one of the specialty drinks, among the more common offerings of Thai iced tea and coffee, caught our eye: Pink Milk. Also called Nom Yen, I’ve learned that this drink, served over ice, is made from milk (often evaporated or condensed milk for an extra-creamy texture) and Sala syrup, a syrup modeled after the taste of salak, a palm fruit native to Southeast Asia. The staff at Charm prepared it as a layered drink, so there was a gradient from the whiteness of the milk, to an increasingly vibrant pink, and then bright red at the bottom where some of the syrup sits. It’s so pretty – it reminds me of Valentine’s Day. You almost hate to stir it and break the gradient. After tasting it, the closest thing to compare it to in American cuisine would probably be strawberry milk. It’s not quite like strawberries, though, being more aromatic and intensely sweet. In my perception, it had a cooling, almost minty finish, which makes it a great counterpoint to a spicy Thai main.

Which brings us to our entrees. Two in our party chose curries. One ordered a Panang Curry, a classic red curry variety with a bright taste thanks to kaffir lime, with all the meats (chicken, beef, and pork). And since they were able to vegetarianize their curries for me (yay!)

I opted for a Massaman Curry, a classic yellow curry which draws from sweet, fragrant spices like cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon, making it a little like a Thai version of an Indian korma, with tofu. Both were, of course, served with rice. We found them to be well-balanced, flavorful, and overall some of the better Thai curries we’ve had. Another member of our party went for a more unique menu item, the Thai Smoked Chili: stir fried cashews, carrots, onion, and bell pepper in a Thai smoked chili sauce. The diner who ordered it remarked that he wasn’t sure about the pineapple, but that it worked really well in this dish.

Charm, say its owners, who bring years of experience in other Thai restaurants to the table, is a Thai word for “bowl,” but they also embrace its English meaning as a “power of delight and attraction.” Other delightful options at Charm include their soups, other Thai restaurant staples such as Pad Thai and drunken noodles, papaya salad, mango sticky rice, and a selection of unique specials. You can try them out Monday through Saturday, 11am to 8pm. And be sure to check out their menu at www.charmthaipa.com