And just when I thought that perhaps Batavia had no further dining venues worth trying… I was happily proven wrong recently when Lauren and I decided to give Tusk Thai Cuisine restaurant a try.
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Clean, Comfortable, and Welcome Feeling
Located a block north of Wilson Street and housed in a building once occupied first by Fantastico and then RendezVu, Tusk – Thai Cuisine has really done a nice job upgrading an interior that had begun to look pretty shoddy by the time the last occupant had departed. Now, a fresh coat of white paint inside and some new curtains, coupled with white-paper-over-white-table-clothed tables, cloth napkins, candles in ceramic holders and polished glassware give the dining room a clean, comfortable and welcome feeling. We arrived just before six and were a bit nervous about the fact that only one other table was occupied… But by the time we were finishing our diners, the place was packed and not a single empty table remained; there was good reason for that.
Lauren and I have eaten Thai food on only three other occasions (Bistro Thai, Thai Zie) over a period of perhaps six years or so. But I can offer no valid explanation as to the marked infrequency of dining at Thai restaurants nor the near indifference to the fact. That may be about to change; among those Thai venues I have to date visited in the Tri-Cities, Tusk is head and shoulders above the rest.
Sweet, Patient, and as Helpful as Could Be
From our table, the banter we could hear — in Thai — in the kitchen was testament to the fact that at least the cooks were authentic. As we would soon learn, the food, too, was extremely authentic. Our waitress (the only server that night) spoke near-perfect English, although when she went into the kitchen, her fluency in Thai was obvious. She was as sweet, patient and helpful as could be, even when she performed the daunting task of taking care of about ten tables that had the restaurant suddenly filled to capacity (although a woman I assumed to be an owner was also available and did help greatly when the need presented itself).
Wonderful Flavors and Beautifully Plated
Perhaps it is an Asian trademark that the restaurant menus are always encyclopedia-length tomes that seem to make selections difficult. Not counting desserts, there were over 80 items on Tusk’s menu, fifteen of which were appetizers! With the kind help of our waitress, we decided to order the Siam Sampler Plate, which consisted of five different app’s. There were Summer Rolls, Tusk Wraps, Toong Tong (also sometimes known as “Thai Money Bags“), Coconut Shrimp and something called Gyo (stuffed & fried wontons). Beautifully plated and served with three separate dipping sauces — artfully explained table-side upon serving as to what sauce went with what ap — the appetizer portion of the meal was excellent. Wonderful flavors that included fresh cilantro, ginger, soy and a few I could not identify, were skillfully blended to provide mouth-watering results, and it was clear that the dinners to follow would be just as good.
Lauren selected the Chicken Sup-Pa-Ros (Grilled marinated chicken breast in rice wine honey, ginger and soy sauce, garnished with pineapple) and I ordered the Samsahai (Stir-fried chicken, scallops and shrimp with ginger, baby corn, pea pods, scallions and bell peppers). We steered away from the dishes that were marked with icons of one, two or three peppers — at least on this occasion — and the only “heat” came from a momentary encounter with the fresh ginger sautéed in with our entrée.
Absolute Delight — Very Authentic Thai Food
Our evening at Tusk Thai Cuisine was an absolute delight. The food was prepared from scratch using the freshest of ingredients and was seasoned delicately, producing separate and distinct, palate-pleasing flavors. Tusk Thai Cuisine is another excellent example of the simple elegance that is possible when one pays strict attention to detail. For the uninitiated, Tusk does not serve alcohol… However, they do allow carry-in of beer and wine; there is no additional corkage fee for wine — what a concept! All this at really reasonable prices. And add to that the fact that Restaurant.com coupons are available for Tusk and the deal gets even better.
Excellent and very authentic Thai food at great prices in an intimate setting — what more could one ask? I can guarantee that Lauren and I plan to go back. I give Tusk Thai Cuisine a very authentic Four Zins!
Your Table is Waiting…
Ralph Pancetta
Tusk Thai Cuisine is located at 102 North River Street in Batavia, IL.
Lauren’s Links
- Thai Kitchen Store (Amazon.com)
