Sea Thai Bistro

My friend Lillian met me in Montgomery Village yesterday. Our plan was to attend a book event at Copperfield’s. By “book event” I assumed some discussion, some signing, etc. When I got there early and read the store’s white-board, they called it a Meet and Greet. But more later.

We had lunch at the Sea Thai Bistro. This restaurant moved into the space the East West Café used to be in. I got there first and went inside—whoa, complete décor change. The soothing musical babble of the rustic fountain outside the door should have been my first clue. They have painted the interior a deep red and have dark wood tables and chairs, covered with white tablecloths. On the walls they have some lattice designs made from painted white wood and artificial acorns, pears, pine boughs. I’m not sure the lattice designs completely work but the dark wood and dark walls create a sense of “otherness” and tranquility that is very effective.

We had a wonderful server, who was personable, funny, and attentive without hovering. Lillian ordered the salmon curry with a bowl of seafood soup with shrimp as a starter. My attention had been snagged by the red pumpkin chicken curry, so I ordered that, and the spicy coconut soup.

This soup was perfect. It epitomized the mystery of Thai cooking, hitting every taste-bud colony on my tongue. Sweet/hot, sour/savory. The chewiness of the baby mushrooms and the pop of the yellow cherry tomato halves provided a nice contrast to the creaminess of the broth.
Lillian’s broth was rich red in color (nearly matching the maroon walls), with several plump glistening shrimp, some cucumber slices, bay leaf, tomato and numerous other spices. She said the shrimp had just enough time to soak up the flavors.

She gave her salmon dish rave reviews and I must say it looked wonderful. My pumpkin curry was very good, but I have to confess, the salmon looked better (and frankly, after you’ve had the perfect soup, anything would be a bit of a let-down).

This is a pricey place. I wouldn’t go there every week, but for a special occasion I recommend it highly. You could also go less expensive by ordering soup and salad or soup and an appetizer.

For dessert, we each had a Thai iced tea. These came in tall, tall glasses, the liquid itself a rich reddish-orange color. Their iced tea is excellent, not too sweet. This was the perfect, indulgent ending to the meal.

After lunch we walked over to Copperfield’s and browsed until 1:30, when Anne Hill showed up for the “meet and greet.” Anne Hill is a Sonoma County writer/blogger who does dream work. She contributes to Huffington Post, and hosts local dream events. She has written a short book—maybe it’s a booklet—on nightmares called “When Dreams Go Bad.” Check out her stuff on www.annehill.org. Anne has a great smile and welcoming manner. We discussed dreams and her dream pouches, stuffed with herbs she has either grown herself or wild-crafted.

Anne also has a blog called Blog o’Gnosis which transcends dreams and is interesting reading. She reminds me somewhat of Carolyn Casey. She’s thought-provoking. Check out the website and the blog.