Curry Rules! I Drools.

What to do on a Saturday night when its 30 degrees out?  Find something to unthaw you, body and soul.  Not chicken noodle soup - something a few dozen notches up. Curry!

 I love to eat - maybe too much (is there a too much?) and am trying to watch my greenbacks like many others during our lovely recession.  However, I am consistently thwarted by my own laziness and stomach grumbles.  I am finding ways around this (when I have the patience to plan.)  Restaurant.com doesn't offer all the yummy restaurants but it does seem to contain some upstarts - and if I hate my meal - it was only 15 or 20 bucks with tip and at least I learned my lesson the cheap way.

Anyhoo, to the part we all really care about.  Delicious food - the things I crave!  I had a "gift certificate" for 25.00 off a 35.00 dollar purchase.  I use "" because there are a bunch of lame rules and restrictions - they actually scare me because they look like they came from the IRS.  Thai Garden is located in somewhat of a strip mall which could scare you off.  But don't let it.

I needed peanut sauce.  You should know now this is a major weakness.  I could literally be served a bowl of peanut sauce and remain contented for quite a while.  If the spoon is any indication....

So let me let you in on what I ordered.  I normally would order the chicken satay (with said addictive peanut sauce) as my starter but instead I decided to be wild.  I ordered the "combo appetizer."  For 12.99 this included two pieces of chicken satay (I didn't say buckwild,) two curry puffs, two spring rolls, two cream cheese wontons, and four pieces of Tofu Tod.  In the middle were some carrots for garnish.  They looked like little crowns - like the one in Where the Wild Things Are.  I was going to take a picture of my little Max but the server took my food (admittedly, as soon as she got close I stopped playing with my food.  I haven't mastered the not caring what people think when I'm doing childish things.)  

I know its hard to see - but I promise - the crown and my carrots were identical.  And my spring roll version of Max was awesome.  I'm going to have to work on my courage of defying the manners ingrained in me.  Sorry Mom.

For my next course, Massaman Curry (Gang Massaman, 9.99) and Chicken Pad Thai (9.99) were ordered.  I can't help it - peanuts are one of those "healthy" things I love.  Healthy I'm sure, even after you add coconut milk which basically goes from white gelatinous delicious in a bowl to my arteries.  The Massaman Curry was divine!  It had plenty of good sauce to pour over my rice and the right quotient of potatoes, carrots, onions, chicken, and peanuts as well.  Actually, the carrots were really good (a little on the crisp side - but this is dependant on your preference) and I appreciated that there were enough peanuts to be visible. 

The chicken pad thai was also really good.  Pad Thai is something I am always in the mood for.  The noodles were on the softer side but delicious over all.  Could've used a more generous sprinkling of peanuts on the side and another lime wedge - but once again - delicious. 

Was my soul warmed?  Indeed it was.  And as I waddled to my car, I realized, I had momentarily found nirvana.