Kirkland did not happen for our latest date night. We had only a short window of time to pick up the kids from our friends’ house, so I had to think fast – and picked somewhere close by: Lanna Thai in Everett.
It’s been awhile since we’ve been to a Thai restaurant, and I was craving Thai food. So, after dropping our kids off, I punched the address into the GPS – and we headed for our next adventure.
Wow! What an entrance!
It was the craziest thing. Situated right next to Quality Rentals and Rodda Paint, off of Highway 99, sits this exotic looking palace-like restaurant. Jeweled dragons guarded the entrance as we walked in…mesmerized.
A smiling, friendly woman took us to our table immediately. Oh my goodness. What a place! High, wood-beamed ceilings and a wide open seating area gave these surroundings a lodge-like feel, only with a fancy Asian spin. Our table looked out onto a massive wall with a painted scene of a procession of Thai people walking through a river, holding up long poles with decorative fabric draped over them.
Art, our waiter was friendly and down-to-earth. We felt like we had known him for years, like a neighbor across the street. He knew the menu well, and had many recommendations for us. I ordered the Pad-See-Ew (with level 2 spice) for $9.50; and Hubby took Art’s recommendation ordering their Special Noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce ($9.50), upping the spice to level four. (He is crazy!)
Hubby was thrilled to see we made Happy Hour and that they had Scuttlebutt Brewery IPA for only $3! I was delighted that I could order a pot of Jasmine green tea for only $2.95.
While we waited for our order, we talked with Art. He told us he was from the Phuket region of Thailand, a popular tourist area. We also found out the painting next to us was a depiction of the Chinese New Year celebration. Next thing we knew, Art was encouraging us to travel and visit Thailand, something we would love to do. You could tell he was proud of his heritage, and was excited to share about it. I love that.
Our food arrived quickly, and we dug in. Then, to make things even more fun, Art brought a special serving tray of hot spices – to add even more heat to our dishes if we wished. I cautiously sprinkled one of the spice mixtures onto a portion of my plate. When I looked up, Hubby was going to town. I don’t know what got into him, but he went nuts and doused the rest of his dish liberally with hot spices. I stared in awe. This was going to be fun to watch.
Chinese New Year Ceremony
Soon, Hubby’s eyes were watering, and he was sniffling. “Woo-wee! This stuff is hot!” I took a bite of mine and felt the heat, even from a level two – but it was extremely tasty. Lots of flavors – and I love the big, wide Asian noodles. The Chinese broccoli added texture and crunch to the dish, too. I savored every bite. Meanwhile, Hubby utilized all his senses to enjoy his.
Inside View of Lanna Thai
With each bite, he sniffled and wiped his eyes even more. “Oh wow. This is reallllllly hot!” I just shook my head and laughed.
Good thing Art was such an attentive waiter. He refilled Hubby’s water glass quite a few times. I think he must have been spying on Hubby from the back room, laughing as smoke was billowing out of his ears.
That’s why I say, date night is always an adventure.
Ratings:
We got out of there for $21.88 with the Passport Card, which is pretty darn close to $20. For the experience and the amount of food, it was definitely a bargain.
Atmosphere (romantic appeal): 5 I was waiting for the jeweled elephant to come around the corner. They did a good job of making this place look like an exotic Thai restaurant.
Food: 5 Amazing flavors and spices! And yes, Hubby has recovered. In fact, he seems like he has an extra bounce in his step. Hmmmm…
Budget Friendly: 5. Very reasonable prices. Huge portions. Awesome Happy Hour specials!
Fun and Unique: 5 A palace-like feel. Dragons in the entryway. Exceptional service. Watching Hubby burn his taste buds off, the list goes on.
Memorable: 5. We had a nice time and good conversation. Who would have thought this gem was in the middle of a bunch of industrial stores and fast food restaurants?
