We traveled to Phuket, a popular destination city for Thai tourism with their stunning beaches, tiger petting zoos, water sports and night life. We witnessed many things including a beautiful fruit market with many fruits that you don’t see in the US. We saw mangosteen, pomelos, baby pineapples, and of course, the supposedly foul smelling durian.
Our first night there, we walked the streets near our hotel, looked at the many restaurants and their offerings, and ultimately decided on a restaurant with both Thai and American cuisine as Happy Healthy Daughter was wanting some French fries.
The fries won’t satisfy a craving for McDonald’s quality of French fry as they were soft and soggy. Not particularly the best fries I’ve ever had. Not sure if ketchup was available, but the accompanying ranch sauce should satisfy most eaters. But the chicken tenders that came with the fries were definitely up to standard restaurant quality. So if you have a picky eater or someone who has become tired of Thai food and is looking to satisfy an American desire for fried chicken, then their deep fried chicken tenders will meet that need.
Now onto the Thai portion of our meal. The calamari was fried crisp with a nice tender calamari inside. The Thai dipping sauce that came with it was spicy and tangy, a wonderful combination that improved upon the overall tender, crispy goodness of the fried calamari. And at only ฿99 (99 Thai Baht), or about $3 US, a real bargain for the quality you are eating. The same can be said for the fried shrimp at also ฿99. Both dishes were appetizer in size, but both were excellent with the included sauce. The benefit for me on the shrimp is that I could barely taste the shrimp.
Then we tried a garlicky Napa cabbage, or Chinese cabbage as you may have heard it called. We needed to have some resemblance of vegetables in our meal and this one was quite garlicky. The garlic flavor was so strong, I couldn’t even tell that I was eating stir-fried Napa cabbage.
Lastly the steamed sea bass was well seasoned with cilantro and a sauce for a very fresh, tender fish eating experience. Don’t be afraid that the fish comes out bones and all as the fish comes off the bone easily and the flavor comes through as a fresh and enjoyable taste. All in all, not a bad dish to finish off our meal with.
When traveling to Phuket, having a quick bite at Zaap Spicys will not be a disappointment.
