The last time I was at Bai Tong, it was at their "original" location near Southcenter. I put that in quotations because their actual first location was near the SeaTac (but no longer there). For those who don't know, Bai Tong got its start due to the lack of Thai food available for the flight crews laying over in Seattle. A former flight attendance for Thai Airways started Bai Tong for that purpose. Now it has grown to multiple locations dishing up authentic and delicious Thai cuisine. This time around we made it to the spacious Redmond location which was bustling during lunch service.
We decided to get a few different items than last time starting with the Moo Dade Deaw (Thai Pork Jerky). I've had this somewhat recently in Vancouver at Zab Bite and the one at Bai Tong was miles better. Although each slice of pork was crispy and somewhat chewy on the outside, it was ultimately tender and almost juicy in the middle. This made for easy chew while still retaining the essence of what pork jerky is supposed to be. It was also well-seasoned with earthy, sweet and briny notes. Of course the side of nam jim jaew added spice, sweetness, more brininess and tanginess.
The most photogenic item we had was the Meang Kum. I've had this a few times and usually it comes on a chaphlu leaves with all of the components already on top. Meang Kum translate to "eating many things in one bite" and this is true here with shallots, peanuts, toasted coconut, lime, chilies, ginger and dried shrimp. The version here was DIY and instead of chaphlu leaves, we had small spears of romaine lettuce. We also found house-made Meang Kum sauce in the last square on the plate.. This was a fun way to eat and the flavors were intense with sweetness, brininess, tanginess, aromatics and spiciness. This was a dish best shared and was great at whetting our appetites.
With our appetites completely ready for the dishes that were arriving next, we had an equally appetizing Tom Kha. This was a particularly spicy and full-bodied version of the soup. With the addition of coconut milk, Tom Kha is usually more mild-tasting and naturally creamy. Hence, any spice involved is somewhat muted. Not in this case, we got all of the good things in Tom Yum (like the galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves) but with creaminess and plenty of heat.
Something that caught our eye on the menu was the Crispy Garlic Chicken. The menu promised us juicy chicken with a crispy exterior. Well, I am happy to report that they followed through with that promise as the chicken was indeed juicy and tender. The relatively thin and crispy batter was seasoned with a sweet and garlicky glaze that took on the aroma from the fried basil. They added some chopped red peppers mainly for color as I didn't get much in the way of impact from them.
We did end up doing a repeat dish because it was so darn good. This was the Roast Duck Curry. Just like last time, there was a half duck sitting in the red curry. It featured tender cooked down duck that had rendered skin. The red curry itself was rich and creamy (from the coconut milk) while exhibiting impactful heat and sweetness. Adding lychees into the mix provided an extra burst of sweetness but the grape tomatoes help bring it back down with tanginess.
One dish that was a study in textures was the Garlic Fish Fry. The fish was fried pretty crispy but in turn, the meat was a dry in most spots. At the thickest portion, it was flaky and moist though. This was to be expected as different thickness would cook at different rates. Therefore, for those who like it crunchy, they can eat the belly and tail portions while the ones who want it tender, go for the main body portions. As for the sauce, it was plenty garlicky with some peppery notes.
One of the tastiest dishes was the Thai Sukiyaki. All I know is that Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is served in a shallow hot pot with meats, veggies and sometimes noodles. This Thai version served at Bai Tong did not sit in a broth per se, but was stir-fried glass noodles with veggies and prawns with Thai Sukiyaki sauce on the side. This was tangy, sweet, garlicky and full of umami. This could've been due to the red fermented bean curd which also added rich saltiness. Loved this dish, so much impact and the texture of the noodles were perfect.
Along with the duck curry, we had to order another repeat in the Crab Fried Rice. The version they serve here was on point with chewy grains of Jasmine rice that were nutty and smoky from the intense wok hay. Flavors were caramelized and despite this, the fried rice wasn't greasy (as they use a lot of oil generally to make fried rice). There was ample fluffy crab to give texture and the mild pops of briny sweetness. The rice itself was also well-seasoned.
Our last dish was also a repeat in the Pad See Ew. Instead of tofu (our default choice during this trip), we asked for beef. The result was a more robust-tasting version with lots of smokiness from the stir-fry. The intense caramelized sweetness came through as well as the rich saltiness of the soy. Noodles were not clumpy and al dente. Beef was fairly tender for a lean cut. Overall, this was another delicious visit to Bai Tong. Food is prepared properly and their menu is diverse. The Redmond location is pretty busy, so best to come early or make a reservation.*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*
The Good:
- Wok hay (the wok's breath) is on point here, providing smokiness and caramelization
- Generous portions
- Diverse menu
The Bad:
- Place is quite dark, mood lighting perhaps?
- One of the busier locations due to the lunch crowd, best to avoid peak times