Pattaya Thai on King Street is the sister restaurant to the original and still popular Pattaya Thai Grille on Baymeadows Road. Pattaya Thai on King is owned and operated by son Russell Clayton, along with his mother Lek and brother Pikool.
Do not let the size of this restaurant fool you, with six small tables inside and a few outside weather permitting. They offer up the same amazing flavors and portion sizes as the larger establishment. The menu is heavy with soups, curries, noodles, vegan, and gluten-free dishes. There are well over 40 dishes prepared from scratch and use vegetables from their garden to showcase authentic flavors.
Here are a few of the dishes we sampled on a recent visit.
Lemon Grass Sesame Seared Tuna, beautiful Ahi Tuna coated with Sesame and Lemongrass seared to perfection with a side of mango ponzu sauce. Despite the delicateness of the tuna, the lemongrass sesame combination enhanced the tuna flavor leaving us wanting more.
Next up the Muay Thai Wings, dredged in a light rice flour tempura batter seasoned with garlic, soy, and cilantro root. Once cooked the wings are topped with fried garlic and served with garlic, chili lime dipping sauce. We took to these wings with enthusiasm, the rice tempura batter was crunchy and brown, we made a mess, but it was so worth it.
I am on board with Thai curry and selected the Matsamon Curry with fresh Naan bread. Hints of Cardamom, cinnamon lemongrass, cumin make this dish one of my favorite. Subtle flavor with a touch of heat filled with potato chunks, white onion squares, and roasted peanuts all blended with a creamy coconut broth. Combined with the soft, warm naan it’s a dish to savor.
I have been eating at the Clayton family restaurants for many years, now that they are in my backyard I will continue to indulge myself as often as possible. I encourage you to do the same.
