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Massaman Curry

Massaman Curry from Thai Time on Highland Street in Worcester

Massaman Curry from Thai Time on Highland Street in Worcester

The location of Thai Time is that of the old Acapulco on Highland Street which was an all-time favorite of mine – I noticed much of the inside hasn’t changed, which I was happy about!

I started out with the Chive Pancake with ginger sauce as an appetizer, which I shared. I did not specify fried or steamed (I wanted to be surprised) and two small pancakes arrived fried. It was a puffy, crispy, chewy, fried dough stuffed with scallions, it was a perfect mix, the doughy, crunchy outside and savory, onion filled inside! Perfect for dipping in the ginger sauce. My only complaint is I wish they served more than two! For my entrée I selected the Massaman Curry sauce with peanuts, potato, onion, green peppers, tofu and carrots. The restaurant allowed you to select which grade of spiciness you would like your sauce to be (you could also order it without any spice) – they had three, one being mild and three being hot, I selected two after the wait staff advised that the three was super- hot. The dish arrived in a large plate that held a lot of food, aside from all my vegetables, peanuts and tofu, it was also served with a generous portion of white rice. The sauce, a creamy coconut, was delicious, I had never tried this type of sauce before so I was pleasantly surprised. I was thankful I ordered the second grade spice because it was plenty spicy! The spice offset the richness of the coconut sauce and created a perfect balance for my palate. The vegetables and tofu were cooked perfectly, there were plenty of peanuts added to the dish which made it even more tasty. The rice, which I soaked in the sauce made it a perfect meal. The menu is large and inventive and I look forward to returning to try the many other options they provide.

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Bo Xao Bap Non

Bo Xao Bap Non from Dalat on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Dalat has been serving up Vietnamese food for a long time in this quiet store front location on Park Ave in Worcester. The restaurant is quiet plain on the inside offering about dozen tables for dining. Dalat offers about 100 different dinner options from very safe to very unusual. After perusing the menu I opted for a rather conservative choice of Bo Xao Bap Non or Beef with sautéed baby corn, onion, red and green peppers.

My meal was a well prepared dish of sliced beef and mixed vegetables in a simple and fresh tasting brown sauce. The meat was cooked perfectly and the vegetables still had a crisp fresh taste to them. The meal was served with white rice and was a moderate size portion. While I have no objections to my meal, its quality or value I found it rather forgettable. The meal seemed to need a little spice, seasoning, or sizzle.

Dalat was a good value, offered clean fresh tasting food, and an extensive menu full of choices, yet I left felling that it was missing something. In my opinion it seemed to lack some personality or sizzle for both the food and the venue. Overall, Dalat is a restaurant that I would have no problem going back to but it would not pop into my mind as a place that is a “must go back to.”