Racha Thai | Mass Food & Wine

I started with an order of the Bangkok Ravioli as an appetizer at Racha Thai in Worcester. They came as a serving of six, plenty to share with another person, with a sweet soy sauce. The ravioli themselves were filled with chicken and some minced vegetables, pressed into a crescent dumpling, very lightly battered and fried just slightly crispy. The accompanying sauce complemented the ravioli very nicely, though the ravioli were excellent without the sauce as well. Overall an excellent appetizer and one I will order again.

For dinner, I chose the Lemon Grass Chicken. This was marinated chicken that was fried until slightly crispy and sauteed with veggies, ginger and peanuts, served over steamed vegetables and served with white rice. The chicken had just a hint of crispness but was still very tender and had an excellent flavor. Paired with the ginger and peanuts, the overall effect was excellent with great texture and a fantastic flavor all around with just a hint of heat. Though the chicken wasn’t very saucy, the plain white rice was a great pairing and offered a nice counterpoint to the bold taste of the main dish. Overall, an excellent meal and again, one I will certainly go back to Racha Thai for. -DL

Thai Place Duck at Racha Thai in Worcester

To my mind, there are two types of restaurant experiences. Some restaurants experiences are purely functional. There are times when you simply need food to satisfy your hunger. You’re on a road trip, in the airport, or, as often happens to me, running late between appointments. Expectations are fairly low. As long as you’re not hungry when you leave the restaurant, you are probably satisfied. On the other hand, there are times when you are looking for more. Times when you don’t just want to eat, you want to dine. There are times when the meal is the destination, not just a necessary stop while focused on other things. When out with my fellow Worcester Foodies at Racha Thai, I am most definitely looking for the latter; I am looking for an extraordinary dining experience. Regrettably, my dinner at Racha Thai fell far short of extraordinary. While the plum sauce was sweet and tangy, the duck was overcooked and most likely began the evening in the freezer. Overall, the flavors were indistinct, and the meal simply didn’t taste fresh. On the other hand, the vegetables were clearly fresh, but unfortunately undercooked. This meal was perhaps fine for one of those functional meals; I didn’t leave Racha Thai hungry. Based on my experience, however, I could not recommend Racha Thai as a foodies destination. -JD