Phuket Restaurant
Seattle, WA

Review by: Chelan David
Date: 5/1/04

Forget the Space Needle, rain and java – Seattle should be known for its Thai food.

I was taking a stroll in my neighborhood nursing a somewhat dismal mood when I noticed a new restaurant. The name of the establishment perfectly summed up my feelings at the time so I decided what the f*%#, I'll try Phuket. Phuket, which is actually pronounced foo-kay, is named after an island in Thailand.

The center of the restaurant features an open kitchen where you can nestle up to the counter and watch your meal being prepared under a flame. I opted for a comfortable booth with a view of both the prep area and a big screen television featuring a baseball game.

I contemplated ordering a starter – spring rolls, chicken sauté with peanut sauce and fried tofu, each $4.99 – but after catching a glimpse of the portion served to the patron nearby I decided the entree would be more than enough. Each entree on the menu is $7.99 and I finally decided on the garlic pepper broccoli.

Much to my delight, the menu included Kool-Aid and even more intriguing were the exotic names. I finally chose Bangkok Tropical Punch over Ganchanaburi Grape and Pattaya Pineapple-Orange.

Shortly after I had placed my order, the apologetic waitress doubled back and asked which meat I would like with my entree (chicken) and moments later another waitress inadvertently asked to take my order. I believe it is much better to be fawned over than ignored, and although I wasn't able to communicate effectively with the staff because of language barriers, they were full of smiles the entire meal.

A complimentary salad – which is served with every entree after 5:00 p.m. – was brought to my table along with a purple plastic cup of water and a glass of Kool-Aid. For all I could tell the Bangkok Tropical Punch was simply Kool-Aid punch but dammit if it didn't taste better with their ingenious marketing ploy.

I had just finished my salad which was very appetizing with a tangy peanut flavor when a monumental sized meal was placed in front of me. Somehow they were able to cook a meal that could feed an entire boy scout troop in about three minutes but I wasn't complaining.

The garlic pepper broccoli with chicken is served with rice on the side and consists of onions, carrots, bell peppers, garlic and southern Thai spices. I am not blessed with extremely sophisticated taste buds but this much I do know; the chicken was tender, the vegetables fresh and the seasoning delectable.

My culinary pursuits are mainly to satisfy my hunger so what I really look for in a restaurant is an establishment that offers reasonable prices, makes me comfortable, and if it can enlighten me that is a bonus. As I waited for my check I flipped through the rest of the menu whose brightly colored laminated pages shared a wealth of information.

On one page, I learned there are 44 letters in the Thai alphabet. Thai is also a tonal language with five different tones. Basically, this means English speakers are going to be screwed when trying to learn Thai. In Thai, depending on the tone used, a single word may have multiple meanings. Kind of like in English when you say "Phuket."

On the next page, I learned that Phuket is an exotic island in southern Thailand, has some of the best beaches in the world and such movies as "The Beach," and James Bond's "The Man with the Golden Gun," were filmed there. The landscape is one of lush green hills, coconut groves and some of the world’s most delicious pineapples.

I was ready to board the next plane to Phuket, when I turned to the next page on the menu. Unfortunately, I learned that Britain and Japan have warned their citizens against traveling in Thailand because of possible terrorist attacks, especially on the resort island of Phuket. I have never been to a restaurant that combines language lessons, geography and travel tips seamlessly with food and beverage.