Thai Kitchen

On 62nd Avenue North, not far from Phat Phap Temple, the Vietnamese Buddhist temple, is a small, but very good restaurant, the Thai Kitchen (1126 62nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702-7422; 727-525-8748). I definitely recommend it, not only because it’s very good food at reasonable prices in a very congenial atmosphere, but also for the breadth of its menu, which includes a number of items I’ve not seen in other restaurants around town. Just a few examples–out of many more–are the kaprao frog’s legs, the pho taek soup, the stuffed chicken wings, the crispy noodles with shrimp (mee grob), mussels, scallops, fresh snapper, and boneless duck. It’s an impressive menu, well prepared. There are a number of vegetarian selections. While I was there, several women were placing a large advance order for a vegetarian dinner party. The Thai Kitchen lunch and dinner menus are available from their website. Thai Kitchen is small–I’d estimate it seats only about 4 dozen diners, but, you won’t be disappointed in the quality of its food. It’s very tasty.

I’ve often seen the Thai Kitchen when traveling down 62nd Avenue, but I’d never stopped in. I guess I was afraid it was just a fast food joint. (It’s definitely not–it’s a small, but “legit” restaurant, complete with beer and wine license!). Then…just a couple weeks ago, I needed to have some pants hemmed. (How’s that for a non sequitur?)

my take-home green curry, tom yum, and spring rolls

I checked Google for St. Petersburg clothing alterations and picked one at random that I thought would be easy to find: Alterations by Pat (1237 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33710; 727-551-9408). At Pat’s, it was such a treat to be greeted at the counter by a smiling Thai woman who pointed to my neck and said, “Thai gold!” Peeking out from under my collar was the chain of a necklace I’d bought in Thailand. We talked as if we were old friends sharing stories of Thailand, the local Thai temple, and Buddha necklaces. Among the services that Alterations by Pat offers, in addition to alterations and wedding services, are imported Thai items.

While we continued to chat, I got measured for my alterations. On my way out, Pat gave me a paper menu for their family restaurant–the Thai Kitchen! I finally stopped at the Thai Kitchen and I’m so glad I did. This time I did take-out and brought home some tom yum soup, a lunch portion of green curry and rice, and a couple Thai egg rolls. But, it is really a dine-in restaurant. Their dining room is full of authentic Thai decorations, mosaics made of tiny pieces of mirror on lustrous metal backgrounds. There are pictures of the beloved king, Rama V. There were at least three generations of the owner’s family working when I got my take-out; I enjoy that family restaurant feeling. The Thai Kitchen is open for lunch, Monday through Friday, 11am to 3pm, and for dinner, Monday through Thursday, 5pm-9pm, and Friday and Saturday, 5pm to 10pm.