Description: If you like authentic Thai this is a great restaurant. My cousin has lived in San Francisco for over twenty years, and this place is at the top of her list when dining in the West end of town. So, after a pleasant visit to the arcade at the Cliff House, we made our way to Narai for lunch.
At a table within the simply decorated dining room, we ordered a variety of different Thai dishes to share including noodles with shrimp, salmon in a coconut milk sauce, curry, Papaya salad, cold Thai tea, bbq chicken for the kids and more.
To be honest, I am typically not a huge fan of this type of cuisine, so I had low expectations. Yet I really enjoyed everything I tried.
Well, almost everything.
For dessert, my dining companions all eagerly ordered Dorian. This is a special type of spiky, yellow fruit that you will only find served at hardcore Thai restaurants in the States. In fact, Narai is one of the few places in San Francisco where this is available on the menu. It is served as a sort of pasty mush with rice soaked in coconut milk. It is the type of dish that you either love or hate.
As for my tastes? I fall on the hate side of this atrocity masquerading as food. I cannot possibly describe the taste (or smell), but it is distinct and unforgettable.
However, when I left my Dorian practically untouched, my family quickly descended upon my dish, eagerly dividing the dessert among themselves as if it were a divine confection. For them Dorian is a delicacy worth a trip to Narai for its sake alone. Go figure. I guess you'll have to make up your own mind about this "fruit."
Enjoy!
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