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by Elisabeth28
Cape Elizabeth
May 16, 2006
Beijing offers a surprising range of international cuisine at very reasonable prices, and this Thai place is one of the best in town. Though it might seem strange to come to Beijing and eat Thai food rather than Chinese, the price and quality make it a great place to try new tastes or indulge in old favorites. The menu is not particularly long but contains a wide variety of traditional Thai dishes, as well as some mouth-watering drinks and desserts. When my husband and I visited last week, we started with the chilled green papaya salad, which was fantastic, just the right blend of sweet and spicy. The sour coconut milk soup was also delicious, though a bit too rich for my taste. The green curry (available with beef, chicken, pork, or vegetables) was quite rich as well, and surprisingly not at all spicy. We finished with pineapple rice, which was served in a hollowed out pineapple half and was almost sweet enough to be a dessert. The entire meal, which was far more than the two of us could eat, cost about 130 yuan ($16).
Practicalities: Phrik Thai is located in the Chaoyang district, near the Russian Embassy (most of the signs in the area are in Russian!), tucked away on the ground floor of the Gateway office building. To get there, take the metro to Jianguomen and walk north up the third ring road about 200m. Turn right on Yaobao Lu, and then immediately right again on a small side street. The Gateway building is across from the Bank of China. It is fairly small and very popular, so it can get quite crowded on weekends. However, the noise is never overwhelming (unlike many Beijing restaurants) and the service is excellent. The full color menu contains pictures of all dishes and describes them in Chinese and English as well as giving the Thai name. Prices are very reasonable given the quality of the food, and portions are quite large.
From journal Beijing: Off the Beaten Track