Sen Yai Sen Lek

Rating:

I'm beginning to think that I missed the memo -- the one titled "The Next 50 Restaurants to Open in the Twin Cities Must Be Thai." Seriously, it's getting to the point where a person can't swing so much as a salt-stained Ugg without knocking over a bowl of Tom Yum soup.

It would be an exaggeration to label any of the most recent crop of Thai newbies as watershed dining events, but there are plenty of reasons to make a habit out of any of them. At the top of the list lies Sen Yai Sen Lek. Co-owner Joe Hatch-Surisook takes his culinary cues from both Bangkok street fare and the sense memories of his mother's cooking, which means that much of his tightly focused and affordable menu (nothing tops $12) is unlike anything else available in the Twin Cities.

It's unthinkable to visit the restaurant (its name translates to "Big Noodle, Little Noodle") and not order a noodle dish. But first, don't skip the fabulous lettuce wraps, which arrive looking a bit like a painter's palette, with a pile of curly lettuce leaves surrounded by small piles of chewy dried shrimp, crunchy toasted peanuts, tangy cubed ginger, smoky toasted coconut and, for the brave, incendiary fresh Thai chiles, along with a pungent shrimp sauce. It's a fabulous preview of coming attractions.

Read Full Review »