Corpus Christi Caller-Times from Corpus Christi, Texas • 59

E7 may June 12001 canercom Corpus Christ! CaHer-lfenes as fasa sbyi The Map Pad TU is altered at MealB TU Cable a mm leataanMl bcabd in the Laaar Pet Sheepbg Caaba toes red peppers and garnished with sliced avocado My companion opted for something a little more conventional Silom (named for a street in Bangkok) fried rice cooked with chicken eggs yellow and green onions tomatoes and green peas I ordered the gang massaman with mild spiciness rather than the standard medium listed on the menu I appreciated the thinly sliced chicken and the array of vegetables cooked to just the right tenderness The spiciness of the massaman curry and the sweetness of the coconut milk combined for a satisfying truce between opposing flavors Subtle and balanced are words that often come to mind when describing the food at Mon whose recipes originate either with her mother or her own creative efforts strives for an authentic Thai taste rather than what she calls heavily spiced reheated food Our desserts provided some nice surprises I ordered black rice pudding topped with whipped cream and a cherry The black rice no food coloring needed here is boiled and mixed with coconut milk and sugar At first taste I thought Td made a mistake it wasn't as sweet as American desserts and the rice had a thick chewy consistency that caught me off guard But the taste and texture quickly grew on me and I mourned when my pudding ran out before my appetite did My companion chose a mandarin orange cheesecake not found on the menu The homemade cheesecake is an AmericanThai recipe featuring a common Thai food mandarin oranges in a common American dessert The filling light and creamy with a taste of mandarin orange sat atop a homemade piecrust and topped with mandarin orange slices providing a colorful addition to our already delightful meaL Service Our waiter greeted ua with a smile and obkgmgiy assisted us in narrowing down our dining choices The one service faux pas of the evening came when our desserts were delivered to the wrong table whose occupants seemed surprised by their sudden appearance Don't blame the waiter for this one: Moo herself made the mistake Just goes to show that no one not even Mon is perfect offers a brief look at area restaurants Average coat of ertraewMitai andtipc $11-20 $21-30 Ck checks ft major craft cards' Non-amcMnK restaurants bvfcated Marvelous Artistry meets flavor at this new Lamar Park restaurant Outstandng Etcthrt Good Fair Mon's Thai Cuism 38121 JUamaita Ham: Mon -Fri: 11 am to 230 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm Sat 11 un to 10 pjiL dosed Sunday Entrees S72S to $1695 Chads: no -OndRCMcyes Wine and boar -it-1- VfnMQWr SCCBROM Fend: ewe Atmosphere Sender Good ions There can be no better news than the arrival of a 100 percent genuine Thai restaurant in Corpus Christi offering a vast array of Thai dishes in elegant surroundings The restaurant mirrors its owner Mon Shirley an elegant and graceful woman born in Thailand and recently arrived from Houston with husband Gerry Shirley a Corpus Christi native Badsewo Choosing from among Mon's many dishes can be an arduous undertaking although lunch is simpler offers a limited lunch menu of appetisers soups and lunch specials ($725) and a dinner menu seven pages long At dinner you'll have to choose from appetizers soups salads stir-fry specialties seafood grill curry noodles though bathed in candlelight The wall that divides the former space is painted with a colorful Thai-themed mural by French artist Michel Serviev adding a welcome splash of color My companion and I began with two appetizers Thai butterflies and shrimp in a basket The Thai butterflies Thai-spiced cream cheese wrapped in wonton skins and then deep-fried combined an enjuyabie creamy light-tasting cream cheese with a crunchy heavier-tasting fried wonton skins The shrimp in a basket provided a surprise to me at least This tasty dish features a peeled marinated shrimp deep-fried in a spring roll shell producing a tender shrimp wrapped in a crunchy jacket For my entree 1 chose gang maasamai chicken cooked in massaman curry coconut milk crushed peanuts onioas pota fried rice and desserts All things in life should be this tough Food for thought My companion and I arrived at Mon's at 8 pm on a weekday evening to find a small number of diners seated in what used to be Marco's Restaurant in the Lamar Park Shopping Center Hardwood floors and arched windows in the dining room half the size of Marco's gleamed as.