Natalee Thai Restaurant on Venice is a must- February 2015
Great news!! Natalee Thai Cuisine, our go-to Culver City/Venice Thai restaurant has re-opened, and it’s better than ever. After a slight remodel, I can say that Natalee is still a lovely, spacious, open room, with comfortable seating, a long bar popular with the after-work crowd (and televisions if you’re wanting to follow college hoops or hockey). What’s different is that the noise level has dropped considerably, making it easy to chat with your dinner companions, as we did late last month. The décor is beautiful along with the ambiance, nice fire to gain attention in the front and the service was wonderful
The menu features the usual Thai appetizer favorites (like chicken or beef sate skewers, Westside Wontons, Golden Wings and Spring Rolls with a special Natalee spin and the freshest of ingredients But you’ll also find unusual dishes like Steamed Mussels in lemongrass broth (get a side of rice so you can get ALL the broth) and my new favorite appetizer, Northeastern Thai Sausages. These have an unusual sour flavor and are made from ground pork mixed with rice. Soups include the standard Tom Yum (chicken or shrimp in hot and sour broth with lemongrass) and Tom Kai with coconut milk, which is our favorite cold remedy. But the Andaman Fisherman’s Soup really shines — that same hot and sour broth with a smorgasbord of seafood and a hint of ginger.
Over the years we’ve sampled virtually everything on the menu, but I’m only going to report on the dishes we had on our last visit.
Some people say they’ve had enough Pad Thai in their lives. Maybe — but if I were you, I’d give Natalee’s a try. The noodles are somehow lighter and not at all oily, and the vegetables and meat are crisp and savory. Natalee’s signature wok rice dish Heavenly Combo is just that — vegetables, egg, scallions with shrimp, chicken AND beef. We asked the chef to make it with brown rice, which he happily did. The nuttiness of the rice raised this dish to a whole different level. Highly recommended.
Another dish you won’t often find on a Thai menu is Steamed Cod, but we had it this night, and it was amazing. True cod, not black cod, with a buttery flavor in a subtly savory broth seasoned with onions, ginger and black mushrooms. Bok Choy completes the dish, which I cannot recommend too highly. Sometimes the kitchen serves sole instead of cod, and I’d bet it’s great, too. We also had the Jade (or Green) Curry, which includes green peas, bell peppers and bamboo shoots. And watch out for the green chilis — one of our dining partners mistook them for green beans and enjoyed a little surprise. We asked the chef to cook this dish with scallops, instead of the usual chicken, pork, or rib eye, and he again was happy to accommodate our request. The Soft Shell Crab was amazing as well so you cannot go wrong.
Oh, and save room for dessert. Many Thai restaurants skimp on dessert — but not Natalee. Go for the fried bananas — and be prepared to fight for the last one. They’re that good. During the right time of year, I’d order the sticky rice with mango. It’s only served from April till September, but I still remember the taste from the last time I was there.
In short, we are happy to welcome Natalee Thai back to town, and now that the decibel level has dropped, it won’t just be for takeout anymore. More at http://www.nataleethai.com