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Business & Tech

Fresh and Delicious at Thai Passion

The new restaurant impresses a Thai food connoisseur.

About two weeks ago, Thai Passion opened its doors, replacing New Main Taste, which had previously occupied the spot at 225 Main St. I was in the neighborhood when I noticed the "Grand Opening" sign out front and was immediately excited to try a new restaurant—especially one that offers Thai food.

I was lucky enough to get premium parking right across from the restaurant and noticed the "Grand Opening" had been replaced with an "Open" sign. I felt the façade was a bit unassuming and worried that people might not notice this new establishment, especially since it takes some time for any restaurant to get going and be successful.

We were welcomed in with a big smile and led to our table by the window. I noticed the space had changed for the better. It was bright, clean and welcoming, and there were just a few occupied tables.

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My friend and I both decided to order from the lunch menu, which consisted of your usual suspects. It had three parts to it—appetizers priced from $4.95 to $5.95, a big plate salad for $10, curries priced from $8 to $10 and entrées priced from $8 to $8.95.

My friend decided on pad Thai with shrimp and I ordered the panang curry with chicken.

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I also ordered the squid salad for us to share. When it came our way, it looked extremely tempting, although my friend was a bit concerned about how spicy it might be. It had been described as spicy squid tossed with lemongrass, chili, lime juice, red onions and cilantro.

I took a bite and immediately loved it. The strong flavors literally assaulted my palette, and I enjoyed that. I could taste the spice, sweet, savory and the tang. The calamari was not chewy, cooked well and tossed with Thai basil and mint, which, for me, took this dish to a whole new level. It was, by far, my favorite.

My friend was not as taken with the salad. Those of you who don't like very strong flavorsyou might want to stay away. I plan on going back soon to eat it again and will also replicate it in my kitchen.

Next came my panang curry and the pad thai. The portions were quite generous, especially considering how reasonable the lunch menu prices were. I had requested my curry to be spicy, and it was.

It was perfectly spiced with the creaminess of the coconut milk, and a slight tang came from the lime juice and kaffir lime leaves. Slices of tender white meat chicken were mixed with green beans, carrots and sweet potatoes.

I also had a bite of the pad thai, and surprisingly, it was one of the better ones I have eaten. Usually the noodle dish is greasy and not flavorful, but this one tasted fresh and delicious.

Next time you are in the mood for really tasty Thai food, please go visit Thai Passion. And maybe I will see you there.

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