685 Cary Towne Boulevard
Village Square Shopping Center
Cary, NC
Website
Entrees: $5.95–$18.95
Tom Yum Thai is an attractive, cozy, modern restaurant near the Cary Towne Center mall and Galaxy Cinema. The room is a mix of booth and tables, with burgundy and muted green walls and gold accents.
Our waiter was very nice and had a fun time correcting the mispronunciation of sriracha by one of our friends. He was also concerned that I didn't eat much of my entrée, and it took several tries to convince him that I hadn't eaten much because I had a large lunch, and that I wasn't taking the leftovers homes because I was headed to a film, not because I didn't like the meal.
Wine and beer is available. I had their Monsoon Valley blended red because how often do you get to try Thai wine? It was nothing to write home about but I appreciated that it was offered. Also, they offer a scale of medium, hot, and Thai hot spicing for any dish. My husband declared his Thai hot dish not spicy enough, but I thought my hot one was just right.
Our group started out with two appetizers.
The first was chive dumplings. They were steamed, then lightly fried, and stuffed with a thin filling of what I think were scallions, not chives. I didn't particularly like them as the dough was chewy and bland. They came with Tom Yum Thai's homemade soy sauce, however, which was good.
Fried calamari was also ordered and I was not impressed with it at all. They were bland and chewy and resembled onion rings too closely. Perhaps I'm prejudiced against not receiving the standard heap of little rings and tentacles. The chili dipping sauce was fine.
Dinner, in comparison to the lackluster appetizers, was great and presentations were lovely. My husband had a red curry, which came with a pyramid of white rice.
I only took a bite but it seemed delicious, and despite not having as much spice as he'd like, my husband agreed. I had the Som Tum special, a green papaya salad with beef jerky pieces and sticky rice.
The rice was in the basket and I found it overcooked and crunchy. The beef was smoky, sweet, chewy, and savory; I love Asian styles of curing beef. The green papaya slices were fresh and crunchy and the spice level, as I mentioned previously, was perfect for me, especially combined with the peanuts.
Our friends were all happy with their choices, too. Other than the boring appetizers, I found Tom Yum Thai to be a great place for Thai food and will definitely consider going again next time I hit up Galaxy Cinemas. That is, if I can stop myself from trying somewhere new (I never stop myself from trying somewhere new).
Reviewed 2.20.10.
