A never ending argument about the authenticity of this or that restaurant virtually never ends. Never more so than about the Thai restaurants in Warsaw. Is it Sunanta, which I found always lacking in both taste and authenticity? Is it Suparom near MDM (the oldest and the most traditional one)? Was the Lemongrass truly Thai? Etc. etc. My best experience to date actually was at the Little Thai Gallery on pl. Dabrowskiego, right next to the Italian embassy; a small hole-in-a-wall place serving truly awesome and simple Thai dishes. Thus, when a friend of mine suggested we go to Why Thai, which has just opened I was a bit doubtful, and curious at the same time to see what this place is like. The first impression is very good. The restaurant is roomy and bright, and the color scheme emphasizes the overall positive effect. It is an open kitchen restaurant, but the kitchen is located in the back, so the smells of cooked food don’t invade the main room. Yet, it is really cool to watch the actual Thais cook their food for you.
What is interesting about this place is that it serves cuisine, which I would call Thai light. Relatively small portions, light on the heavy sauces and carbs (even the rice is optional). I have been there a few times since my first visit, so I have had an opportunity to taste a variety of the dishes served there. The tom yum soup rocks in whatever combination you like to have it, but my all-time favorites (which are also a good test for the taste and authenticity of Thai dishes) are the fresh spring rolls. At Sunanta, they are truly disappointing. At Why Thai, they are the way they are supposed to be.
When at the Thai place, one, of course, must have Pad Thai. My favourite there is the “all in” option, which explodes with the variety of tastes and truly stimulates one’s almost all olfactory senses.
The duck with the pineapple in red curry sauce (specialty of Chef Jiraphon) was a bit dry for my taste, but the chicken dishes are exemplary, with the beef dishes a bit too tough for me. The curries are proper, and the garlic shrimp really awesome. I am not a big dessert fan, but I must say, the fried ice cream had a really interesting texture and the daily selection of sorbets with a touch of lemon grass was great. However, the sticky rice with mango reminded me too much of the blobby rice they were trying to stuff my throat during my kindergarten years.
Overall, a good place to try, with some really nice Thai food.
http://www.whythai.pl/
