Fork and Stix
Location: East end of Delmar Loop, St. Louis, MO
Atmosphere: Window-lit cafe with small, intimate tables and minimalist decor
Food: Traditional Northern Thai
Green curry with bamboo shoots, bell peppers, Queen of Siam basil, green peas, and coconut milk with rice on the side.
https://www.forknstix.com
On the east end of Delmar, tucked on a side street just past the Pageant, is a small restaurant that Chef Gerard Craft recent named his favorite Thai food in the city.
My boss decided to take everyone to Fork and Stix to celebrate the end of January, and I love Thai food... but if it has the Seal of Approval from one of my most admired Chefs, then its no contest-- we're going to Fork and Stix.
The River Front Times refers to the restaurant as 'small and unassuming' in their 2013 article about the then-new store front. The restaurant is indeed small, but the size only adds intimacy to the space. The big windows allow for plenty of light to pour in, and our server was happy and friendly.
While we looked over the menu, she brought out two large glass bottles of water and metal cups. The table had a spinning rack with four glass spice jars in it, containing crushed chilis, a spicy oil, sea salt and sugar packets.
Despite having an almost full house when we arrived, our lunch came out ridiculously quick and steaming.
I ordered the Pad Ka Prao with chicken. A classic stir fry dish, it featured Thai chili paste and Queen of Siam basil, served with rice. The chicken was chopped small and piled high on the tower green beans, bell pepper, onion, and drizzled with soy sauce. I started with mixing a forkful of rice with the meat and veggies, but eventually just added all the rice and mixed it.
I enjoy a light spice one my Thai food, and their 'light' was just about perfect. Next time I will definitely try the next level up.
Emily chose the Green Curry. Mixed with coconut milk and Queen of Siam basil, it smell spicy and full-bodied. The plate was filled with bamboo shoots, bell peppers, and green peas with rice on the side.
Emily is vegetarian, so she ordered it with additional veggies. While it had a good kick, it wasn't too spicy to try, and I thought it was delightful.
Had we known sooner that this gem was only a 3 minute drive from our office, we would have gone sooner.
