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In Bridgeport, good
things come in a small, plain package
King & I Thai Restaurant,
545 Broadbridge Road, Bridgeport
(203-374-2081). Open (lunch) 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tues-Fri; (dinner) 5-9 p.m. Tues-Thurs, Sun; 5-10 p.m. Fri-Sat.
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Business New Haven
12/29/1997
By: Angelina Anderman
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We had been looking forward to our visit to the King & I as it had come highly recommended by a friend. Situated on the Bridgeport-Trumbull line, the small eatery is located in a strip mall close to the Trumbull Marriott.
Once inside the rather ordinary shopfront we were pleasantly surprised by the very pretty décor. Dark pink walls are adorned with genuine Thai art and beautiful artifacts, all crafted in Thailand and carrying that country's seal of approval for export. Owner Tony Riangang explained how each piece had been carefully wrapped and hand-carried by friends and relatives to be placed with pride in the family's restaurant. The ornate masks and statues are so intricate and delicate one can imagine the anxiety of a plane journey and the perils of the overhead luggage compartment.
Not only the artifacts at the King & I are delicate. As with most Thai cuisine, so are the flavors of the dishes, replete with ingredients such as coconut milk, lemon grass, lime, peanut. For lunch, the King & I offers a special combination menu of soup of the day plus two main courses with plain rice for $8.50. We thought this was a very good value.
The food is particularly well presented on blue and white china which contrasts with the flowered linen. Soup, rice and entrée items come in small bowls, each with a hat cover to match. The soup on our visit was Tom Kha Kai, a broth with large lumps of tender chicken, mushrooms, coconut milk, lemon grass and lime juice. It arrived hot and tasty. There are six entrées from which to choose. Among us we tried them all.
Dishes can be prepared from mild to spicy and degrees of flavor in between. We each had a portion of the staple dish - Pad Thai - a mixture of pan-fried rice noodles with shrimp, egg, bean sprouts and peanuts. This dish is the measure of a Thai restaurant, and the King & I passed with flying colors. We added two chicken dishes: chicken massaman curry and chicken rama. The former combined a sweet curry with roasted peanuts, peanut sauce and coconut milk for a smooth, creamy result. The latter is sautéed in chili, garlic and tamarind sauce giving the chicken a bittersweet bite.
Pad Ped Pla Muek is lightly sautéed squid (sounds better as “calamari”) with basil leaves in chili and garlic sauce. Beef Panang is a stew of soft beef cubes in a hot and spicy red curry sauce cooled down by coconut milk, sweet peas, peppers and basil. All went well together with the individual rice portions and provided our table with several delicious combinations. If ordered separately, each costs $5.95.
Additional items can be ordered a la carte, including Thai spring rolls for $2.95 or prawn rolls for $3.95. Both come with sweet garlic sauce. Tom Yum Goong, a hot and sour shrimp soup with mushroom, lemon grass, lime juice and chili paste, sounds like a good possibility for a winter's lunch ($2.55). But we found the double-barreled special quite comprehensive for lunch. Lots more very appetizing-sounding dishes are served from the complete menu at dinner, of course.
Thai iced tea or iced coffee ($1) comes already sweetened with a delightful fruit flavor. A small bottle of Perrier is $1.50. Thai Singha beer is $2.95 and Singha plum wine is $3.95. Domestic beers start at $2.50.
The King & I is a relaxing lunch venue with that touch of elegance that makes eating out in the middle of the day a real treat rather than a rushed necessity. And fear not: You can be in and out of the King & I, happy and satisfied, in well under one hour.
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