Steve's Gastronomic Home Page

Thai Palace (Closed)

308 W. Edmond Rd.
Edmond, OK

Thai Palace in Edmond

It is not often I find Thai restaurants comparable to those found in Seattle, but this is one (to me it tastes a lot like Bai Tong near the SeaTac airport). This is an immaculately clean place with excellent food, made to order. If you want it prepared a certain way or with certain ingredients, just ask. I think the 80+ menu items are just a starting point from which you can begin to create your own Thai concoctions. Each dish is individually prepared, and it does not seem to take any longer to prepare a special order than to serve something from the menu.

I used to say that prices were higher than normal, but they now seem to be in line with what most restaurants charge. The recent trend in the OKC metro seems to be more toward the quality and authentic type of Thai food served at Thai Palace, and in my mind this is a good thing. I have just found some special dishes at Thai Palace, though, and some special ways Nick prepares the food, that I think make it the best restaurant in the area for authentic Thai food.

It would be pretty hard for me to select a favorite dish at Thai Palace, since I have been very impressed with everything I have tried. I do not claim to have tried all 80 dishes listed on the menu, but I have sampled enough to know that the food compares with the best Thai food I have had elsewhere. Nick, the owner and chef, has been very good about making suggestions that fit my tastes, and I think many regular customers rely on him for advice. If there is something you normally consider to be your favorite dish, though, I would say you probably cannot go wrong ordering it at Thai Palace.

Pad prig khing
Pad Prig Khing in a curry without coconut milk

Pad Prig Khing is normally one of my favorite dishes, and one of the first I try at any Thai restaurant. I will say, though, that the one here had a higher taste and complexity level than I have found in most other restaurants. The fresh green beans and tofu were high quality, but the curry (made without coconut milk) was the outstanding feature of the dish at Thai Palace. It seems to taste better when I order it as spicy as I can stand it, which to me is another feature I find at many of the better Thai restaurants.

Pad khing
If a restaurant's Pad Khing looks like this they know what they are doing

The Pad Khing, stir-fried meat or tofu with onions, vegetables, and ginger, is one of the best versions of this dish anywhere. At many restaurants this dish is quite sweet, and although I like it this way, Thai Palace's version is more complex with subtle flavors, the right amount of spices, and just enough sweetness to offset the other flavors.

Pad kra pao
Pad kra pao with tofu

The Pad Kra Pao, made with tofu in garlic sauce with hot basil and onions, is also among my favorites. I know that just about anything at Thai Palace could be called one of my "favorites," but I really recommend anything made with basil.

Spicy hot basil
Spicy hot basil

Spicy Hot Basil is another dish made with hot basil, and another that I would recommend. Most basil dishes in Thai restaurants are made with sweet basil, which is easier to obtain in the U.S. The hot basil, though, has a flavor that I think many Thai food lovers will appreciate, and Thai Palace is one of the few places where I have found the "real deal."

The Clay Pot Tofu, made with sesame oil, had a slight sweet taste and was quite interesting. I am a big fan of Chinese clay pot tofu, but the one here was arguably even better. It can be made to the desired spice level, and I found that adding fish sauce with chiles not only increased the spice level but also improved the flavor. The tofu was very good, and it came with three kinds of mushrooms (normally I am not a big fan of mushrooms, but these were definitely worthwhile).

Red curry with vegetables
Red curry with eggplant and vegetables

Nick wanted me to try the Red Curry, and the surprise was not that it was good, but that the eggplant and vegetables made it more interesting than the curry dishes I normally find. Like all the food here, I really have no way of knowing how authentic it is, but the fact that the flavor combinations continue to surprise me makes me think this is the way people in Thailand must eat.

Soups are very good, as would probably be expected at any Thai restaurant. The coconut chicken soup, or Taom Kar Gai, is about as flavorful as any that I have tried.

Lunch specials are served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is not an all-you-can-eat buffet, but you can choose from several items that are offered.

Nick, the owner, used to be the proprietor of Sala Thai in Oklahoma City--I think his new venture has taken the great food from the old place and made it even better. You get the "personal touch" with Nick preparing each dish himself, and making alterations to the recipe according to your request. I have found this to be the best Thai restaurant in the OKC metro at which to try new dishes. I really think if you do not like a dish here you probably will not like it anywhere.

In 2008 the phone was disconnected but the restaurant has continued operating, so do not worry if you cannot call. Most of the time Nick takes care of everything including cooking, the cash register, and cleaning tables, so he probably figured answering the phone would just create an unnecessary diversion from his other duties.

The fact that Nick cooks everything is why I can say everything here is good. It is not always the speediest restaurant, but I think that is why he offers the lunch specials for those who have limited time. I used to eat the lunch specials at Sala Thai, Nick's old restaurant, and I thought this was a very good introduction to new dishes I had not tried before. In fact, I doubt that there are many places that would be better.

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RESTAURANT DETAILS

RATING: 26

Cuisine: Thai
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Sun. & Sat. lunch
Accessible: Yes
Tea: Jasmine (loose leaves)
MSG: No
Smoking: No Smoking
Alcohol: No
Buffet: Lunch

Most Recent Visit
Apr. 1, 2009

Number of Visits: 10+

Best Items
Pad Kra Pao, Spicy Hot Basil, Pad Prig Khing, Pad Khing, Clay Pot Tofu

Special Ratings
Pad Prig Khing:
Pad Khing:
Pad Kra Pao:
Spicy Hot Basil:
Clay Pot Tofu:
Red Curry with Vegetables:
Cashew Chicken:
Taom Kar Gai:



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