Thursday, March 22, 2007

Tiger Tiger - Red Curry Chicken

**This restaurant has closed down**

Wanna start a fight? Tell someone that you know the best Thai restaurant in Prague. I'll be more diplomatic and say that none really stand out as great to me.

At Lemon Leaf, I like the "sweet beef red curry with peanuts and lime garnish" over sticky rice.

At Orange Moon, the Phad Thai is pretty good -- they also do Indian and Indonesian dishes. It also has a good, central location not far from Old Town Square.

At Modry Zub, I go for the Lab Mu (ground pork salad). The red curry there can be on the watery side.

I went to Siam Orchid more than a year ago. It was OK, but I didn't love the Phad Thai. I often judge a place by its Phad Thai. I know some people love the place, so I'll get killed for saying that.

Many years ago, I went to Siam-i-San at Arzenal. I remember they had some good food, but it is the most expensive Thai place in town and it is odd to eat at the back of an art glass shop. The place was conceived by architect and artist Borek Sípek. His friend Vaclav Havel had a birthday dinner there once - his picture was on the wall.

I still haven't tried The Noodle Bar or the newly opened Monsoon. Let me know if I'm leaving out some place good.

Then, there's Tiger Tiger, just off Vinohradská.

I used to go there for the Phad Thai Kung. It's a little expensive at 260 CZK, but it always came with six fresh, plump shrimp with the tails thoughtfully removed.

The restaurant has a small dining area at the front, below street level. It has another room in the back.
Recently, I discovered another dish there, and now I get it all the time. The other day, I picked up a take out order of the red curry chicken (Pad Ped Gai) for lunch recently for 210 CZK. I threw in an order of sticky rice (50 CZK), which bumps up the price a bit. They also charge for a takeaway box (20 CZK). Total: 280 CZK.

First, I'll say that this is a lot of food. As a lunch, it can easily be divided in two and eaten over two days, which makes it seem more economical.

The dish (that's actually my large, chipped bowl) has sliced red peppers, Thai basil, and a green bean mixed in a nice, thick coconut cream with red Thai curry. The cream is infused with plenty of lime leaves. Just know that I am crazy about anything with lime leaves. The red curry does separate out a little from the coconut cream, but it is easy enough to stir it back together.

Ready for your close-up?

Tiger Tiger offers much cheaper lunch specials that start at 100 CZK from a limited menu, and they have Wi-Fi. They also deliver. They've got Gambrinus on tap.

If you think there is a Thai restaurant in Prague that beats all the rest, feel free to let us know. Just be prepared to defend yourself.

Tiger Tiger
Anny Letenske 5
Prague 2
Tel. (+420) 222 512 084

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Thai food, but I can't eat a lot of it. Unfortunately I have a bad food allergy to both shellfish and peanuts, and your average pad thai can be crammed with both. When I have eaten Thai in Prague, I have gone to Arzenal. The food was excellent, and while it's expensive, it's not as expensive as you'd think judging from the price of the glass objects out front.

Anonymous said...

Hi Brewsta,

I wanted to invite some people out for dinner around vinhorady, I was looking for restaurant that serves some nice czech specialities and some other variaty of dishes, and not to pricy. Any ideas?


Love your blog, nice impartial opinions about cool places.

Thanks

Brewsta said...

Thanks Marco. I'm sorry to say I'm not the biggest expert on Czech restaurants in Vinohrady. I actually know more about Vrsovice, nearby.

Places that might fit:

Neklid Restaurant or Potrefena Husa, which I wrote about earlier the blog.

Druhej Svet near the National Museum at Mezibranska 4.

A guy I know used to like U Posty on Moravska, but haven't been there myself:
http://www.uposty.cz/

Maybe Azalka Steak Restaurant:
http://www.rest-azalka.cz/

Ambiente on Manesova, but it has very few Czech dishes.

Vcelin at Kodanska 5

I'm sure there are better, that's all I can think of.

Anonymous said...

Great in vinohrady (used to live there and will be back soon):

U Bulinu (on the corner of Francouzska where the Jana Masaryka tramstop is) the best special menu for xmas, valentine & easter, very creative, very nice, they have a non-smoking room, menu in english and staff is allways correct with you. Their special menu's are allways a feast. Large portions...

Fabulous value for money (luxiourious atmosphere) is Louis Armstrong on the corner of manesova and italska... great place to take your lover or just friends... friendly staff ...

U posty is okay, but a bit well sleazy-ish..

another wonderfull gem is hlucna samota (loud lonelyness) on hmmm corner of belgicka and zahrebska ... nice staff, good innovative food. not too expensive

mango said...

Noodle Bar in Plavecka has great Prawn Laksa. Worth checking out for sure.

Brewsta said...

I've been wanting to go to Noodle Bar for a long time. Just in a neighborhood I rarely am near and rarely think of when I ponder options.