On a recent evening at Kokai Thai Bistro in Norcross, a young man sat down at a table and said to no one in particular, "I'm Thai, who's Thai here?" He never quite got a response from the perplexed waiter (or anyone else), but proceeded to order red chicken curry and iced tea anyway.
The moment was worth noting because Kokai features some fairly unusual Chinese-Thai noodle dishes popular in Bangkok, home of the owner's family. And because the restaurant is located next to the sprawling Hong Kong Supermarket, where you can find a dizzying array of Asian groceries and a melting pot of food stalls serving up all sorts of Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Malaysian and Vietnamese dishes.
Chickens and eggs
Kokai occupies the corner of a strip center, with a small sidewalk patio for outdoor dining. Inside, the tidy decor is almost jarringly contemporary and cheery. Colorful pop art images of chickens (kokai in Thai) and eggs adorn the walls. Simple white plastic chairs and laminate tables, industrial lights, and oversized photos of menu items, such as chicken wings and noodle bowls, give the place the look of an Ikea cafeteria, which might be reassuring to some not so adventurous diners.
Familiar appetizers
The Kokai menu proclaims "from the streets of Bangkok to you." But familiar appetizers include nau nam tok, grilled flank steak with rice powder, chili, scallions and lime juice; chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce; and spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce.
Tea rose, a delicate Chinese-style starter, arrives on a plate as a neat bouquet of steamed wanton skin florets, filled with ground pork and crab meat and topped with soy sauce and peanuts. Deep-fried shrimp in crispy wonton wrappers are shaped like cornets, with the tails sticking out to serve as little handles.
Less familiar deep-fried pork and beef jerky come with a spicy homemade sauce.
Thai boat noodle
Thai boat noodle soup is the signature dish. Think pho, but more murky, funky and flavorful. The spicy stew-like broth is thickened with beef blood, which is no doubt what drew the wilding Anthony Bourdain to Thaitown in Los Angeles to try it for his "No Reservations" TV show. Kokai's version, fragrant with soy, star anise, cilantro and green onions, has thin rice noodles, sliced beef, spongy meatballs, fried wontons and bean sprouts.
Yen ta four, a mixed seafood noodle soup, is equally interesting. Another Chinese-Thai delicacy, the broth is a glowing shade of pink (colored with red bean paste), and is studded with shrimp, jellyfish and pork and fish balls.
At lunch, $6.95 rice plates, with chicken, pork, beef or tofu, come with a choice of soup or spring roll. Similarly bargain-priced entrees to explore include pepperoni fried rice and Kokai spaghetti.
AT A GLANCE
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Where:
5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd. B-21, Norcross, 770-409-9219
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Signature dish:
Thai boat noodle soup
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Entree prices:
$4.95-$7.95
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Hours:
11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Sundays.
• Reservations: Yes
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Credit cards:
Yes
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Online:
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