Racha Thai

Brutal weather won't stop fans of this Shrewsbury restaurant -- and it shouldn't stop you

by Margaret LeRoux

Racha Thai 15 Lake View Ave Shrewsbury 757-8884 Hours Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun. noon-10 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar Handicap accessible

On a bitter cold, winter night, what could be more warming to your spirits and appetite than a bowl of tom yum seafood soup? If you're out in the elements, take yourself to Racha Thai, where you'll be rewarded with soothing flavors.

I recently joined two friends whose love of Thai food would lure them out to dinner in almost any weather. We've eaten at Racha Thai when there were few others in the large dining area; on this particular night, however, despite the frosty temperatures, Racha Thai was almost full.

We noticed the menu has expanded since the last time we visited; a list of daily specials has been added. The efficient hostess who doubled as a waitress quickly seated us. Throughout the evening she hustled back and forth, answering the phone (there were many takeout orders) and keeping her eye on at least a dozen tables of diners.

The appetizer specials sounded good: curry puffs ($4.25) and soft-shell-crab tempura ($6.95). While we waited for them, we shared tastes of the soup ($2.50), which was described as hot and sour. We were expecting something similar to the Chinese version, but this broth was much more sophisticated and delicate. Here, hot and sour are but accents; the real flavor comes from the shrimp, scallops, squid, crabmeat, and haddock fillet. There are a citrus sparkle and a peppery aftertaste, but the freshness of the seafood really shines. And at $2.50, it's a bargain.

Curry puffs were delicious little triangles of deep-fried wonton skins, as thin as phyllo, and stuffed with bits of potato and mixed with herbs and curry powder. Each little bite exploded with the spiciness of curry; this was another hit. The third appetizer was two soft-shell crabs, tempura battered and fried, not as crisp as they could have been, but definitely fresh. A few broccoli florets, also tempura battered and fried, accompanied the crab.

On past visits, we've had satay ($4.95), marinated strips of beef or chicken served with peanut sauce and cucumber sauce. Another of our favorites is golden bag, steamed wontons filled with ground pork, crab, shrimp, mushrooms, and ginger.

I can also recommend seafood salad ($9.95) -- a chilled combination of shrimp, squid, and scallops combined with red onion, lemon grass, and lime juice -- served on a bed of shredded lettuce. This is a cooling, warm-weather favorite.

Choosing a dinner selection could take the undecided all night: Racha Thai's menu is extensive. If you like do-it-yourself, have a ball with the mix-and-match curry selection, adding chicken, beef, shrimp, duck, pork, or tofu (prices range from $7.95 to $9.95) to an assortment of curries. Red curry has peas, carrots, red and green peppers, and basil; yellow has pineapple, tomatoes, and potatoes; green features string beans and zucchini; and musman includes roasted peanuts and potatoes, onions, carrots, and red pepper. There are also house-special curries, including lamb ($8.95), a mixture of shellfish ($11.95), and soft-shell crab in season.

If you're a vegetarian, you have lots of options; Racha Thai adapts many of its specialties in meatless versions. Try vegetable tempura ($3.95) and veggie Thai rolls ($3.95) as appetizers. There are vegetarian tom um soup ($2.25) and veggie curry ($6.95) as well as veggie spicy noodle ($6.95).

We've always been drawn to Racha Thai's seafood specialties: seafood madness ($11.95), a hot-and-spicy combination of shellfish in chili sauce is a favorite. Tonight, however, we tried seafood siracha ($11.95), which combines shellfish, mushrooms, carrots, onions, and zucchini in a light, moderately spicy sauce that reminded us of the delicious tom yum soup.

From the Racha specialties, we tried tamarind duck ($4.95), boneless chunks of tender duck, crunchy green pepper, pea pods, and onions in a subtle sweet-and-sour sauce with slivers of fresh ginger that added a spicy bite. On the recommendation of our waitress, we also tried Bangkok beef ($8.95), thin slices of grilled sirloin in a soy-based sauce with many of the same vegetables as the other two dishes. Our three choices complemented each other well: the rich duck and the salty beef were good counterpoints to the light spiciness of the fish. I recommend Singha beer ($3.25) or Thai tea ($1) to go with your meal.

We didn't really need another dish, but I've loved pad Thai ($6.75), noodles with chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, scallions, and ground peanuts ever since I first tasted it. Racha Thai's, however, is a little too sweet for my taste.

Sated, we passed on dessert and almost didn't mind going back out into the cold. Our bill, not including tip, was $63.