Thai on a budget

Chefs Pornchai Krua Anant (foreground) and Savay Soutthivong complete lunch orders at Supon's Thai Cuisine. PHILIP A. DWYER HERALD PHOTO

Supon's provides quality cuisine at low cost

Stacee Sledge

Aug 1, 2002 One of my favorite things about Bellingham is that it's a college town with so many reminders of my undergrad days at the University of Iowa.

One such reminder is cheap food. I was happy to recently discover Supon's Thai Cuisine on Dupont Street, yet another place that offers tasty eats for mere pocket change.

This tiny eatery serves a variety of tempting Thai treats at a price that will be appreciated by anyone on a budget college or otherwise.

An ornate gold folding screen welcomes you as you enter the space, with a plethora of thriving plants peaking out from different parts of the compact room. You can sit at the counter for a casual eating experience or choose a table in the tastefully decorated but unassuming dining room. Heavy high-backed chairs covered with purple cushions make for comfortable seating as you take in the decorative Thai touches around the window-lined space.

The three of us tucked in on a recent Tuesday night. We decided to start with an appetizer, as Supon's doesn't offer the complimentary soup or salad found at some area Thai restaurants.

Five tightly rolled, crunchy spring rolls arrived with a tasty sweet plum sauce sprinkled generously with chopped peanuts. Not at all greasy, the flavorful spring rolls were packed with vegetables and crystal noodles.

Supon's Thai Cuisine

Location: 1213 Dupont St.

Phone: 734-6838

Serving:
Traditional Thai fare at budget-friendly prices.

Menu items sampled: Spring rolls $4.95
Pud Thai $7.50
See Ew $7.50
Garlic dish $7.95

Any true Thai meal should be accompanied by a tall, wintry glass of Thai iced tea. A native red-leafed tea spiced with star anise seed, Supon's brew was strong, topped with a flourish of rich evaporated milk. The sweet, swirly concoction was on par with that served at the best Thai restaurants, further cementing my high opinion.

As our entrees were served, it was immediately clear that we shouldn't have been concerned with the lack of starter soup or salad. Portion size was mighty and we had plenty to spare.

My husband chose the aptly titled "garlic dish" of stir-fried nappa cabbage, zucchini, celery, carrots and broccoli mixed with a munificent amount of strong garlic sauce. Topped with an abundance of fresh cilantro, the dish was a delight of light green hues punctuated by thin disks of orange carrot.

A glory of dark green hues, our friend's "See Ew," a standard lunch dish in Thailand made of wide, soft rice noodles stir-fried with carrots and broccoli, was finished with a sweet soy-based sauce. He could only eat half the dish, taking the rest home for a snack.

I chose my tried-and-true Thai favorite pad Thai, rice noodles stir-fried with egg, bean sprouts, green onion and ground peanuts. Supon's version rivaled my all-time favorite at Seattle's Noodle Ranch in Belltown.

I've complained before about being a sissy when it comes to spicy. I had requested a heat factor of two (out of a possible five) for my dish, but still found a few fiery bites to be too heavy on the red pepper flakes. Next time, I'll play it even safer and ask for a heat index of one.

All entrées were served with a choice of chicken, beef or tofu. We all opted for chicken during this visit and enjoyed high quality, properly prepared pieces of poultry.

If the sweetness of the Thai iced tea doesn't quite satisfy your sugary side, you can choose from coconut ice cream or black sticky rice for dessert.

The three of us enjoyed our Supon's feast immensely and were pleased to pay a paltry $34 bill. I thought I had settled on my favorite Thai restaurant in the area a long time ago, but Supon's has just moved high up the list, and I look forward to returning soon.

The Fine Print: I dine on my own dime. The opinions herein are mine alone, not The Bellingham Herald's. Agree? Disagree? Please drop me a line at StaceeSledge@hotmail.com.

 

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