Secret Thai Menus Revealed

After your dozenth plate of pad Thai, you’re ready to order something slightly more adventurous. Try ordering from the “secret” Thai menus at many local spots; they’re not really secret so much as the dishes aren’t typically ordered by Americans.

When you ask for the authentically Thai dishes, you may get the reply “Ohhhh no. YOU NO LIKE,” says StriperGuy. “You sort of have to talk the staff into it,” says MC Slim JB. And you should. Here’s what’s good at two exemplary local joints.

S&I To Go’s “secret” Thai menu is on color photos all over the walls. Point at what you like or try:

• Pad ga pow moo krob, fatty crispy pork with a spicy sauce and basil
• Kao ka moo, braised pork leg over rice
• Kao nar ped, roast duck with chile and pickled ginger
• Pad ka na moo krob, fried pork belly with Chinese broccoli
• Pla duk pad ped, crispy fried catfish in red chile paste with Thai eggplant, Thai basil, and stir-fried sprigs of green peppercorns on the stem (!)
• Any of the baked goods, particularly the cookies in boxes up by the counter, supposedly baked by a guy who used to work for the King of Siam

Montien in the theater district/Chinatown is a bit more expensive than other Thai options in the city, but it has a lot of unusual dishes, including:

• Sai krok e san, Thai sausages
• Tod mun goong, fried shrimp cake
• Pad med prik Thai on, sliced tender or crispy pork in chile sauce with basil and green peppercorns
• Ka kob kra tiam prik Thai, frog legs with garlic and Thai chile peppers
• Kra thong tong, golden fried cups stuffed with ground chicken and vegetables

S&I To Go [Allston]
168-A Brighton Avenue, Boston
617-254-8488

Montien Thai Cuisine [Chinatown]
63 Stuart Street, Boston
617-338-5600

Board Links: Secret Thai menu’s in Boston. Tried some, not impressed, suggestions?
S&I - what to order?