Thai Erawan Offers Authentic Thai Cuisine

My daughter introduced me to Thai food when we returned to Virginia in 2004. I'm not really sure what I was expecting but, for some reason, I had it in my head that it would be very spicy. I'm not even sure why that would bother me because I like spicy food. I'm a push over for just about anything Cajun.

There are, of course, some really spicy Thai dishes. However, for the most part the restaurants we frequent try to let the customer control just how much spice goes into the food. I like having that control as does my son-in-law who I think must have an iron stomach because he likes everything extra hot. My favorite Thai food comes from a small, family owned restaurant located on Hampton Highway in Yorktown, Virginia. It is called Thai Erawan and they serve nothing but authentic Thai cuisine.

The atmosphere of the main dining area is very casual in nature. They have an additional room off to the side that is used for banquets, parties, special events, and occasional charity dinners. Everything is decorated with authentic Oriental design with lots of black lacquer, hanging lanterns, red tassels, and lovely knick-knack décor. They do not use booths, opting instead for tables that can be combined and re-combined to seat as few or as many patrons as necessary.

The service here is slightly laid back; not slow, just very informal. They treat their patrons more like extended members of their family than as customers. This adds a nice touch to the overall scheme of things.

I have to admit that I have not tried quite as many menu items here as the rest of my family. I have tried a few but I'm addicted to their Garlic and Black Pepper Chicken. It is just too delicious to describe adequately. My husband loves their Erawan Fried Rice as does my daughter, although she ventures into other areas from time to time. I think my son-in-law has probably tried half the menu. He loves just about everything. My grandson loves rice; just plain old rice, which he can pack away with the best of them.