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November 6th, 2004
12:46 pm - thai breakfast
Went to Jai Thai in Fremont this morning for breakfast with  faintheart andgrouchychris. When I was in the neighborhood last Monday I noticed a banner advertising they were offering Thai (and American) breakfast as of October 30th. I was curious, and have wondered on occasion what Thai breakfast food was like, as well as really liking the food at Jai Thai ever since I lived in the area. So I suggested it for this morning - with only a little ulterior motive in the Fremont Book Company's message that the book I had ordered (Motherless Daughters, bookish_girl_, so soon I can say I have read it) was in.
Some of the items, as the staff pointed out, were Americanized; I had a Thai fruit pancake that the menu described as made with rice flour, for example, but it was pretty close to a regular-style wheat flour pancake so it clearly wasn't solely a rice flour batter. Or perhaps grouchychris was correct in his speculation - the menu actually said "rice flower" not "rice flour" and maybe that wasn't a typo after all. On the other hand, they brought around and offered a steamed sticky rice & banana bean-cake wrapped in banana leaves that was much more along the lines of traditional Thai food. It was very good - and very filling to me, I probably could have stopped right there and been fine. I made a very poor showing of consuming my pancakes and felt kind of bad because they were really tasty too, but I was so full... She told us what the name of the banana-leaf thingy was, but I have no clue how to spell it, and I was unsuccessful in identifying it on the menu, so other than it sounded like it started with 'p' I'm at a loss. I bet, though, if you asked for it by describing it you'd be fairly successful.
They also had eggs, omelets, and breakfast curry that faintheart said was yummy (and meaty). There wasn't as much demarcation between vegetarian and meat-containing items as might have been convenient, but we managed. Tofu was available, on its own or as an egg substitute, so I believe you could get yourself a vegan meal there if you liked, though you might need to do some inquiring.
As I said, it was good - we all liked what we got, and it was all very reasonably priced. Oh, I also got the Cafe Dan' which is like some types of Vietnamese coffee I've had - coarse ground, dripped through a cute little metal cup/basket into a mug with sweetened condensed milk in it. This was hot, while the Vietnamese version I've had made with the same apparatus was iced.
It wasn't crowded at all, unlike the times I've been there for dinner. Some of that may be that they have expanded since I was going there regularly, so they have at least twice as much floor space as they did when I was haunting the place ten years or so ago. But it's worth the hassle of finding parking in Fremont, if you are looking for something new or another place to add to your breakfast roster. If you're going to show up with more than five I'd probably give them some warning, but I imagine they would be able to accommodate a larger group by shifting around some tables. There is a ramp between the area of what used to be the old place and where they expanded into, but I don't recall encountering stairs, and there is a door to the outside on both levels should the ramp prove too narrow to negotiate.
Current Mood:  full
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![[User Picture]](https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/15654786/454501) | | From: | sculpin |
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| Date: | November 6th, 2004 09:48 am (UTC) |
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That sounds really good. Should I ever be awake before noon on Saturday, I'd like to go there with you all. ![[User Picture]](https://l-userpic.livejournal.com/3426898/446447) | | From: | cithra |
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| Date: | November 7th, 2004 05:40 am (UTC) |
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I definitely want to go back, and I'd like to plan it a little more in advance next time. I will certainly let you know about it! Most of the coffee I had in Vietnam was actually exactly what you described. |
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