Traveling can be a daunting task. What to bring, who watches the pets/kids, do you bring the kids, make sure there are no liquids in your carry on’s etc…..
But trying to travel and be mindful of your dietary needs can be an out and out brawl! So I’m dedicating the next three posts to a series called “Make eating fun while traveling.” I focused my reviews on three restaurants that each offered a very unique culture and dining experience. All three are also quite different in their culinary cuisines.
If you thought you couldn’t eat Thai food because of digestive sensitivities or food disease such as celiac, think again. There is nothing in the “food handbook” that says you HAVE TO eat spicey food when eating thai. There is also nothing that says you have to digest tons of soy sauce just because soy and asian food go hand in hand. And in Palm Beach Florida the Thai restaurants know how to cater to ALL their clientel.
Talay Thai Restaurant located at 7100 Fairway Dr. in Palm Beach is hands down, one of the best thai experiences I’ve had. With flavors of traditional thai cuisine fused with vegetarian recipes, it’s hard NOT to find something you’ll like. Our group decided to order a sample of different appetizers; the app that best suited my needs were the Talay spring rolls ($7.00).
Interestingly in the Vietnamese or Tawain cultures, spring rolls (also known as summer rolls) refer to the freshness of the spring season and are filled with all fresh ingrediants. This is why they are usually never fried; it takes away from the “freshness”, so your guaranteed a happy tummy. Made with either white flour rice wrapping or wheat flour rice wrapping, spring rolls are usually stuffed with cabbage, carrots, cilantro and shrimp. But upon request the shrimp can be taken out for a truly authentic vegetarian roll. Along with our spring rolls, we had the chicken and crabmeat dumplings ($8.00) and chicken satay ($8.00). The dumplings are a unique take on the traditional steamed dumpling that is usually made with pork. While I did give it a try, I held back on eating the whole thing- due to the diary that is mixed in with the meat. And the satay, which comes with a ginger dipping sauce (FYI for all you stomach sensitive folk- ginger is great at relieving stomach indigestion) and put on a skewer was tender and oh so juicy. But you must like curry to enjoy this app, because the curry taste is very pronounced.
For the main event, I ordered the most amazing chilean sea bass ($28.00) covered in sauteed kale.
Routed in southern Atlantic oceans and southern Pacific Indian oceans, sea bass is a white fish that is subtle in taste. While it’s healthy to eat and helps maintain digestive regularity, you must be careful. Sea bass is high in mercury; meaning eating it once in a while is good but you can’t eat it as often as you would talapia or salmon. Admittedly, when it is served in a fish shaped bowl that is lit underneath to eccentuate it’s beauty, and covered in leafy kale, it’s hard not to want to eat this amazing fish all the time. Complimented with fresh vegetables and a savory ginger fish sauce, every bite is worth the sticker price.
The decor of the restaurant itself is authentic to the bone, but much more upscale then the jeaned attire we walked in with. From beautiful watercolor chinese paintings to the soft music and dim lighting; you feel as though you have been formally introduced to asian culture at its finest. It’s an experience worth having and delightfully easy to digest.
