Life > November 1, 2007

By Chelsea Murphy | Contributing writer

When thinking about dinner, Jonestown Road may not ring a bell like Stratford or Reynolda. However, the 15-minute drive from campus shouldn’t deter you from checking out Cha Da Thai, an exquisite little restaurant stuffed in the corner of a shopping center just off Silas Creek Parkway.

While the location may seem better suited for a Dress Barn or Food Lion, the ambiance inside of Cha Da Thai is far from “stripmall-esque.”

According to the restaurant’s Web site, the cha da is an elaborately jeweled crown worn by royal performers in ancient Thailand.

Numerous cha das, as well as other traditional Thai decorum blend to create a unique, warm atmosphere in this small restaurant.

If you’ve little experience with Thai food, don’t hesitate to make this your first one. Cha Da Thai provides one of the least daunting, most user-friendly menus a newbie could ask for.

Complete descriptions of its contents and spiciness accompany each of the more than 60 different dishes offered.

Since Cha Da Thai was my first experience with Thai food, my accompanying party attempted to enlighten me as to its nature on the ride there.

Deemed a combination of Indian, Asian and even Hawaiian cuisine, it was consistently noted as being “really spicy” – a common misconception.

In fact not a singular item on the menu is slated as being more than “medium hot,” and the majority of meals are actually mild.

Claiming to exercise “thai hospitality,” service at Cha Da Thai was impressive. While I wouldn’t describe the hostess or waitress as particularly warm, the promptness with which each act of service was performed far outshined that of many other area restaurants.

My accompanying party of seven was seated within the first five minutes of our arrival. Our appetizers arrived only moments after being ordered and our drink glasses seemed to replenish themselves.

Dinner arrives just as the hors d’oeuvre’s are being removed. Again, I can’t stress how speedy the service was.

Soups, salads and rice noodles make up about half of the menu and include the restaurant’s most popular Thai dish, the flavorful and sweet Pad Thai ($8.95-$12.95) which consists of rice noodles sauteed with egg, bean sprouts, green onion and crushed peanuts.

Most entrees like Pad Thai are priced according to one’s desired. Chicken, pork and vegetarian options are all $8.95, where beef, shrimp or scallop choices are all $9.95.

Stepping up the price, one can order almost any dish stir fried with a combination of shrimp, scallops, calamari and crabmeat for $12.95. Most meals are accompanied by a bowl of steamed rice, but sticky rice ($2.50), steamed rice ($2.50) and fried rice ($2) can all be ordered separately as well.

Unlike the steamed and stir-fried meal choices, the appetizer portion of a meal represents the deep fried realm of traditional Thai cuisine.

I would stay away from the fresh roll, spring roll, steamed roll variations (all $4.95) since, aside from the plum and sweet sauce they are served with, the Pit’s egg rolls are more flavorful and satisfying.

I would instead encourage utilizing the appetizer portion of the meal to try something different. A great choice would be angel wings ($6.95). A peanut sauce commonly associated with Thai cuisine adorns these stuffed, breaded and fried, boneless chicken wings for a flavorful kick start to any meal that can easily be shared or enjoyed alone.

While entree choices are plentiful, don’t be prepared for the same selection on the dessert menu.

Sweet sticky rice with mangoes and fried banana ice cream (both $4.95) are Cha Da Thai’s only dessert options.

Thankfully, the entree portions are large enough to fill you up and even send you home with some for later.

I don’t mean to imply that you should expect another meal’s worth of leftovers or that it would be good to share a meal; portions here are perfect, and you will likely leave quite satisfied.

The restaurant is open for lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on weekdays. Its dinner hours are Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.

On Sundays, lunch is served from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. immediately followed by dinner, which lasts until 10 p.m.

Cha Da Thai has a helpful and musically-adorned (they amp up the ambiance early) Web site, www.chadathai-nc.com, for those in search of a menu or directions.