Six months ago, Dan and Vilay Phienbonpha walked into Special Thai as customers and walked out as the owners. After four very slow months, they decided to try switching to zabihah meat in order to attract the Muslims in the area. Friends put them in touch with places that they could get the meat. Dan is always prepared to produce transaction receipts to anyone that may be doubtful.
With Vilay as the main chef, "Dan the Man," as they call him, greets the customers with his twinkling eyes and hearty laugh.
I am no food connoisseur, but I do know that Thai food has a reputation for bold flavors — sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Famished and with no idea where to begin on a menu full of various appetizers, soups, salads, and curries, I opted to let Dan choose my dishes.
Out of red, green, and yellow, I ended up with the yellow curry, an excellent decision on Dan’s part. The least spicy of the three, this creamy curry was a delight with both the naan and the traditional sticky rice. The tender bits of chicken, potatoes, and carrots made this a meal of its own. It was a harmonious symphony of sweet and spicy.
Often times, food doesn’t taste nearly as good as it looks. Fortunately, that was not the case with the sautéed beef and chicken skewers. The beautifully textured meat drenched in a heavenly, sweet sauce nearly melted in my mouth. I barely had time to even think of adding the peanut sauce and cucumber-vinegar concoction that is served with it. The peanut sauce tasted exactly like diluted, warmed-up peanut butter, and the moist bits of cucumber proved to be refreshing rather than tangy.
The most popular item on the menu at Special Thai however, is the Tom-Yum hot and sour soup. With fresh lemon grass, green onions, straw mushrooms, and chilies, it didn’t look particularly enticing, although it did have a robust aroma. With just one spoonful, I could tell right away that it definitely had a kick to it.
Eagerly, I moved on to the Thai Steak Special, a lavish ensemble of small pieces of surprisingly tender beef in a light brown broth piled high with various vegetables. It was much more than the slab of meat I was expecting. I was completely satisfied, and that is saying something considering how picky I usually am!
A cool glass of Thai iced tea, which tasted like a Boba Chai Tea without the Boba, was the perfect end to this meal. Dan excitedly explained – and demonstrated – that half the fun was swirling the tea and the half and half together.
Dan said he wants to cater to Muslims the right way. Despite his struggles to initially pursue a liquor license, he cleared the restaurant of all pork and alcohol. Furthermore, at the front of the restaurant, there is an area set aside for praying, fully equipped with a prayer rug and two kufis.
Finally, per the most recent recommendation, the bathrooms now sport bright yellow watering cans. Above all, Dan insists that Special Thai serves all traditional Thai food, unlike most restaurants that cater to western tastes. He and Vilay say that February was their best month of business to date.
Traditional or not, with its variety of amazing food, friendly service, decent prices, and efforts to accommodate Muslims, Vilay’s Special Thai is a welcome addition to the list of zabihah restaurants.
