We recently had some folks over for dinner and Suzanne made a Thai meal. She’s been bragging about he ability to cook authentic Thai food, so this was her chance to back it up.

And back it up, she did! In style. Seven dishes and two sauces. We fed six people and had plenty of leftovers. Maybe the most amazing thing was that the entire meal required a shopping trip to a single Thai market that rang in at just under $90.

I helped out some, but not much. I did, however, make the Miang Yuan. I’ve been making them for years, and when I suggested we have them on the menu, it was suggested that if I wanted them, I could make them. Not a problem.

Here are the dishes.

Miang Yuan (Fresh Spring Rolls)

• about a pound of shrimp
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 3 oz rice vermicelli
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 9 tender lettuce leaves (such as Boston), cut lengthwise in half, washed, dried, wrapped, and chilled to crisp
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 18 round rice paper wrappers, each about 8 inches in dia.
• Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Clean and/or cook the shrimp as required.

Soak the rice vermicelli until soft and drain.

To assemble the rolls, set out the ingredients on a counter in the above order. Fill a bowl with hot water. Dip a wrapper in the water until it’s soft and spread it out on a flat surface. I found that using a small cutting board worked well, then you can simply slide it along the counter from ingredient to ingredient.

Place a few shrimp in the middle of the wrapper, slightly on your side. 3 if they’re medium or more if they’re small. Place Cilantro on the shrimp, arranging it pretty if you care to. Add some noodles and carrot. Cover with a piece of lettuce and top with sprouts and mint.

Fold the edge of the wrapper nearest you over the filling. Tuck each side over the ends of the filling, and continue rolling to make a roll.

Pile them up, keeping them from touching too much. I put a piece of plastic wrap between each layer. Cover to keep from drying if you’re not serving them immediately.

Look Chin Gai (Chicken Balls)

• 1 pound boned, skinned chicken
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 quarts water

Grind all ingredients except the 2 quarts of water (duh) until a smooth puree is formed.

Bring the 2 quarts to a boil. Form 1-1.5 tbsp balls out of the chicken stuff. Drop them into the boiling water and cook until they rise to the surface and are firm. Remove and drain thoroughly on a rack.

Brush the balls with oil and grill or broil until browned. Put them on skewers if you like.

Serve the above dishes with one or both of the following sauces.

Nam Jim Gratiem (Garlic Sauce)

Makes 3/4 cup

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground chili paste
• 2 tsp (about 4 cloves) finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a stainless-steel or enamel saucepan and bowl slowly until the mixture is reduced buy about a half. Ideally you want it to have a consistency slightly thinner than heavy cream.

Can be stored for up to two months in a closed jar in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nuoc Cham (Chili Dipping Sauce, Vietnamese style)

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh red cili
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp finely chopped, unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 2 tbsp finely shredded or grated carrot

In a food processor or bender combine the garlic, chili, fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, lime juice and water. Blend well.

Can be stored for up to two months in a closed jar in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature, adding the peanut and carrot just before.

Yum Wun Sen (Transparent Noodle Salad)

Serves 4-6.

• 1/4 bean thread noodles
• warm water
• 2 cups of napa cabbage (once shredded)
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 green onions (white and green parts)
• 2 serrano chilis or 1 tsp ground, roasted chili paste)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp (2 cloves) finely chopped garlic
• 1/4 lb ground pork or ground chicken
• 1/4 lb peeled, deveined raw shrimp
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• Green lettuce leaves
• 12 cup coriander sprigs

Soak the noodles for twenty minutes in warm water to cover. Drain well, cut into two-inch lengths and set them aside in a colander to continue draining.

Slice the cabbage into paper thin shreds. Finely shred the carrot. Thinly slice the celery and green onions diagonally. If using the serrano chilies, slice them into thin, lengthwise strips. Set the vegetables aside in one bowl, and mix in the chilies.

Heat a wok, add oil, and coat the pan. Add garlic and stir-fry until lightly golden. Add pork or chicken and stir-fry until the pink color has completely disappeared. Add shrimp. Add the noodles and toss gently until mixed.

Put the meat/noodle mixture into a mixing bowl and add the raw vegetables, fish sauce, and lime juice. Mix thoroughly and allow to cool to room temperature.

Put a single layer of lettuce leaves on a serving platter and arrange the salad over them. Garnish with coriander sprigs.

Kwaytiow Paht (Stir Fried Rice Noodles)

Serves 4-6.

• 1 large package of fresh, wide rice noodles (or the corresponding amount of dry rice noodles)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sliced shallots
• 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh red or green hot chilies
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp palm sugar
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• fresh thai basil and/or mint to garnish

Prepare noodles as directed. Drain and set aside.

Heat a wok, add oil and swirl. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add shallots and stir-fry for a minute. Add garlic and chili and fry for another 30 seconds.Stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and pepper to taste. Stir until the mixture thickens, about five minutes.

Add the drained noodles and gently stir-fry until tender yet still firm to the bite, about a minute, adding a little more oil if the noodles stick. Add basil and mint and gently toss until the leaves wilt.. Remove from heat.

Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the herb leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gai Pad nam Prig Pao (Chicken in Roasted Curry Sauce)

Serves 4-6.

• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup roasted red curry (see below)
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 green onions, white part only
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp (2 cloves) finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup whole, unsalted, roasted peanuts

Mix fish sauce, sugar, water, and roasted red curry in a small bowl and set aside. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside. Slice the green onions diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces.

Heat a wok, add the oil, and swirl. Add garlic and stir-fry until light golden. Add chicken and str-fry until the pink color is completely gone. Add the liquid from the first step and stir until it boils.

Add peanuts and green onions, stirring until the onions are crisp-tender and the peanuts are heated through.

Serve warm, with rice.

Nam Prig Pao (Roasted Red Curry)

Use hotter chilies if you want a spicier curry.

Makes 3 cups.

• 3 oz wet tamarind (or 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate + 1/4 cup warm water)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 lb dried New Mexico or California chilies
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped garlic
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 1/4 cups dried shrimp
• 1/4 cup shrimp paste

Skip this step if you’re using tamarind concentrate. Soak the wet tamarind in 3/4 cup warm water for 15 minutes or until it is soft. Press it through a sieve, making sure to press through all the pulp you can. Scrape the outside of the sieve carefully to get all the pulp, and discard the residue inside the sieve.

Place the tamarind and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Remove the stems and seeds from the chilies, and tear into pieces once inch square or smaller. Heat a wok, add 1/2 cup of oil, and swirl. Stir-fry the chilies over moderate heat until they are a deep red and lightly fragrant, being careful not to let them burn. Remove the chilies, but not the oil. Set them aside in a bowl.

Add two tbsp more oil to the wok and stir-fry the garlic until it is lightly golden. Remove the garlic, but not the oil, and add it to the chilies.

Add two tbsp more oil to the wok and stir-fry the onion until it is light golden. Remove the onion, but not the oil, and add it to the garlic and chilies.

Add 1/4 cup more oil to the wok. Add the dried shrimp and cook for about a minute. Add the shrimp paste and stir-fry until the color has become uniform and the strong oder has subsided. Remove the mixture, including the oil and add it to the previously fried ingredients. Allow them to cool to room temperature.

Place the fried mixture and the oil in a food processor or blender and grind it to a smooth paste. If it seems dry or crumbly, add more oil to form a smooth, thick paste.

Add the cooked tamarind mixture to the ground chili mixture and stir to combine well.

Store the curry in a closed jar in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Mussaman Nue (Beef Mussman)

Serves 8-10.

• 2 oz wet tamarind or 1/4 cup tamarind concentrate
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 lb flank steak
• 1 cup whole roasted unsalted peanuts
• 3 cups thin coconut milk
• 1 large potato
• 2 cups thick coconut milk
• 1 recipe of Musman Curry (see below)
• 12 cardamon seeds
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar

Skip this step if you’re using tamarind concentrate. Soak the wet tamarind in 3/4 cup warm water for 15 minutes or until it is soft. Press it through a sieve, making sure to press through all the pulp you can. Scrape the outside of the sieve carefully to get all the pulp, and discard the residue inside the sieve.

Cut the beef into 1/3-inch cubes. Place beef, peanuts, and thin coconut milk in a large covered saucepan and boil gently over medium heat for 30 minutes.

Peel the potato and cut it into 1/3-inch cubes. Add it to the saucepan, stir, and cook the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes more. Remove the mixture from the heat and set aside.

Bring the thick coconut milk to a boil in a saucepan and remove it from the heat.

Heat a wok and add 1/4 cup of the thick coconut milk and the Musman Curry. Stir the mixture over moderate heat until it is thick and pale tan. Add the cardamom seeds. Add the rest of the thick coconut milk, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring it over high heat until the sauce becomes slightly thick after each addition.

Add the mixture from the above step to the beef mixture, and bring it to a boil. Add the fish sauce, sugar, and tamarind solution/concentrate. (If you used concentrate, add 1/2 cup warm water and stir to mix well).

Serve with rice.

Nam Prig Gang Mussaman (Musman Curry)

Makes 1/2 cup.

• 7 small dried red chilies
• 2 pieces kah
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin or fennel seeds
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 stalk lemon grass, bottom 6 inches only
• 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 tsp shrimp paste
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Remove the stems and seeds from the chilies. Soak the chilies and kah in the warm water for 20 minutes. After soaking, drain and discard the soaking water.

Place the coriander seeds, cumin (or fennel) seeds, and the coves in a dry skillet and roast them over moderate heat until the cumin seeds have darkened, the cloves have turned a green-grey color, and the mixture is very fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Chop the chilies, kah, and lemon grass finely. Combine with the remaining ingredients and pound or grind to a smooth paste with a mortar or blender. (If you’re using a blender you may need to add water to aid in grinding.)

Can be stored in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Taco Saku (Coconut Rice Pudding)

Makes 16 pieces.

• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup small tapioca pearls
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 cups thick coconut milk

Soak the rice in the 2 cups water overnight

Bring 1 1/2 water to a boil. Put the tapioca pearls in a sieve and rinse them quickly under running water. Add them to the boiling water and stir until they become translucent. Add the 1/4 cup+ sugar and stir until it dissolves.

Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into small custard cups or an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan.

Wash the soaked rice in 2 or 3 changes of water until the water runs clear, and drain it well. Grind the uncooked rice with the salt, sugar, and 1 cup of the coconut milk until it is pureed.

Put the ground rice mixture into a pan with the remaining coconut milk. Cook over medium heat until it thickens slightly. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, until it is very thick but still pourable. If the mixture begins to dry out or gets too thick to pour, add more coconut milk as needed.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture evenly over the layer of tapioca pudding.

Serve at room temperature.

Suzanne and I spent part of Presidents Day wandering about the Financial District and Downtown. We started out by heading to the Ferry Building. I could spend some serious money there on ingredients. In fact, I expect I will.

After we tired of wandering we realized we were hungry and looked for a place to eat. Everything in the ferry building was packed, so we headed back into the financial district. “What do you want?” she asked. “Hmm.. Thai” I said. I was just whipping out my iPhone to check for nearby Thai restaurants when we looked across the street and saw Osha. Suzanne raves about the location in the Mission, and I was impressed with their SOMA location, so we went in.

Suzanne got a Palmtinni while I went with an Anchor Steam. What was of note was the mug:

Notice where the handle is. I’m calling this a case of bad design. It’s too high. With the mug full it’s awkward to tip it up to drink from.

We started with Thai Samosas (Potato, onion, carrot and yellow curry in a pot sticker wrapper served with fresh cucumber salad). These tasted fine but we both thought they were a bit too light & flakey. They came with 4 pieces but we’d started in before think to take a pic.

Next up was the Mango Salad (Streamed prawns, sliced mango, red onions, mint, cilantro, Kaffir lime leaf and cashew nuts in spicy lemongrass dressing). This was the star of the meal. Beautifully done. Crisp and refreshing, tart & nicely spicy. And it was garnished with lots of sliced cucumber. I like cucumber. Suzanne doesn’t. I ate all the cucumbers. Win-win.
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For the main entre we got Volcanic Beef (Wok-fried grilled premium flank steak with basil and black pepperin Lava sauce garnished with onion rings). While it was well presented and flavorful enough, it lacked heat. We ordered it “spicy” but it was bland with respect to chilis.

The Mango Salad was far and away the star of the meal. In fact it’s the only dish that I’d order again.

Suzanne and I went for Thai tonight before popping into Wicked Grounds (a review of which is forthcoming).

We started with the curry puffs (crispy pastries filled with curried diced duck & sweet potatoes), of which I have no picture as we started into them before thinking to snap a picture.  They were good  Duck… yum.

We then moved on to the larb gai (minced chicken tossed in lime, chili and parched rice). This stuff was *good*.

Next it was on to the main course.

First tamarind prawns (light battered prawns wok tossed in spicy tamarind with crisp shallots and garlic). These were nice.  The prawns were nicely done, although we found the sauce to be more sweet & sour than tamarind. The crisp shallots were especially tasty, though.

The other main course dish was kang kua gai (tangy red curry of julienned chicken breast and pumpkin).  This was tasty enough, and the pumpkin was nice. However, the chicken was on the dry side.

Overall, dinner was great.  The restaurant itself was nice enough, and the service was spectacular. Worth a visit, I’d say.

I went with my friend and colleague, Gilberto, to Osha for lunch. I love Thai food, and this was not a disappointment. Gilberto and I were heading to lunch to catch up, and he suggested this place. He’d been there several times and thought I’d enjoy it.

The place was popular and we had about a 15 minute wait. The decor and ambiance was nice. It was obviously not your typical thai hole-in-the-wall.

Gilberto got Volcanic Beef, a rather elaborate looking spicy beef dish. Very impressive. He said it was very tasty, and that he’d gotten it before.

I had my usual bellweather when I go to a new Thai palce: Pad Thai. If a place can’t make a reasoable Pad Thai, I usually won’t go back. They did a great job.

All in all, a great lunch experience. A bit of a wait, but a busy restaurant is a good sign, especially when it’s not a cheap place. I’ll be back.

Osha Thai Restaurant
149 2nd Street SF, CA
94105