NightOut.com Spring 2013
Over the years, I’ve learned that it doesn’t take traditional Thai architecture and artwork to make a Thai restaurant authentic; it takes a faithful, flavorful approach to Thai cuisine and the relaxed and friendly attitude of Thai culture. TAP Thai succeeds and sets the bar high, offering healthy, delicious food and a sleek yet cozy atmosphere that recalls the hip restaurants popular among Bangkokian twenty-somethings.
Before the meal, my family and I were already enjoying the sensory experience—laid-back music as a background to our conversation, hand painted black-on-white designs flowing into depictions of their fresh ingredients, and the sweet taste of Thai iced tea served in a quart-sized mason jar (enough to counteract piquance throughout the entire meal). They have created an appealingly modern, clean, and unique Thai restaurant experience; the place is well decorated but not distracting, minimalist but not spare.
Having eaten three meals a day on the sidewalks of Bangkok for six months of my life, I find myself critiquing Thai food at home with a set of standards higher than the average American Thai food enthusiast. The local street food vendors surrounding my apartment allowed me to experience the best of each specialized dish, and the $1-3 range of an average Bangkok meal doesn’t help the case of an American competitor. I’m not a nitpicker and I appreciate different styles and fusions, but rarely do I find a Thai meal in the states that satisfies my deepest nostalgic hunger for the good Larb (minced meat salad), Thai stir-fry, and Tom Kha soup I found on Thai street corners. However, with the soothing lemongrass-infused coconut milk broth of their Tom Kha, the spicy acidic kick of their Larb Gai, and the runny yolk of a fried egg intermingling with the flavors of their Spicy Basil stir-fry, TAP Thai had me smiling and sweating with that rare satisfaction.
We ordered to share: A Tom Kha Tofu soup and TAP spring rolls as appetizers, a Green Curry, Eggplant salad, Larb Gai (chicken), Spicy Basil stir-fry, and Ginger stir-fry as entrees. The Tom Kha, Green Curry, Larb Gai, and Spicy Basil were refreshingly excellent renditions of dishes I know and love—classic representations of three main genres of Thai cuisine: coconut milk based soups & curries, northeastern style meat salads, and chili & vegetable based stir-fries. The TAP roll’s pleasantly surprising seaweed added a welcome and distinct flavor to the familiar spring roll concept, and the delicious, multi-textured Eggplant Salad singlehandedly reversed my irrational childhood disdain for eggplant. After a few independent ‘critique’ nibbles, I let the dishes spill into one another on my plate, and subsequently into my belly.
So who is behind this little establishment that so successfully integrates the flavors of traditional Thai cuisine into a hip yet humble context?
The name TAP is an acronym for the names of its founders, Top, Aon, and Preaw, three friends who met at architecture school in Bangkok about fifteen years ago. A collective passion for food drew them away from the pursuit of architectural work, in the direction of the restaurant industry, and eventually to the US. While absorbing the logistics and culture of the restaurant industry in the States, the idea of starting their own Thai restaurant was born, and in 2010 they were met by the opportunity to actualize the idea here in Santa Barbara.
While they knew the importance of keeping the flavors authentic, the young design-minded founders were also keen to give the food a unique, modern presentation. In my conversation with Preaw, she noted that while she didn’t choose architecture as a career, the restaurant still offers several outlets through which she can exercise the skills and ideas she gained in school. I didn’t need to take her word for it—everything from their dish presentation to their logo is infused with a crisp, attractive sense of artistry.
As the ingredient-inspired wall décor suggests, freshness and healthiness are also definitive features of the TAP Thai experience. Fresh ingredients, smaller (yet still sufficient) portions, and made-to-order dishes all factor into the healthy, homemade style they proudly advertise. When asked about the challenges TAP faces, Preaw remarked that in the fast-paced American eating culture, serving a full house from a small kitchen without pre-cooked dishes might test some patrons’ patience. However, most find the food well worth the wait, and appreciate the genuine dedication to quality.
I look forward to seeing what the future holds for TAP Thai—a little over two years old and it’s already earned a deservedly positive reputation around town. There’s not much I’d like to see change, but I trust Preaw, Top, and Aon to make the most of any opportunities for growth. In the meantime, don’t be surprised when you see me at TAP nursing my nostalgia with a Pad Thai and Singha.