Thai Paradise

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ignatius
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Thai Paradise

Post by ignatius »

Anyone try Thai Paradise (formerly Willy) at 15th/Grand?  Quite good...  skip the main dishes (which can be overcooked) and just do the thom kha goong, pork larb, nim sob, spring rolls and other soups/apps.  

I like to do soup/salad/appetizers as the meal at most any Thai restaurant.  Likely to get more variety of zing than doing the main course dishes.
Last edited by ignatius on Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
ignatius
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by ignatius »

Need to bump this.  Thai Paradise has been modifying itself recently and is in kickass mode.  They were very busy for lunch when I went yesterday.  They have 4 item lunch specials now for under $10 and I likey.

They take some shortcuts (most restaurants do) but they have some really tasty items.  The larb has rice vinegar, which I don't see often and gives it a nice zing (a short cut from using more lime it seems) and unfortunately they use shredded iceberg lettuce instead of cabbage, but it works.  Plan to try rice vinegar in my larb recipe.  The Tom Kha coconut soup was simple but very tasty.  The yellow curry was pretty basic with no punch to speak of but I took the juices from the larb, drizzled on the rice and asked for some chopped chilis on the side to perk up the curry.  Great value.  Give it a shot.
loftguy
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by loftguy »

ignatius wrote: Need to bump this.  Thai Paradise has been modifying itself recently and is in kickass mode.  They were very busy for lunch when I went yesterday.  They have 4 item lunch specials now for under $10 and I likey.

They take some shortcuts (most restaurants do) but they have some really tasty items.  The larb has rice vinegar, which I don't see often and gives it a nice zing (a short cut from using more lime it seems) and unfortunately they use shredded iceberg lettuce instead of cabbage, but it works.  Plan to try rice vinegar in my larb recipe.  The Tom Kha coconut soup was simple but very tasty.  The yellow curry was pretty basic with no punch to speak of but I took the juices from the larb, drizzled on the rice and asked for some chopped chilis on the side to perk up the curry.  Great value.  Give it a shot.
Good on you, Ignatius.  Susie and Willy have been pumping out wonderful exotic flavors from this location for nearly 30 years.  Only 'nam vets had a clue about such cuisine in KC at that time.  Years ago, they used to make fish balls for their soup, but it was too authentic for most anglo taste buds.  They also made the most amazing balls of chopped chicken, peanuts and a hoard of herbs and spices that made you quiver.  It took nearly three hours to prepare though and they are left to memory.

Their spicy bbq pork and shrimp soup with a few pickled hot peppers tossed in is a tantalizing cure for colds and blustery days. 
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by PumpkinStalker »

Always have been a huge fan of this place.  The owners are incredibly friendly and hospitable.  Highly reccommend.
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chrizow
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by chrizow »

i love thai paradise.  i kind of wish they would get rid of the heavy driftwood hobbit tables.  they are a weird height and some of them are shaped quite awkwardly, causing one's plate or drink to be in a precarious position. 

i love their curries with five heaping spoonfuls of the hot peppers in there. 
moderne
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by moderne »

They always treat us like old friends here.  I once saw a rather obese person get her fat roll stuck in one of the crevices of a table.  Remember what the place looked like before the remodel?  The very unSiamese photo mural?
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by KCMax »

The owners of Thai Paradise have put the building and restaurant up for sale and are retiring. :(

http://www.kansascity.com/199/story/1165562.html
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loftguy
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by loftguy »

KCMax wrote: The owners of Thai Paradise have put the building and restaurant up for sale and are retiring. :(

http://www.kansascity.com/199/story/1165562.html
So sad.  Awesome food and wonderful people. 

That's it.  I'm having Thai 3 or 4 times a week, while I can!
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by AJoD »

Yeah, I saw that this morning, too bad.  I've still never been, but I think I'll remedy that today over lunch.  If anyone else is interested, send me a PM, email, or post.
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by PumpkinStalker »

AJoD wrote: Yeah, I saw that this morning, too bad.  I've still never been, but I think I'll remedy that today over lunch.  If anyone else is interested, send me a PM, email, or post.
Damn, would totally be down tomorrow but can't today.
bobbyhawks
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by bobbyhawks »

I hope the good folks at Oklahoma Joe's are reading this.  This would be a solid place for a BBQ joint.
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KCMax
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by KCMax »

bobbyhawks wrote: I hope the good folks at Oklahoma Joe's are reading this.  This would be a solid place for a BBQ joint.
As much as I love Okie Joe's, I would be pretty upset if the new owners changed Thai Paradise!
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bobbyhawks
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by bobbyhawks »

KCMax wrote: As much as I love Okie Joe's, I would be pretty upset if the new owners changed Thai Paradise!
Ah, I guess I was under the impression that it would change no matter what.  Perhaps Okie Joe's could come in and use the same interior?  Heck, they started out of a gas station, so what are a few tree stumps for store #3?

I'd probably prefer it to stay local and stay Asian as well, but the opportunity for a local business to stick it to Cordish presents itself.  Is Po's too close?
ignatius
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by ignatius »

Sad to hear.  Would be great if someone could buy it out and keep the concept.  Is now a prime off-P&L location so I imagine it will quickly be sold whether maintaining Thai or not. 

If they actually own the building, I could understand why they'd want to sell it as that strip has more potential now than ever and probably gives them a better return than running the restaurant.
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GRID
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by GRID »

bobbyhawks wrote: but the opportunity for a local business to stick it to Cordish presents itself.

](*,)
moderne
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by moderne »

It is still the ideal mom & pop establishment, as they live upstairs.  No matter what the parking situation is they always let me block their car in the back.
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

Didn't they say they were looking to "sell the business"?  It didn't say anything about the building (do the thai paradise people even own their building?)  Sounds to me like they are looking for a buyer who wants to buy an established thai restaurant business - not just the space itself. 
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taxi
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by taxi »

Sometimes it helps reading comprehension to read things twice. Or three times.

The owners of Thai Paradise have put the business and building up for sale and plan to retire.
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by AJoD »

Spoke with them over lunch, as the article indicates, they are selling the building.  If someone wants to pony up for the restaurant stuff, too, good for them, but I was left with the distinct impression that the primary concern is unloading the property and getting back to Thailand.  I can't help but think they're going to make a killing on that property.  Good for them.

The food was terrific, a very pleasant surprise, I should have been heedful of ignatius's rec earlier.

I can't believe more Thai restaurants don't do the multicourse lunch special (and so cheap!) as that's really the way to eat this food.  Not groundbreaking Thai or anything, but more enjoyable than meals at Thai Place or Thai Orchid.
IraGlacialis
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Re: Thai Paradise

Post by IraGlacialis »

Aww... this makes me an exceedingly sad panda...
Great food and they have known me since I was a bilingual toddler all the way to me being a monolingual (:() teenager/young adult.

Has the place closed already or will it be in the near future?
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