Tuptim Thai is a must try

Checking off another restaurant on a list of "restaurants to try," my girlfriend Jennifer and I had dinner at Tuptim Thai on a Friday Night Date Night. Nestled in the Shops at Tallgrass Shopping Mall at Rock & 21st (adjacent to Best Buy, and Verizon), we met up at 5:30 pm and all the great things we had heard about the place were true.

Tuptim Thai Specialty: Pad Thai Gang DangPhoto byBachelor on the Cheap

Arriving first, I was warmly greeted upon entering and was seated immediately. The place was about 1/4 full, but that changed quickly, and precisely why Jennifer and I hit the place at 5:30 pm, to get a jump on the dinner crowd. After 6 pm, there was a steady crowd filing in.

Sipping on a nice glass of Reisling, our server took our dinner order. We started things off with an appetizer, the Thai Crispy Spring Rolls, here's the description from the menu: Thai Crispy Spring Rolls - Chicken, noodle, cabbage, carrot, celery, and onion in a shell, deep-fried until golden brown. Served with sweet & sour sauce. They were indeed golden, brown, delicious, and certainly fresh from the kitchen, as they were too hot to eat right away. The menu states a serving of two, but we got three in our order, Jennifer and I split the third, they were super tasty!

For her entree', Jennifer went with Pad Thai Gang Dang - (here's the website menu description) Chicken and shrimp pad Thai in creamy red curry sauce with roasted peanuts over fresh cabbage and bean sprouts. Topped with a fried egg, shredded carrot, and cilantro with a fresh lime wedge on the side.

Chicken Thunder: Robust flavors, perfectly seasoned, tender chicken.Photo byBachelor on the Cheap

I went with the Chicken Thunder - Chicken breast marinated in house seasoning with a touch of white rum, straw mushroom, baby corn, fresh ginger, and scallion.

Both dishes were excellent, and sampling from each other's dish, we both commented, "I should have ordered yours!" When ordering, you get three heat options, mild, medium, and hot, we both went medium not quite knowing what level of heat to expect. I usually go mild when trying a place for the first time, but the medium was perfect, packing flavor followed by a bit of a kick in the finish, it was very nicely balanced heat, complimenting the tender chicken and vegetables. The curry sauce in Jennifer's dish was stellar, a sauce done so well you didn't really need the squeeze of citrus to brighten it up. The dish was Gang Dang delicious!

As we were enjoying our dinner and some small talk about the day, we noticed how A LOT of carryout orders were flying out the door. Servers were constantly moving from the kitchen to the front, with bags of carryout in hand. No wonder, given how tasty everything Jennifer and I sampled was.

Oops! Forgot to take a photo right away when served...There were three on that plate... SO tasty!Photo byBachelor on the Cheap

Costing $59.15 plus tip for the appetizer, two entrees, and two glasses of Reisling, I'm giving Tuptim Thai 5 out of 5 Bachelor on the Cheap Stars. The food was terrific, and the service was top-notch. This was a very enjoyable dinner and the restaurant is certainly worthy of a repeat visit.

Located at 2121 N Rock Rd #300, Wichita, KS 67206, I would describe Tuptim Thai as a restaurant with a relaxed and casual atmosphere with a touch of elegance. William, our server was all smiles and very professional. Other members of the staff were attentive as well, making for a great dining experience, in other words, the attention to detail was excellent, all the 'i's' were dotted and 't's' crossed.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike