I love cats. Big cats, small cats, house cats, wild cats. I really like Thai food too. So I was excited to try Wild Thaiger, a Thai restaurant in downtown Phoenix. I’d heard great things about it from Lexi D., one of my former cooking students and cooking assistants who worked there for a while, and from Heather W., one my best friends, who has eaten there on numerous occasions.
My first trip visit I met my cooking assistant, Mary, and her husband, Steve, for dinner at Wild Thaiger in mid June. We hadn’t yet hit triple digit temps here in Phoenix, so we sat outside in the restaurant’s airy patio.
I ordered the Thaiger Ribs (1/2 rack for $9.95) –– marinated Thai style ribs with a green chili sauce. I had them replace the rice with extra vegetables. This was my first time ordering ribs in a restaurant. When my order arrived at the table, my heart sunk for a moment. I wondered where the vegetables were. Turns out they were hiding under the ribs. End of disappointment.
Once I found the mix of sliced, crisp tender Chinese cabbage, bok choy, and carrots with a side of piquant mildly hot green chili sauce (like a thin salsa), I was happy. The half rack of ribs was tender, juicy, and meaty. Best of all, I had enough meat and sauce left for the next day’s lunch. Perfect!
Mary ordered Kiewan Curry ($8.95) with firm tofu. It consisted of eggplant, green beans, onions, and peppers in a thick and creamy green curry sauce with bamboo shoots, served with Jasmine rice. Mary loved the thickness of the sauce; it wasn’t watered down like some places make it, and the interesting mix of vegetables. Her rice as tender and sticky, cooked just right.
I tried a bite of the eggplant in the sauce and was amazed. I don’t usually care for eggplant—it’s one of those vegetables I could live without and never miss. That one bite changed my mind! It was tender, juicy, and flavorful complimented by the pale green sauce on top. I’d be willing to try something like that at home.
Steve ordered the Peanut Passion ($9.95) –– tender marinated chicken, grilled to perfection, served with sticky white rice, lightly seasonal steamed vegetables and a thick, rich peanut sauce. Steve liked the variety of vegetables that were different from what he’s usually served in Thai restaurants. (It’s been so long I don’t recall what veggies were on his plate.)
I tried a bite of his chicken and loved it. The chicken had a great taste and texture (I tried a couple of bites) from being seasoned and grilled prior to being combined with the vegetables and topped with a generous amount of sauce.
We all felt satisfied with our meal. We contemplated dessert. Their coconut ice cream sounded good, but since it wasn’t dairy free and one of my dining companions was, we decided to skip it. Besides, I make the best non-dairy coconut ice cream. I figured I could eat it at home any time and share it with them another time.
The verdict
We all agreed that the food was fabulous. We would go back. On a scale of 1 to 10 we gave the food an 8 1/2 or 9 out of 10. On a scale of 1 to 5, we would probably rate it a 4 or 4.5. Mary thought her curry was a little pricier than what she would have gotten at a hole in the wall mom and pop Thai restaurant, but Wild Thaiger is not that. It has a classy atmosphere and it’s a little more gourmet. You pay a little more for that.
My second visit
On my second trip to Wild Thaiger, I met Calli, a former cooking assistant who interned with me last spring during one of her final nutrition courses at ASU. We like a lot of the same kinds of foods and I thought she would have fun reviewing the place. So we met there for lunch. Check out her blog Food Nerdz
My order
I got an appetizer: the Satay Sampler ($8.95), which consisted of 2 small skewers of three different meats: chicken, beef, and shrimp, marinated in savory coconut curry, served with peanut sauce and a side of cucumber chutney plus a side of sautéed vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, Chinese cabbage, and one other vegetable that I can’t recall because I misplaced some of my notes and it’s been a couple of months since we went) with extra peanut sauce ($2).
I thought the shrimp had a clean taste and was cooked perfectly, not overdone. The chicken and beef were flavorful. The peanut sauce was thick and sweet with hint of heat. Although I liked the flavor of what I ordered, next time I would order a lunch special or other entrée because I found the portion for the entrée disappointingly small. I rarely order apps so I didn’t have a realistic idea of how much food it would provide. I rate my dishes as 3.5 out of 5. I liked what I ordered on my first visit better.
Calli’s order
Calli ordered Jungle Love ($15.95), which featured thinly sliced wild boar with exotic vegetables in a hot and spicy red chili sauce. She described the dish as having a perfect heat, texture, and flavor. She’s a huge fan of peanut sauces and she thought Wild Thaiger's was scrumptious.
“…there were no overpowering after tastes to where you feel like you taste it for the rest of the day. This dish was so colorful. rich, and spicy. Veggie-lovers dream (the boar was good as well),” she said.
Calli shared some of her entrée with me. I thought it was good and the portion was generous, but I wouldn’t order it again. I thought it was pricey for what it provided. It did leave me wondering where they were getting wild boar. Calli gave her dish 4.5 out of 5.
Atmosphere
I liked Call’s take on the place: “This place was fun, modern, clean cut, elegant, but still authentic-feeling. Sometimes Thai restaurants can have a bad smell when you first walk in the door. Wild Thaiger had a ‘good grub’ smell as soon as I walked in the door. You can see the chefs cooking and hear the sizzling of yummy food being seared. Lunchtime made for a full house and there was not an empty table! Outside dining is super cozy, couches and all, very cute.” We rated it 4 out 5 in this category.
Service
Calli’s view: “Servers are helpful in describing what certain dishes are. Any requests were speedily met. It did take a while to get our food, but it was a huge lunch rush, so that was to be expected.” She gave it a 4 out of 5.
Allergy awareness
If you have wheat, gluten, or other allergies, your best bet is to go during non peak times. If you go (or call!) during the lunch rush, you’re liable to reach harried wait staff who don’t have a lot of time for extensive questions about the preparation of the dishes you’re interested in. The first time I called to ask about whether they are familiar with and know how to serve customers with gluten intolerance and whether the kitchen staff knew how to avoid cross contamination, I was met with a harried waitress who was very short with me and said they were too busy in the kitchen to deal with that. I was so disappointed. I'd already eaten there twice and made the mistake of not finding all of that out beforehand. I don't have celiac disease, I simply prefer and feel best when I avoid gluten. However, many of my cooking students and clients must strictly adhere to a GF (gluten-free) and often CF (casein-free) diet and I am on a mission to find and review local restaurants that serve their needs.
So, I shelved my notes typed from visit #1 and tossed out my notes from visit #2. Last week I called again to see if a different employee might have a more positive response to my questions. She did. I suggest that you call during off hours if you have special needs you want addressed and that you avoid going during the busiest times (lunch rush Monday through Friday) if you need to special order and ask a lot of questions. They do a booming lunch trade.
Should you go?
Here's what Calli’s said:
“If you love Thai---> GO
If you are looking for a new place to try--->GO
If you began salivating while reading--->GO”
Wild Thaiger is located in downtown Phoenix at 2631 N Central Ave. 1 1/2 blocks South of Thomas Road. East side of Central Ave., just north of Durant's Restaurant. Parking at the rear of building. For mapquest and directions, click here. They have plenty of parking in the back. For directions and more info visit their web site.
You can help
I’m always on the look out for restaurants that accommodate people with food allergies and intolerances, particularly those that know how to serve people on wheat-free, gluten- free, and dairy-free diets. If you know of restaurants in the greater Phoenix area that meet this criteria, please email me and let me know the name of the establishment and what you like best about it.
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