Mystery Diner: A touch of Thailand hits the spot in Princeton

PRINCETON — If you’re a fan of Thai cuisine, Princeton’s newest eatery is guaranteed to hit the spot.

Golden Rice Authentic Thai Food is small in stature but big in flavor with a wide variety of Thai curries, noodle and rice dishes made fresh, fast and inexpensively.

The food truck, located on Princeton’s North Main Street, has a handful of appetizers including fresh spring rolls, crab Rangoon, pot stickers and satay (skewers of marinated grilled chicken with a peanut dipping sauce) and a fresh, crisp cucumber salad that complements the rich flavors of the chicken.

For this outing, I dined with a handful of friends, selecting a variety of dishes to sample including chicken satay and pot sticker appetizers, as well as a chicken panang curry, a Thai favorite, pineapple fried rice, sweet and sour shrimp, and beef and broccoli.

The panang curry is a particular favorite, featuring a tangy and slightly spicy coconut sauce complemented by sweet bell peppers and white rice. For just $10 a serving, it is enough for at least two meals.

My companions chose the beef and broccoli, a Thai take on an Asian staple starring grilled beef and crisp broccoli with a light and flavorful sauce; sweet and sour shrimp; and chicken pineapple fried rice. The rice is a particular standout with fresh pineapple chunks along with raisins and veggies.

Golden Rice also has Tom Yum and Tom Kho, hot and sour and coconut milk soups served with a generous helping of steamed rice. And, of course, it serves Pad Thai, perhaps the most well known Thai favorite, featuring rice noodles cooked with a sauce that’s a balance of sweet, sour and spicy.

For those who are already fans of Thai, the Pad Thai, panang curry, pad see ew and green curry are some of the best I’ve had. For those who are new to Thai flavors, Golden Rice features a selection of stir fry and fried rice dishes that are more familiar Asian entrees like chicken cashew stir fry and stir fry vegetables.

All of the recipes can be customized with a choice of beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, veggies or tofu.

Four of us were able to dine for $50 including appetizers.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff before or during the meal. The Mystery Diner visits a restaurant and then reports on the experience. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

WHAT: Golden Rice Authentic Thai Food

WHERE: 700 N. Main St., Princeton

PHONE: 815-878-5139

INFORMATION: www.facebook.com/TestofThaibyPim