278 EAST 900 SOUTH
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84102
(801) 532-1177
SASIPA CHANON, OWNER
What qualities should one look for in a Thai restaurant? Besides the food, of course, it needs to be a little quirky with authentic regional knickknacks as decor, intriguing translations on the menus, handwritten signs, mix-matched Corelle dishes, hand-drawn menus, and waiters whose first language is, well, Thai. At Chanon Thai, the “Open” sign out front is sometimes flickering, a few letters might be missing light, and you never know if the front door will be open even if all the letters stand proudly lit. If they are open, the dining room is usually packed. All this makes Chanon Thai a gold mine for those wanting an experience rooted in great food and not one hidden in overelaborate decor or distracting ambience.
Anyone hunting for a traditional Thai experience in Salt Lake finds it in the food and service at Chanon. This small, charming restaurant is owned and run by one woman, her two daughters, and their husbands. The daughters share managerial roles while mom enjoys the kitchen, cooking the same traditional dishes she created during her twenty years of cooking in Thailand. The family behind Chanon Thai prides themselves in taking a role to educate locals on Thai dining culture. When ordering, keep in mind that traditional dishes are shared, not served for individual consumption as western convention prescribes. Should you be set on ordering the old-fashioned American way, your server readily informs you that Thai food is communal, not individual.
On a menu full of authentic treasure, the Gang Dang (red curry) dominates in our opinion. I’m sure plenty of other dishes warrant ordering, like the Kaow Pad Sub Pa Rod (pineapple cashew fried rice) or the tender calamari and the larb salad. But one taste of the Gang Dang, and our cravings find satisfaction only in its spicy, creamy delight.
The Gang Dang submerges vegetables like bamboo shoots, eggplant, zucchini, and buttercup squash in a creamy coconut curry sauce with your choice of meat or tofu. Chanon offers a scale of one to ten for spiciness. Choose wisely and avoid attempts at proving your arrogant spice capacity. Thai spice never awards the brave; it only punishes.
(SERVES 4)
3 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 cup uncooked protein (chicken, beef, or tofu), sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
½ cup vegetable stock
1½ tablespoons fish sauce
1½ tablespoons sugar
1 Kaffir lime leaf, torn in half
1 cup mixed vegetables (Chanon uses red and green bell pepper, buttercup squash, zucchini, eggplant, and bamboo shoot slices)
2–3 Thai basil leaves, plus more for garnish
Bring coconut milk to a boil in a large pot. Add curry paste and let melt into the coconut milk. Add protein and all spices from bouillon to Kaffir lime leaf. Don’t stir. Cook until coconut milk starts to boil again, then stir.
When protein is almost done cooking (3–5 minutes), add in raw vegetables. Bring to a boil again. Tear the Thai basil and stir into the pot. Taste and add more spice, salt, and sugar to your liking. Cook 1 more minute, then serve over rice.
Garnish with additional Thai basil.
