Talay Thai Palace

Situated a short walking distance away from the crab-and-oyster frenzy on Thames Street in Baltimore, Talay Thai Palace is a welcoming difference. It’s a good place for those who might crave more exotic flavors than Old Bay, in the forms of rice, noodles and curries.

The restaurant, though not one of the best Thai restaurants, is a fairly decent one, albeit the only one for miles. Inside, the restaurant is dimly lit, cleanly kept and decorated with Thai relics. Two Buddha statues rest on the full bar.

The restaurant is rarely crowded, but the kitchen is quick, and the Thai beers are good on a warm night.

To start, there’s the reliable chicken or beef satay with peanut sauce, or kiew krob (thai-style fried wontons). The Hae Kurn is a nice combination of local crab and shrimp stuffed in bean curd (tofu) skin and deep-fried. Then for dinner, the pad Thai is always a good, safe bet, as are the curry.

Each of the curries – red, green masaman, yellow, and pad Panang – can be made with mussels, duck, shrimp, scallops, chicken, beef, pork, squid, tofu or vegetables. Any of the stir-fry dishes, such as the shiitaki mushroom or sweet and sour can also be made with any of the aforementioned options as well.

For a uniquely tropical Thai flavor, try the pineapple and baby corn stir fry, or the pickpaw and peanuts with dried chili. While the dishes can be spicy, they are not as flame-rising as actually in Thailand. The house special, the Duck Choo Chee, is also a real experience: crispy duck in hot curry with snow peas and pineapple.

Order to pick-up is another option, and the lightning-fast kitchen has your food ready by the time you walk or drive to get it!

- by Rin-rin Yu, Baltimore Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Rin-rin Yu

Rin-rin is an award-winning writer and journalist based in the Baltimore-Washington area. Her work has appeared in China Daily, DAYSPA magazine, Luxury Home Design, Aquatics International, Not For Tourists and other publications. Rin-rin has also worked for ABC News, WHDH-TV (NBC) in Boston and Hanley Wood Business Media. She has a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She is an avid world traveler and maintains a travel blog, www.mytravelhats.com.