Puukaow Thai
1021 Market Plaza North, Suite 109
Pueblo West Market Place
Pueblo West, CO 81007
(Safeway Shopping Center)
Puukaow Website
Rating: 4 of 5 Prairie Dogs
12 noon
Upon arrival we were the only patrons in the restaurant. Within minutes that changed and half a dozen tables had arrived. The waitress was friendly and sat us in a visibly conspicuous spot near the window to draw more traffic. Tables were clean, decor is dark green walls with pictures of Thailand and its people scattered around. Some tables had printed information on Thai vocabulary, culture, or customs, and one on Thai peppers. Unfortunately our table had two glossy pictures of food, neither of which did justice. The picture of the Massamun curry in front of me was nothing like what I ordered (the real dish was much more visually appealing than the photo..)
Order:
Massamun Curry w/ tofu, hot.
Yellow Curry w/ chicken, medium.
Pad Thai w/ chicken, medium-hot.
This was a fantastic meal. Within less than ten minutes our "noodle bowls" arrived steaming hot and prepared to order. The flavors of the Massamun currry were intense and fantastic. The heat level just right, small blots of chilie oil could be seen on occasion and blended perfectly with the coconut milk and other spices. The tofu was prepared perfectly, a nice spicy glaze on the outside and still retaining its firm texture.
The yellow curry was a delight as well. The potatoes in both dishes has a nice toothsome bite, not too mushy, not too crisp. The heat level was spot on, curry was at an ideal spice point and not overpronounced as can often happen with yellow curry. One slice of tomato was all that could be found in the dish but it was hardly missed. The chicken was all choice cuts, no gristle or "sproing", and every bite was tender and nicely spiced.
The Pad Thai was exactly what you expect. It was on par with some of the best Pad Thai we have had, which is to say it tastes like, well, Pad Thai. All ingredients were in harmony, it was well prepared, and left a wonderful aftertaste and made a great late-night snack. Pad Thai is both a benchmark for Thai taste/flavor/quality and at the same time such a mainstay that it can be hard to differentiate unless there is something wrong. That said, it was perfectly as it should be.
For $6.35 each, the portion size was excellent. Our water glasses were never more than half empty and the one waitress handled the dining room with grace.
Would we go again? Yes. The only question is...when?
