Thai restaurant Sengchanh opens in Perry Township and we tried it out
PERRY TWP. − Owner Mike Misaiphon opened a new Thai restaurant, Sengchanh at 5147 Tuscarawas St. W, in mid-January in a space that for 30 years was home to Asian Garden.
Misaiphon told me he named the restaurant for his wife − Sengchanh means moonlight.
If you’re not familiar with Thai cuisine, it celebrates a balance of strong, fundamental tastes – salty, sour, spicy and sweet – achieving harmony in single dishes with this variety of flavors, textures and temperatures.
Rice is the centerpiece of a Thai meal, and varied cooking techniques are a part of a complete meal.
Today, most Thais eat with a fork and spoon. The fork is held in the left hand to push food onto the spoon. Chopsticks are used only for Chinese-style dishes, and are not a common Thai utensil.
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The menu at the new spot was extensive, and my server Jessica, who had worked at Asian Garden for 12-plus years, said customers have been very receptive to trying and enjoying the new dishes.
She told me she is enjoying learning about and recommending all of the Thai dishes, and has been so impressed by the little things the restaurant is doing. One example she cited was keeping bowls and plates warm so that food doesn't cool down.
While I reviewed the menu, I ordered a Thai Iced Coffee ($3.95), made with strong coffee, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. It was refreshing, not too sweet and not too strong.
I ordered several items from the menu I had enjoyed on a trip to Thailand. My starter was the summer rolls ($6.95), stuffed with shrimp, vermicelli, basil, carrots, cucumber and iceberg lettuce. They were fresh-tasting, and I enjoyed dipping each piece in the house special hoisin sauce with chopped peanuts. For my liking, I would have enjoyed more carrot and cucumber and less vermicelli to give the rolls added crunch.
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There is a spice scale with the menu − mild, medium spicy, spicy, very spicy, and very very spicy. It’s worth remembering that the spice level to a Thai cook is not the same as an American cook. Most of my dishes were mild, but they still were noticeably, but pleasantly, spicy. The spiciness can be altered according to your preferences.
By now you know I love my soups, so I ordered Tom Yum Goong, or hot and sour shrimp soup ($5.95). A Thai regional classic, it was light and spicy and well seasoned with lemon grass, chili peppers, freshly sliced mushrooms, lime juice and two large perfectly cooked shrimp.
There is a wide variety of dishes from which to choose, including signature dishes such as lemon grass chicken, Bangkok beef curry and tamarind mango duck. Served with Jasmine white rice or brown rice, prices vary from $15.95 to $20.95, according to your protein choice (chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, salmon, tofu, vegetables, duck). If you’re a seafood lover, pick from dishes ($18.95) that include garlic shrimp, oriental salmon and Siam seafood.
If you lean more toward Chinese dishes, there’s a stir-fried section that includes such classics as beef broccoli or sweet and sour chicken, with your choice of a lunch or dinner portion. Prices vary according to your selection.
I ordered one of the dishes I enjoyed several times while traveling in Bangkok − a lunch portion of crazy noodles with chicken and shrimp ($13.95) at spice level two. The dish consisted of freshly cooked, wide noodles pan-fried with chicken, shrimp, eggs, onions, carrots, broccoli and basil leaves. The portion was more than generous, and it was served spicy and hot. I only finished half but knew it would make a great leftover lunch once reheated.
To me, eating Thai food isn’t complete without a dessert of mango and sticky rice. The freshly sliced and lightly steamed mango half was served atop warm, glutinous sweet rice, coconut milk and sesame seeds. It was delicious, and the fact that the rice was warm under the cool mango made it even more appealing.
For a cozy little restaurant, the menu has much to offer. I would definitely go back and try a few more dishes. And, of course, get the mango and sticky rice again.
Reach Bev at bshaffer@gannett.com or 330-580-8318.
If you go
WHAT – Sengchanh Thai Restaurant
WHERE – 5147 Tuscarawas St. W, Perry Township; 330-477-6888
HOURS – Lunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; dinner: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday through Saturday; 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Review: Sengchanh, a new Thai restaurant, opens in Perry Township
