It takes guts. Some people sweat and cry. But the temptation is overwhelming to try the Native Thai Sauce, listed as Very HOT in the menu, when visiting the Thai '99 Restaurant on Fontaine Avenue.
Opened Aug. 9, Thai '99 chose a lucky day to open. Nine is a lucky number in Thailand and 1999 has been a lucky year for the Keomahathai family, who owns the restaurant. After a wedding earlier in the year, a new grandchild was born on the same day as the opening.
Co-Owner Eddie Keomahathai happily noted the luck they've experienced in the family as well as at Thai '99.
"We didn't know we'd be this successful," Keomahathai said.
Located next to the Schnitzel House, Thai '99 barely catches one's eye with its nice home-like qualities - and once inside the coziness doesn't go away. The lights are dimmed and the absence of any sound in the air besides conversation is almost eerie at times, and if a guest raises his or her voice much above a whisper it feels like mom might come in and tell them to keep quiet.
The smells that greet diners at the door are consistent with the home-sweet-home feeling. Artifacts and paintings decorate the walls to keep the Thai theme visible.
After guests seat themselves, one of the owners comes out to take orders.
Unlike most restaurants, Thai '99 brings out food as it is finished. Guests may receive food at different intervals, depending on what is ordered.
After the food arrives, the staff more or less goes away, and guests can enjoy their meal without interruption. Most people are used to a little more attention, but Thai '99 is still a new restaurant with a small staff, so expect a slightly longer wait for the check.
Thai '99 has several different appetizers ranging from $2.59 to $7.99. The $3.99 Thai Dumplings were small chunks of meat, similar to meatballs, wrapped in noodles. The dumplings came with soy sauce, and were the perfect-sized starter to get the stomach going.
For $9.99, the Thai '99 Platter is very wet pasta and a cold salad, topped with chicken, beef and pork. This is all placed in the same bowl and coated with a generous portion of spices to give a Thai-food lover's lips that wonderful tingly sensation.
The rest of the menu consists of different mixes of chicken, beef, pork or fish accompanied with pasta or salad. Everything at Thai '99 is covered with spices so those with weaker stomachs are urged to either request no spice or hit the dining hall. Entrees at Thai '99 cost between $6.99 and $16.99.
The restaurant is open all week long for lunch and dinner, except Sunday when they are closed for lunch. According to Keomahathai, the busiest times are in the evenings from Wednesday through the weekend.
First-year Engineering student Nick Daniello enjoyed some of the restaurant's chicken wings for an appetizer.
"I like [dining here] because it is a very different eating experience," Daniello said.
"You know how you go to some Chinese places and it's not real? This really is legit Thai food," he said.
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