Refined flavors found at Bangkok Four

Stephen Santacroce

I am often disappointed when I hear friends or acquaintances

dismissing whole categories of ethnic cuisines based on broad

generalizations.

Phrases such as “I don’t like French food -- too many cream

sauces” or “Mexican food is too fattening with all the rice and

beans” are used to characterize unfairly the offerings of entire

nations.

Unfortunately, generalizations such as these do as much of a

disservice to a country’s cuisine as do other cultural stereotypes

that we strive so hard to avoid. Regional variations create a wide

diversity of cooking styles based on climate and availability of

ingredients. Our own country is a perfect example: think about the

great crab cakes we can get in Maryland, oysters from the Pacific

Northwest, or steaks from Chicago.

Thai food is an excellent example of the pitfalls of stereotypes,

as this cuisine is often written off as being “too spicy” or “nothing

but curries.”

The cuisine from Thailand offers a wide variety of dishes to

satisfy many palates. In addition, as with most cultures, there is a

distinct difference between the Thai foods prepared for everyday

meals and the dishes that require more work or expensive ingredients

and are reserved for special occasions or higher-end restaurants.

Bangkok Four in South Coast Plaza is an excellent example of the

refined flavors found at an higher-end Thai restaurant. Despite its

relatively hidden location on the third floor of the Crystal Court

area, Bangkok Four has over the years developed a loyal following

that keeps the restaurant crowded with diners delighting in superb

Thai dishes.

The restaurant was one of the first tenants in the Crystal Court

when it opened in the late 1980s, and the restaurant’s decor still

exhibits some of the design influences of the time, including pale

blue pastel walls, black lacquer chairs surrounding tables sporting

crisp white linens and a touch of neon here and there. Seating spills

out into the atrium lobby, where market umbrellas create the aura of

an elegant patio.

I first dined at Bangkok Four eight or nine years ago when there

were far fewer Thai restaurants in the area. Recently, I returned

with a group of friends to see if the food still held its own against

some of these newer offerings.

The first good sign was that the restaurant was crowded on a

Saturday evening. I was glad I had called ahead for reservations.

Despite the crowd, the hostess pleasantly held our table while we

rendezvoused at Nello’s two floors down for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Once seated, we quickly ordered several appetizers to share while

we contemplated the main courses. I’m a big fan of finger food and

enjoy starters such as Thai sticks ($7.95), the restaurant’s version

of satay. The dish features strips of pork, chicken or beef threaded

onto skewers, grilled and served with a spicy peanut sauce. The

make-or-break ingredient here is the peanut sauce, which at many

restaurants is thick and greasy, but at Bangkok Four had a light

consistency and rich flavor.

Another favorite is the star Bangkok ($6.25), which is also known

as katoang thong. Here tiny flour “cups” are quickly fried, filled

with a mix of seasoned ground chicken, onion and cilantro, and

accompanied by a sweet-and-sour cucumber relish. The crispy flour

shell, spicy filling and cool sauce combine textures and flavors in

delicious fashion.

I was less pleased with the fresh spring rolls ($5.95), served

cold in a rice paper wrapper filled with tofu, greens, cilantro and

Thai basil. When these are prepared well, the chewy wrapper contrasts

nicely with the crisp filling. Here the wrapper was doughy, ruining

the delicate balance of the dish.

Finishing the last bites of our appetizers, we focused on our main

dishes, where one unanimous choice was the pad Thai ($11.50).

I use certain dishes as a standard for various cuisines -- chili

rellenos at Mexican restaurants, fried calamari at Italian. Pad Thai

is the benchmark dish for Thai restaurants. Wide rice noodles are

pan-fried with chicken, shrimp, sprouts in a spicy sauce kicked up

with a splash of lime juice. Toasted peanuts top the dish with some

needed crunch.

We all loved the dish, and my friend Paul, who’s made several

trips to Thailand, proclaimed it the best he’d ever had.

Two other standouts were the crispy duck ($16.95) and the whole

catfish ($17.95). The former is a duck breast steamed with ginger and

then baked with an orange-plum glaze. The result is a crispy,

succulent skin with a tangy flavor, encasing moist, rich duck meat.

We all fought over the last bite. The catfish is just as good and

creates an impressive presentation. A whole catfish is deep fried and

served on a platter surrounded by a pool of fragrant sauce laced with

lemongrass and chilies.

All dishes can be ordered with varying degrees of spice. We chose

medium for ours, which I found to be fairly mild.

The wine list at Bangkok Four is a perfunctory selection of the

major brands of California wines. I don’t find wine the best partner

for most Asian dishes, and prefer a good beer. Bangkok Four offers

several, including Singha, the national Thai beer, as well as

Budweiser, Bud Light, and Heineken.

Desert choices are limited, but don’t miss the selection of

homemade ice cream. On our visit we tried a scoop each of the fresh

mango, lychee and coconut. All three were refreshing and light. The

coconut stood out for me since it featured chunks of fresh coconut

instead of the overly sweet toasted shreds found in many offerings.

Bangkok Four, which has been delighting local diners for more than

a decade, definitely offers an upscale twist on fine Thai cuisine.

The prices are reasonable, and the restaurant is open seven days for

lunch and dinner, offering ample opportunities to give it a try.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other

Thursday. Send him your comments at sdsanta@oc-dining.com.