Address: 
31 Boltwood Walk
Amherst, MA
(directions)

Hours:
Lunch
M-Th 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM
F-Sat 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Dinner
M-Th 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
F-Sat 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sun 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Contact:
(413)253-1639

Through the Alleyway
By Megan Daley

One day, as I walking into Amherst center in search of a good meal, I noticed a little sign on Pleasant street pointing down and alleyway, advertising the "Thai Corner." I had never tried Thai food before, but I'm always open to a new taste experience. So, I slipped down the narrow alleyway, big enough for one person only. The alley was dark, damp and creepy, something right out of a Noir film. I was equally unimpressed with the rather dingy exterior of the building, but I have always been told to never judge a book by its cover, so I gave it a chance anyway. The moment I opened the door, I found that the inside of the restaurant was as far from the outside as it could be. Sure, the place was decorated with Formica tables, the kind that went out of style in the 60's, linoleum floors and white walls. It was clean, however and decorated with Thai nicknacks in red, gold, sea-blue and soft green, that lent a cheery atmosphere to the tiny restaurant. Additionally, the delicious scent of food cooking made the tiny restaurant feel cozy.

Since that day, I have returned to the Thai Corner often, dragging my friends down the dank alley to join me. Recently, the owners have opened up the second floor of their building to make room for more diners, but not much else has changed. The food, atmosphere and friendly staff are still all the same.

According to The Flaming Chef, an online restaurant review blogger named Craig Libman from Amherst College, I'm not alone in my opinions of Thai Corner. The Chef was impressed overall with the restaurant, but thought that the Pad Thai noodles were"a little too sweet and lacked textural contrast." He did, however, highly recommend the Green Curry with beef and Thai Corner Rice with shrimp. Personally, I look forward to trying this dish on my next trip.

Though I have tried many dishes from Thai Corner, the one I'd recommend most is Kao Pad, which I originally ordered simply because I liked the name. I then found that I was thrilled with my choice when the waitress brought it out. The peppery aroma made my mouth water and I wasn't disappointed when I took my first bite. The rice is well-cooked, not too dry or sticky and the eggs, tomato, pepper and pork combined to offer me an excellent taste.

When I first dragged my friends, they wrinkled their noses at some of the dishes, claiming that it "smelled like barn." The waitress told them that it was the fish sauce that gave those particular noodle dishes their smell and with a simple request, it need not be added. Even my finnicky fish-sauce friends agreed, however, that their meals were undeniably tasty. This group of friends, while hardly gourmets, know what they like and agreed that Thai Corner is one of the better restaurants in Amherst.

One friend, a veritable tea connoiseur, who has had every favor of tea known to man, or to me anyway, insists that the Thai Corner's jasmine tea is the best she has tasted. I cannot drink tea without three or four teaspoons of sugar, but I'll take her word for it. Others claim that the beverage of choice for Thai Corner is their Thai Iced Tea, a claim that I am happy to back up with a hearty "yum."

In fact, according to the Valley Advocate, a guide to the best places in Pioneer Valley, Thai Corner is the number one Thai restaurant, coming in ahead of two Thai restaurants in Northampton, the Thai Garden and the Siam Square . Valley residents vote on these placements and the people of Pioneer Valley have voted Thai Corner the best Thai Restaurant in 2001-2004.

Another plus of Thai Corner is the staff's willingness to be accommodating. The restaurant is tiny, but even when it is packed, which is often, I have never felt neglected by my server. Also, despite the fact that most of the dishes have meat or meat products in them, Chet Satienpoch, the restaurant's manager, says that special arrangements can be made to make a vegetarian meal and that a few items on the menu are already vegetarian dishes.

For all of you poor college students who might be reading this, let it be known that most dishes at Thai Corner are under $10, so it's a good place to go when you're on a budget but want some sit-down dining and new kinds of food. A menu of lunches, dinners and specialty foods offered by Thai Corner is available at http://thaicornerrestaurant.com/index.html.

If you'd like to try Thai Corner, which I would most certainly recommend, call ahead for a reservation on days when restaurant traffic is more likely, like Friday nights and weekends.