June 2006 - The Parklander Magazine

Jasmine Thai RestaurantBy Charles MarcanettiSouth Florida has no shortage of eateries. To be sure, the numberof so-called Asian restaurants seems to be doubling and then re-doublingweekly. New is good…sometimes! But what happens when you take an old,established restaurant, reviewed favorably many times (even by Zagats), andadd sushi?In the case of Jasmine Thai Restaurant on the northeast corner of US 441and Coconut Creek Parkway in Margate, what happens is nothing short ofwonderful! Owners Peter and Ann built a separate little extension onto thisfantastic Thai restaurant, hired a talented Sushi chef, equipped the area withstate of the art Sushi accoutrements and voilá (wait, is this a Frenchrestaurant?) true Japanese fish delicacies.I sampled the Dragon Roll: a large roll with rice on the outside and toppedwith fish egg, filled with tempura shrimp and avocado. Um, Um good (sorryCampbell’s). Then I had the Toro Sashimi (under belly of the tuna). Thesetwo large slices of the sweetest part of the tuna, served without rice (hencesashimi, not sushi) were a truly magical way of beginning more of the feast.The Salmon and Tuna Sushi, and the White Tuna Sushi were very freshand tender. But let’s face it—there’s only so much one can do with raw fish.So, if it’s fresh and affordable and the presentation is beautiful and theatmosphere is pleasant, you’re pretty much finished and only tied withthe competition. Peter and Ann know this and so they set themselves abovethe rest with two deal breakers.One: they also serve rolls and hand rolls of non-raw ingredients for thosecustomers not ready to delve into the world of raw. They serve tofu, avocado,asparagus, spinach, tomago (scrambled egg) shrimp, unagi (eel) and octopusand other non-raw treats.And two: the regular genuine Thai dishes. Wow—Angel Wings (de-bonedchicken stuffed with imitation crab-meat served with a chili sauce! It was asoft yet sweet appetizer worth having. I sampled Dumplings, cooked justright—not mushy, not too al dente (now we’re Italian!) and the sauce it comesin is easily mistaken for soup and savored as you would any delicious soup.Try it. I can highly recommend the Nam Sod, a pork dish with ginger andpeanuts served over lettuce. Exceptionally refreshing!The Pad Thai Noodles are the most authentic Pad Thai I’ve had in the pastten years and a great enhancement to your overall meal. The shrimp in theShrimp in Peanut Sauce are giant and tender and sweet. Please drinkresponsibly…but please drink some of their flavored cold sakes. Deliciousand fun.The lunch was served quickly, so that anybody on a tight schedule caneasily go there for lunch and get out to enjoy the rest of the day.But don’t rush. Try many of their great creations and relax. The atmosphereis unhurried, reminding each of us that eating is eating, but diningis a pleasure.the PARKLANDER 81