Born and raised in Thailand, but now working in the States, the chef and owner of Amy’s Thai Cuisine took on the name of Amy to make it easy on her co-workers in Central Pennsylvania when they found her given name so difficult to pronounce. In following suit, Amy is making it easy on the folks in Central Pennsylvania to find good Thai cuisine in a region where Thai food is difficult to come by. The menu at Amy’s takes on that of typical Thai restaurants throughout this country, with offerings “by the number” — 69 in all, featuring Thai salads, curry dishes and that unequivocal Thai dish standard — Pad Thai.

Tucked away on busy High Street in Carlisle, both the bricked townhouse facade and subtle neon window sign conceal the good eats to be had inside this informal BYOB establishment. Singles prefer seating at one of the six counter spots, while couples get cozy in comfortable black booths. Posters of scenes from Thailand are under glass, atop tables in the main dining area, and in the two back rooms that are available for overflow crowds and/or larger parties. Vestiges of Thailand, however present, do not inundate this eastern eatery.

Soups and Thai salads are traditionally served with the meal and other dishes in Thailand, but since we westerners like our courses, ordering soups and salads as appetizers is not only accepted — it is encouraged. It’s difficult to pass up the hot and sour characteristics of Tom Yum Goong (shrimp soup – $2.95 sm.; $5.75 lg.), featuring large shrimp swimming with lemongrass, quartered mushrooms, and green onion slices. Ask for a side of rice to do its duty by complimenting this intensely flavored soup. Some young girls at our table were quickly after Tom Yum Kai (amusingly pronounced, “some young guy”), a delightful chicken soup ($2.75 sm.; $5.50 lg.) with lemongrass, quartered mushrooms, and moderate heat. And, a really cherished soup that we found in Amy’s kitchen is the classic Tom Kha Kai (chicken coconut soup – $2.75 sm.; $5.50 lg.), creamy and exotically aromatic with a touch of galangal (Siamese ginger), balancing citrus and pepper flavors with the lemongrass and heat of chiles.

Thai salads — not really salads as we know them — are always a treat, and Amy’s varieties are delivered flavorful, full of fire, and quite distinguishable from one another. (If you must, order any offering with less heat as the friendly staff does not intimidate.) While a traditional salad from northeastern Thailand called Larb (minced chicken or beef salad – $6.75) might not sound as mouth-watering as the beef salad Yum Nua ($6.75), the mixture with carrot shreds, radish, cilantro, and its share of chili toasted rice is a grand combination with some sticky rice. Heat was not spared with Som Tam ($5.95) — a dish of shredded papaya salad with lettuce, carrot and cabbage, green beans and tomatoes; nor was it spared with a tangy sour Yum Pla Meuk ($6.95), a classic salad of diagonally scored squid cut in 2" pieces. Tender, marinated beef or pork Satay ($5.25), is skewered, then grilled, and served with a refreshing cucumber salad of purple onion and carrot and a traditional pungent sweet and salty peanut sauce.

What do you drink with all of this heat? Try Amy’s Thai Iced Tea, with added sweetened milk for a cool down. Or, if you prefer to bring your own beverage, make it a European-style lager or better yet, a weiss — or wheat beer — from a local micro-brewery. And, if wine is your style, a Sauvignon Blanc should hold up to this spicy Thai food.

As Pad Thai is the most common, most beloved, but not the most heat intensive of the Thai cuisine, it is a perfect dish for newcomers to Thai food. Amy’s Pad Thai ($8.75) is spectacular with its combination of rice noodles, shrimp, vegetables, and peanuts that reflect the salty, sweet, and the slightest heat perfectly, with no one flavor overwhelming. Another noodle dish that we favor at Amy’s is Rad-Na ($8.75), wide rice noodles that melt in your mouth with a great meld of Thai flavors. If you’re like me and have acquired a liking for the full flavor of a whole fish plated with its fresh flesh lifting from the bone, try this traditional Thai dish at Amy’s — Pla-Prig (market price), a whole deep-fried fish. On one occasion, Amy sent out a Rock Bass that delivered an extraordinary, crunchy crust perfect for the high intensity sauce that was served over the firm fish that stood up to being cooked whole.

No Thai experience is complete without a curry dish, where a wet spice mixture serves as the flavor base. Although Thai curries are quite different from Indian curries — where dry spice powder is cooked with the meat — the Thai Masaman Curry dish has an Indian character to it, as the substance of the flavor is in its Indian spices. At Amy’s, one can order the beef or chicken Masaman ($9.95), a stew with potatoes, onion, unsweetened coconut milk, and peanuts. Aromatic and flavorful, Pa-nang ($9.75), a popular curry at Amy’s — and elsewhere — features chicken or beef, coconut milk, and lime leaves with pa-nang curry. It is not usually as hot as red or green curry, but Amy’s red and green curry dishes - Kang Kai ($9.75), a dish of chicken with red curry, coconut milk, bamboo and basil, and Kang Keaw Wan ($9.75) with your meat of choice, coconut milk, bamboo, and basil — could stand to be spicier.

Native to Thailand is the tapioca plant, and, to be sure, Amy turns the root’s extract into a first rate dessert. By boiling tapioca pearls the perfect amount of time to keep them firm and separated, resembling caviar, Amy creates a dessert that is a bit more liquified than America’s version of tapioca pudding. A dish of sweet rice soaked with coconut milk and topped with fresh, sweet mango slices is another typical dessert. But, the banana honey roll — masquerading as an egg roll — is our favorite dessert and lends the best, sweet ending at Amy’s.

Salty, sour, sweet, and spicy —Amy’s Thai Cuisine is all that — and more.

Location:
Easy to Find

Parking:
Self-Serve

Handicapped Access:
Yes

Exterior Appearance:
Brick Townhouse

Initial Interior:
Main Dining Room

Reservations Necessary:
No

Preferred Dining Attire:
Casual

Wait (to be seated):
None

Wait (for service):
None

Lighting:
Subtle

Dining Area Appearance
Informal

Noise:
Light Chatter

Climate:
Fine

Tables:
Glass Topped

Chairs:
Comfortable

Booths:
Comfy for Four

Table Setting:
Full

Your Meal:
Good

Automatically Served:
Nothing

Soups:
Tom Kha Hai
(Chicken Coconut)

Cocktails:
Bring Your Own

Main Course:
Pla-Prig
(Rock Bass w/ Chili)

Desserts:
Banana Honey Roll

Coffees:
Iced Thai Tea

Staff Attitude:
Friendly

Hospitality:
Welcoming

Cleanliness:
Clean

Wash Rooms:
Clean

Crowd (Qty):
Some Empty Tables

Crowd (Attitude):
Casual/Laughter

Food (portions):
More Than Ample

Food (prices):
Average

Overall Service:
Attentive