Thailicious is a food truck worth a return trip

• Name + address: Thailicious, 1488 Stittsville Main St.

• Diet: Meat, seafood, vegetarian

• Appetizers: $5.50-$7.50

• Mains: $12.50-$14.50

• Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

• Website: www.facebook.com/thailiciousfoodtruck/

Visiting Thailicious was an accident of my search for Pookie Rolls and it turns out they’re both on the same road.

Thailicious however has the preferred location offering not just tables with umbrellas but a little cooling greenery as a backdrop.

Unlike many other food truck locations, this is one where you can eat in relative comfort. It’s set back from the main road so you have some protection from the smell, noise and heat of exhaust. It’s also food worth trying.

They’ve operated here since 2016 and have become adept at cooking out of this space.

I was in the mood for something more umami rich and ordered both a Tom Yum shrimp soup and their Pad Thai noodles with shrimp.

Once ready, I took my lunch to one of the many shade tables and opened the soup. I was surprised by the deep and opaque rust-red colour and the intense aromas of lemongrass, fish sauce and lime leaf.

In both looks and taste it reminded me not a little of some of the better versions I recently enjoyed in Toronto. In fact it was more complex and enjoyable than many of the soups I’ve had at sit down restaurants.

It was a generous portion (more shrimp than expected) and so intensely flavoured that I consumed it in two separate sittings. The ingredients were supremely fresh and not overcooked. The mushrooms were earthy and sweet and the coriander was like a perfume. The heat was cumulative but never overbearing.

When ordering the Pad Thai I had asked in advance if they use ketchup in their sauce. Without hesitating she answered that yes they do use it to augment the use of tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar. Her honesty and how quickly she answered, won my respect.

Of course I don’t prefer it to the traditional but I thought it might be worth trying. As it turns out and as far as these things go, it was one of the best “westernized” versions in memory.

A note of caution, it was very sweet and that may well have come down to an excess of palm sugar rather than just too much ketchup. It was also very saucy which would prove a benefit later.

The noodles were toothsome and of above-average quality. The shrimp were of medium size, much nicer than I was expecting and there were plenty of them. I motored my way half way through them before realizing I was missing that bird chili, fish sauce, garlic and lime condiment known as Prik Nam Pla. Put that on everything under the sun and improve your life I say.

Later I would reheat these noodles at home with much greater success. There had been so much sauce that the noodles had absorbed it to capacity with some moisture left to spare and they came out well. Perfect.

Based on my experience I’m a little keen to try other things from their menu. Yes, they’ve adjusted their recipes in some areas to appeal to more Western tastes but their base ingredients are good and they show real cooking experience with a respect for the flavours of Thai Street food.

Would I go back? Yes. 

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