Dara Thai: Affordable, Authentic Thai Food

What can I say, I'm a sucker for Asian cuisine. I love the flavors, the regional differences between said flavors, and the versatility.

What I can't stand about Asian food in the US though, is how glutened up it tends to be.

That's why I love Thai food. It's sweet, spicy, and pretty much everything on the menu is gluten free in its own right, so I never have to bug the server about making something special for me. I just order my curry, and I'm a happy Hilary. I love Flagstaff's food scene, and one of the most surprising things to me is how much Thai food we have here. There are 4 Thai restaurants in the NAU campus area alone. I went to Dara Thai, my favorite and most frequented Thai place, with a friend for lunch yesterday.

Dara Thai has one of the best lunch specials I've ever seen. $6.95 gets you an entree with a side of rice, and a soup or salad. The service is the kind where they leave you alone after you order and you might not see them again until they bring the check, but they are very fast; I got my meal within about 5 minutes of ordering. I got an order of Pad Thai, which I get every time I eat Thai, and a curry. I usually swing for a Panang (a sweet red curry), but this time I stepped out of my comfort zone and ordered the Arizona Heatwave (Dara's spicier variation of Panang) with tofu:

To say the least, it was EXCELLENT. It's less sweet than the Panang, and it has a pretty hefty kick to it, which I love. I got it at spicy level 4 out of 5, and I'd have to say it was a good decision. I'm the kind of person who likes to either sweat or cry while eating hot food, and this accomplished a bit of both by the time I was done, so I can't imagine what a 5 would have been like. It had sweet notes to it as well; the coconut milk in the curry always adds mild creamy taste which helps to balance out the spice. I also got a bit of a buttery taste from the tofu, which brought the whole dish together perfectly. The portion size was great too. You get a lot of food for only 7 bucks, but even if you eat the whole thing, you don't feel like you're going to die from being so full.

Dara's Pad Thai is pretty standard. I made it more spicy than usual this time, getting a 4 out of 5 instead of my traditional 2 or 3. I was pleased with that decision too. Pad thai tends to be too sweet, but with the added spice it really balances it out. I like pad thai with lots of green onions and egg in it too, and Dara makes theirs just the way I like it. However, one thing I have to complain about is how they plate the peanuts and the cabbage. I feel like I end up neglecting the cabbage because its off to the side, and the way the peanuts are only on one corner of the noodles, I end up getting an overwhelming amount of peanut in one bite, and none the next. I know this can be solved by just stirring it, but presentation tends to be a bit pet peeve of mine.

Overall, I'd say that Dara Thai gets an A-
The good:
- They have a very extensive lunch and dinner menu at great prices
- Great for take-out
- The majority of their dishes are gluten free, and it's very easy to eat vegetarian
- Their flavors are always bold, and you can control how spicy your order is
- Even if you have a peanut allergy, there are still dishes you can enjoy that are peanut free

The Bad:
- The service isn't always great
- Presentation could be better on some dishes

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your food, no matter what restrictions you may have!