I have done many tastings, but none of them have been more personal than this one. Having recently become part of this lovely community I took it upon myself to go out and try some of the local flavors. Yucaipa is such a beautiful place, it’s very welcoming, just so picturesque, and lovely. I have walked into quite a few places as a civilian and dined just like any other regular customer. When I tried Thai Food Xpress, I was astounded at how wonderful this restaurant is, with no frills, just plain good Thai food. It’s home cooking at its best. Family run, even their delicious sauces are made from scratch.
When owner Soruch “Sam” Charumattanont and I talked, I told him about my website and that I have been doing reviews since 2011. He said yes and he wanted me to do a review, I was very excited. There are a few other Thai style establishments in the area, but none of them have great flavor profiles in every dish, like Thai Food Xpress. The prices alone should make you want to try their cuisine, but really what they have here is a hidden gem in a small town. Sam’s wife Sunisa is the chef, she makes all their very flavorful sauces, and runs their very busy kitchen. They do a monthly run down to Los Angeles to one of the many Asian markets to get all their very authentic ingredients. The first night I came in as a civilian Sam’s son Matthew was my server, so it’s truly a family affair. Also, Sam’s brother-in-law, Monchia oversees all of the marketing, he was able to give me some very useful facts about the restaurant. The neighboring town Redlands has many Thai restaurants, but for me it’s just so great to have one of this caliber, so close to my vacation home.
Here’s What I tried:
Drinks:
Thai Iced Tea, it is very thirst quenching and delicious, a must have.
Appetizers:
Chicken Satay, with marinated chicken breast grilled to perfection, served with peanut sauce and special cucumber relish vinegar sauce. The chicken has an amazing flavor, with very tender chicken strips, you just can’t go wrong.
Summer Rolls Fresh Roll, with fresh rice paper stuffed with mixed vegetables, noodles, shrimps, and chicken served with peanut sauce. These are very light and delicious, just a great way to start my amazing meal.
Soup:
Tom Yum, hot and sour soup with lemongrass, baby corn, mushroom, lime juice and chili with seafood: shrimp, calamari, and crab. It’s a nice, healthy clear broth, with a terrific flavor, and the seafood is very tasty and tender. A perfect menu item.
Rice:
Fried Rice, beef stir-fried with egg, tomato, and onion. This rice compliments all of the other dishes, especially the pineapple curry.
Noodles:
Pad Thai, stir fried rice noodles with eggs, bean sprouts, green onions topped with ground peanuts and shrimp. I have had many Pad Thai dishes, but the thicker larger noodles are what make this dish so great.
Curry:
Pineapple Curry, a mixture of curry paste and pineapple, bell peppers and sweet basil with shrimp. The curry has a nice aromatic sweet favor, it really hits the spot.
Specialty Dishes:
Orange Shrimp, with deep fried shrimp mixed with orange peeled and sesame seeds in special sauce. They do not scrimp on their shrimp!! These are large shrimp, battered with a sweet sticky sauce, I would order this every time.
Dessert:
Sticky Rice w/ Mango, amazing, and the rice is light green, but it’s only a seasonal menu item.
This place is right up there with all the great Thai restaurants in Thai town, Los Angeles. It’s just that good. Make it a destination dinner or lunch.
Thai Food Xpress
32357 Yucaipa Blvd. Suite 3
Yucaipa, CA 92399
www.thaifoodxpress.biz
