In the restaurant world, there is nothing more beautiful to me than the marriage of great food with very reasonable prices.
I found this perfect combination on a recent visit to Lanna Thai and I must tell you that it is difficult to write this article as I crave the food I ate there.
Whether you visit for lunch or dinner, you are greeted right from the start with their soup of the day. On the day that I visited, it was a wonderful concoction that I could tell had some coconut milk, some sort of heat, and tiny chunks of tofu. It was such a great mix of sweet and spicy that I could have eaten this by the bucket full.
For lunch, I had the Kang Keaw Wan. This dish is made with green curry paste, coconut milk, mushroom, broccolli, baby corn cobs, green and red bell pepper, green beans, and Thai basil. It came will a big mound of rice for $7.95. I had mine with chicken, but you can opt for beef, pork, or tofu. Shrimp will cost you $1 more.
My companion had the Thai Mango Salad. This large salad was filled with chicken, onion, cucumbers, Thai basil, and lemongrass. It was garnished with both mango and avocado and costs $7.95.
Lanna Thai is a fusion of many things. You can find sautees, curries, grilled items, salads, as well as noodles and fried rice dishes. All of their lunch items range from $6.95 - $7.95.
I am looking forward to going back for the Satay- marinated beef or chicken on a skewer with peanut sauce and served with cucumber salad and steamed rice or noodles for $6.95, or perhaps their Pad Thai for $7.95.
For dinner, there are a lot of great starters. Potstickers for $5.95, lettuce wraps for $7.95, or crab rangoon (crispy wontons that are stuffed with cream cheese and crab) for $5.95. Such delicious options!
You can find four different salad choices in the $6.95 - $8.95 range. There are also three soup choices with varying prices depending on the type of soup and size you order.
There is a large selection of dinner entrees in the $7.95 - $8.95 range which I found amazing. If you want to spend a little more you can also find some seafood dishes such as a deep fried and crispy Catfish fillet for $12.95 or you might want to try one of their BBQ selections for $10.95 - $11.95.
Lanna Thai has a kids' menu, as well. For children 12 and under you can order Pad Thai for $4.95 or either Chicken Satay or chicken wings plus rice and spring rolls for $5.95.
Desserts include items like homemade coconut ice cream or fried banana with the coconut ice cream. I personally like to order a Thai Iced Tea and call it a day. My companion thought that this type of tea had a smokey flavor and wasn't a fan. However, I find the mixture of the strong Thai tea and cream/condensed milk a decadent treat.
I cannot wait to go back to Lanna Thai! There are so many items on the menu that I would like to experience.
Take-out and party trays are available and information about them both can be found on the restaurant's website.
Lanna Thai is located at 2270 Las Positas Road, Livermore 924-443-1101 Mon.-Sat. 11a.m.-9:30p.m. Sun. 12p.m.-9:30p.m.
