Mali Thai Cuisine Woodland

I’d driven all the way up to Woodland to do one of those semi clandestine Craigslist meetings where two ugly old guys in big pickup trucks meet in some remote town parking lot and do a quick exchange for some piece of arcane equipment. And then, there you are, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to do. I mean, it’s Woodland, not exactly near the the center of the known universe. So I think to myself, self, let’s look for good soup and that leads me to Mali Thai! The place ain’t gonna win no ambiance awards. It’s clean but boring, kinda stark. Don’t feel a lot of warmth in the atmosphere. Not the kind of place I’d want to take a date… although at my age and with my ugly mug, that ain’t exactly likely. But the proof of the puddin is in the eatin, so they say. The wonton’s are perfect. Delicate and crunchy! Things are off to a better than expected start! The Tom Ka arrives in one of those steel hot pots with a little fire going underneath so the the soup is still simmering slightly, a great touch! Galangal, chunks of lemongrass, kafir lime leaf, sour coconut, all the right notes. Honestly, it tasted better than it looked. It looked kind of pale, like a ghost of of Tom yum, but it was great! Hot and tangy, little bursts of brightness from the cherry tomatoes, overall an absolute success. The service was welcoming and personal, price was within reason. They need to take down their grand opening sign. I gather they have changed management and maybe still searching for a new identity, but the food I had was excellent and I will definitely put them at the top of the list for future adventures in Woodland.

Lunch order, for dine-in. 'Yam Near' and their 'Crispy Duck Curry' hit the spot, and now we are refueled for the road. Loved how accomdating and attentive waitstaff were. It's clearly a growing biz and needs the traffic.