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April 21, 2006 > Lifestyles > Cottage houses great wings, bland entrees

Cottage houses great wings, bland entrees

By Jennifer Quereau | Thresher staff

With four Thai restaurants in the Rice Village alone, exploring offerings of the scintillating cuisine farther-away in Houston might seem silly. But the search for the city’s tastiest pad thai and tom kha gai should leave no door unopened, including Thai Cottage’s nondescript door in the middle of a vast Bellaire strip-mall desert. Many locals seem to think the restaurant is among the best, so it deserved a try. But unfortunately, Thai Cottage did not prove worth the longer drive.

The restaurant’s name belies its decor. Nestled between two retail stores, the small dining room looks like a former Tex-Mex joint with Thai dragons hastily tacked on the wall. But the utilitarian decoration was nothing to complain about — the space is clean and brightly lit, even if it does not transport diners to Southeast Asia. The food is affordable, with entrees between $6 and $12, and appetizers under $5.

Unfortunately, the affordability forces some sacrifices in quality. Thai Cottage’s fried egg rolls are bland and oily, and only the unique orange dipping sauce could redeem them. The side salad provides a lighter starter: It includes extras such as shredded cabbage, cucumbers and sweeping, angel-hair cut carrots on top. Everything including the iceberg lettuce is crisp and fresh. The peanut dressing tastes sweet and nutty and avoids the common faux-pas of looking like watered down peanut butter.

The tom kha gai — a slightly sweet soup of coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms and light spices — is very tasty, but it lacks the sweetness of galangal, an addictive ginger-like spice that can be found in the tom kha gai at Thai Spice in the Village. The creamy coconut milk is not oppressive, and the rich taste belies the soup’s inexpensive price tag.

This successful richness contrasts with the texture of the soup of the day, tom yum gai. Tom yum gai is supposed to be a sour broth with chicken, vegetables and plenty of spices. However, Thai Cottage’s rendition was not at all sour and basically consisted of a flavorless clear broth with chicken and a few chunky vegetables. The accompanying fried wontons also disappointed — they were oily and chewy instead of crispy.

Luckily, the “wings of paradise” that followed made a much better impression. The dish does live up to its name and became the gem of the culinary adventure.

With an elegant presentation and perfect flavoring and texture, this dish rules Thai Cottage’s appetizers. Instead of dripping with greasy sauce like soggy American wings, these snacks have a thin crispy skin that perfectly foils their moist, delicate meat. Lots of finger-licking is required to glean and clean the last bits of the phenomenal sweet brown sauce drizzled on the wings.

Once the soup bowls and first-course plates had been cleared, pad thai inevitably followed. The noodle-based entree is a staple in most Thai restaurants, but it tastes different wherever you go. Pad thai always includes bean sprouts, peanuts and tamarind sauce; some restaurants add eggs, shrimp, chicken, vegetables, tofu or lime juice. Successful pad thai should contrast the nutty, sweet, spicy flavors harmoniously, while keeping each flavor distinguishable from the others.

Thai Cottage’s shrimp pad thai is less greasy than some and lighter in flavor, with a simple thin sweetness instead of a complex and punchy orchestra of flavors. The restaurant does not cook the bean sprouts with the noodles — which lets the sprouts retain a welcome, cool crunch. The shrimp are cooked well and are not rubbery, but their flavor slightly overpowers the subtly spiced noodles.

Speaking of weakly spiced, the princess chicken will ease the minds and tastebuds of those worried about the reputedly devilish Thai chili pepper. The thin brown sauce served over rice, chicken and vegetables is found at most Oriental restaurants and is a safe order for the unadventurous. But perhaps the abrasive saltiness of Thai Cottage’s chicken would diminish with a few more chili peppers.

Overall, the food is presented well, fairly light and appealing, but with the exception of the “wings of paradise,” it is equivalent in quality and price to Thai Village or Morningside Thai Restaurant in the Village. And the wings, while incredible, are not worth fighting the Bellaire traffic and extra gas money.

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