Sala Thai Review

Saturday night, my husband Geoff and I were in the mood for a spicy evening, filled with steamy moments – that is to say, we wanted take out from Sala Thai, and we weren’t disappointed.

Unpacking our feast we discovered that our crab rangoons ($8.95 for seven) – deep-fried wontons filled with cream cheese, imitation crab and green onions — were a little limp from waiting for us in their box. A few minutes in our toaster oven and they tasted fresh from the fryer. Served with a sweet and sour sauce, these little pockets of heaven hit all the right notes: crunchy, fatty, creamy, sweet and savory.

As we scooped the food from our take-out boxes, it was hard to know what to devour first. The green curry ($12.95) had a creamy coconut-base flavored with hints of lemongrass and basil, and was filled with fresh vegetables, including bamboo shoots and green beans. Geoff spooned it lovingly over his white rice while I unwrapped the container of pad see-ew ($13.95).

I’m a sucker for a wide noodle, and pad see-ew is a dish I would happily eat everyday. The noodles are pan fried with Sala’s house-made black bean sauce, and tossed with egg, broccoli, garlic and six succulent shrimp (but you can add the meat of your choice). The sauce is salty and smokey with just a hint of sweetness. It’s the perfect comfort food. My one complaint was I wanted a little bit more sauce for the broccoli to soak up because that’s what broccoli is for.

As I forked my way through a heaping plate of food, I realized I hadn’t even gotten to the climax of the evening: the pho ($9.95).

If you’ve never had pho before, please take a moment to think about where you’ve gone wrong in your life and get some as soon as possible. Pho is a Vietnamese soup, so why it’s at a Thai restaurant, I do not know and I do not care. The important thing is that it’s delicious.

The broth. Oh, the broth. It’s a broth that kisses you gently: a little salty, a tiny bit sweet and utterly captivating.

Pho requires some assembly. First, the broth is poured over the noodles, which have congealed a bit in their box. But as soon as the hot liquid hits them they loosen up and become the perfect comforting mouthful along with the rich broth.

Then come the additions. The pho we ordered comes with fresh tofu in the broth, and fried tofu on the side. It also comes with Thai basil, jalapeño, bean sprouts, lime and two kinds of sauce – one spicy, one sweet — to dress up your soup

It’s hard to stop eating. But the promise of leftovers is too tempting, and we sit back, sighing in satisfaction.

Sala has been one of our top take-out options during the pandemic. The restaurant still hasn’t reopened for indoor seating, but we don’t mind because the take-out portions are so generous that we always have enough food left for at least one more meal, or two if we add a few more veggies.

Being pescetarians, we stick to tofu and shrimp or fish when dining out. But there are plenty of options for strict vegetarians and meat-eaters at Sala Thai, including plenty of curries, noodles and soups. We often order the fresh spring rolls served with a sweet and sour peanut sauce, and they always hit the spot. Most dishes come with a choice of meat and there is a vegetarian broth section for pho under chef’s specials on the menu.

Sala Thai is at 353 Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz. Open Monday to Friday, 11:00- 3:00 & 4:30- 9:00, and Saturday and Sunday Noon to 3:00 and 4:30 to 9:30.