Kapao

Kapao specializes in Thai food, which is spicier than the standard fare served at generic Asian restaurants in Israel. Furthermore, Nir, the owner, is an enthusiast of the cuisine, after spending time in Thailand and learning traditional Thai food preparation. The common Asian restaurants here go to some lengths to adapt their offerings to the Israeli palate. You probably haven't had food quite like this before. I liked it a lot. We came at lunch time, so we enjoyed two lunchtime deals: my wife got two sushi rolls for a bargain price, and I got a free (reduced size) starter before my main. I selected Pik Gai (everything but the sushi has a fancy Thai name) as my starter, a plate for four chicken wings in tempura and garlic sauce. (The regular portion has 10 wings. That should be enough to share.) That was nice, but not outstanding. For my main, I ordered the Geang Kio Waan Gai, a soupy stew with chicken and vegetables in a curry sauce with coconut milk. This dish was justifiably marked spicy in the menu. It made my eyes tear; I loved it. I scooped the side of Jasmine rice into the liquid to moderate the heat. I also tried the Chang beer, a Thai product I had never encountered. This was a light beer, very nice. Try it. My wife chose the California Roll, but requested cooked salmon rather than raw fish, and the Hot Salmon Roll, which comes with cooked salmon and panko coating. It was noticeably warm on the inside. I probably would not have taken two rolls but with cooked fish, but I can say that they were both tasty. I particularly liked the crispy texture of the panko coating. We shared a unique dessert: Mango Sticky Rice, mango sorbet next to sweet sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and sprinkled with toasted coconut. The rice was warm and the sorbet of course was cold. I'm told that the combination of temperatures is characteristic of Thai cooking. The service is friendly and fast, possibly a bit too fast, as my main came before I had finished my starter. But maybe that's because I was busy sharing the sushi, which was really good. Kapao is a nice place to dine in, and the prices are attractive, especially at lunch.