Ann's Thai Kitchen — Restaurant in Abilene

OMG! Ann’s Tom Kha is the bomb! If you’ve read my other reviews, you know that Anong’s restaurant (in Wyoming!) had knocked my socks off (that review has gathered the most agreed’s). Here at Ann’s in Abilene, I almost fell out of my chair tasting the first spoon of their Tom Kha. Rich, aromatic and complex; Ann’s has the best Tom Kha I’ve ever experienced. And this is from a guy who has been seeking out Thai restaurants in LA, NYC, Las Vegas (where I had the pleasure to sample dishes from the famed Lotus of Siam), Houston, Toronto, and Vancouver.

A good Tom Kha soup requires a fine culinary balancing art of blending 3 relatively hard-to-find herbs: galangal which is in the soup’s namesake (kha, a plant in the ginger family but its aroma cannot be more different from ginger), makrut lime leaves (most important herb in Thai’s cooking and arguably most hard to find fresh), and lemongrass. Many restaurants, and some recipes, unforgivably omit or substitute 1 or 2 of these herbs. But not Ann’s. Ann’s Tom Kha combines all three herbs in the ultimate balance that resulted in the most aromatic, pleasing and refreshing Tom Kha soup I’ve experienced. I ordered the combo proteins (highly recommended as it does not cost much more) and the chicken was soft and fresh, and the shrimps were big and juicy. I also like mushrooms and I weren’t disappointed: fresh and plumb mushrooms aplenty, in combination with a hint of some clingy green and white vegetable that I have not seen elsewhere but it gave the soup an even more fresh and refreshing texture. All immersed in a rich and nutty coconut broth that almost sent me falling out of my seat at the first spoon. And did I mention the classy presentation of the soup (and an accompanying bowl of perfectly cooked steamed rice that was soft and tender) in classic blue print on white ceramic chinaware? And did I mention the restaurant’s warm and classy interior ambience that is so uniquely Thai? And a dining space that is just right and not too small or too big, and ample parking spaces outside?

This is genuinely Thai. A gem, a diamond of a restaurant.

In Abilene!

To be fair, there is at least another Thai restaurant in Abilene, Krua Thai Restaurant. The reviews for that restaurant are also excellent so I went there a few months earlier. While I appreciate a-hole-in-a-wall kind of restaurant but it was a bit too raw and primitive even for me: There were few (picnic type) tables/seats and the ambience was zero and that also applied to the presentation of the food. I don’t remember what I ordered so apparently the food did not make an impression on me. This time I was craving for Thai food but I fretted about going to Krua again. So I went to Ann’s and boy that was the best decision I’ve...

I got the panang curry and I when read thru the menu, I was definitely caught off guard by the fact that they refuse to comp a meal if you don't like the food. I've been eating Thai food since 2004, and generally the panang curry is a pretty safe bet. I got mine and it was too salty, which is saying a lot for me, because I like salty food. The gentleman brought it back and re-did the same dish, it was still too salty. I believe we went back and forth about three times before I told him to not worry about it. He tried to explain to me that the spicier it is, the salter it is. I've made panang curry before and so I know that the salt content is the same, and that it has to do with coconut milk/creme content and how long you cook it down for. He sat there, albeit he was polite, and argued with me in front of my date on and off throughout the visit. It's been about six months since I've been there and I'm just getting around to reviewing it now. Maybe my experience was not indicative of the resturants potential, but I can say it was bad enough that I will not...

We saw the high rating on Google and decided to try it out. When we got there we thought it was closed but we soon saw that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The outside wasn't inviting but the inside was more warm and inviting then we thought it ever could be from the outside.

The food and the service from our server Ooo were excellent on both our first and second visit. Ooo greeted us personally by name when we returned the 2nd time. Matter of fact doing this review makes me wish I went back earlier today. They closed at 3. Dang! Well anyway I enjoyed the Crazy Noodles on my first visit and the second time he remembered I prefer vegetables so he recommended the curry that stays with a P which was creamy and comforting. Give it a try if you you like authentic Thai food you won't regret it and I noticed they have a lot of regulars, which I'm glad to join the...