Thai Racha by Biddy — Restaurant in Mehlville

The late summer heat finally seeped down into my basement hideaway, and with the snacks gone—chips, cookies, the emergency gummy bears—it became clear I would have to risk exposure to daylight like some reluctant vampire. I set out for food and somehow ended up wandering Jefferson Barracks Park on the far southern edge of St. Louis, which was not at all on my agenda. I wasn’t sure how I got there—maybe heatstroke, maybe autopilot—but I did know one thing: I was starving. Then, in a rare moment of clarity, I remembered a Thai place I’d seen whispered about during one of my doomscrolling spirals. That small spark of memory was enough to get me back on my trusty moped, buzzing determinedly toward salvation in the form of Thai Racha by Biddy.

And let me tell you—worth it. I ordered the fried rice with chicken, which arrived in a glorious heap that made me question why I had ever wasted calories on sad basement snacks. It was perfectly smoky, the kind of fried rice that feels like it was cooked over actual flames instead of just bullied around a pan. My companion, who has loftier standards than I do (they don’t consider gummy bears a food group), went with the pad Thai. I stole a bite, obviously, because that’s the unspoken rule of dining with friends, and—wow. Tangy, sweet, nutty, and so good it made me briefly forget that I had nearly melted into the pavement earlier. We both sat there in blissful silence for a few bites, the kind of silence that only great food can command.

In that moment, I knew two things for certain: one, that I would absolutely be back to Thai Racha by Biddy, and two, that I should probably keep the gummy bears as a backup snack, because wandering aimlessly through a park in the heat before finding Thai heaven is not a sustainable...

Thai Racha is under a new ownership since last month. Now it’s called Thai Racha by Biddy. After seeing all the good reviews recently. I was excited to check it out myself. The restaurant was cozy and well decor. They played very good music. However, I was sad when none of the items that I saw and wanted to try after reading the reviews weren’t on their menu :O When I asked about that, our waitress just said it’s for a party that ordered in advance. Service was very pleasant and kind. We did have to wait a bit long for our orders but I understood they were short staffed. Speaking of food, our favorite was their homemade coconut shrimp. It’s crispy, not oily and fresh. My kid loved it a lot, so of course we ordered another one. Fried gyoza, and Pad Thai was decent. My least favorite was Thai Boat noodles. The broth was good but the beef/beef meatball were chewy. I wondered why they added arugula and shredded cabbage in the noodles soup, it’s not for everyone…. Overall, it was a decent experience. They are still new and their chef decided to go missing without notice… so I understand their struggle. The owner Biddy was really sweet and kind. We loved to support women owned business. Hopefully they will add more Thai dishes on their menu...

We hadn’t planned to dine in, but my mom and I were both starving after her back-to-back meetings since we hadn’t eaten all day, so we decided to stop here. Honestly, it turned out to be the best decision we’ve ever made.

Every single thing we tried was incredibly tasty. Even the iced Thai tea was perfect, not too sweet, just like the ones we had in Thailand when we visited two summers ago. The chicken satay was seasoned beautifully, and the fresh spring rolls were hands down the freshest I’ve ever had. Even the fried chicken and fries we ordered for my brother were amazing, and the fries alone were worth talking about.

My mom had the Panang curry and I went for the steak nam tok. The curry was rich, authentic, and packed with flavor. My steak was tender and juicy, and the dipping sauce on the side was a must-try.

The owner, Biddy, even came over to ask if the Panang curry was okay because she noticed we hadn’t finished it. We explained that we loved it but were just too full, and since we’d be out until late we couldn’t take it to go. We later found out that she personally cooks and serves the food herself so her customers can experience the best Thai home-cooked meal possible.

We will definitely be back and we highly, highly...