Galanga Thai (277 Good Days in Tacoma)

We've been trying to cut down on our restaurant dining, but after partying with numerous monkeys last night at the Varsity Grill, we wanted to escape the snacky zone and get ourselves some real food. Many people have told me Galanga has some of the best Thai in Tacoma, fortunately we were right across the street and managed to get there 10 minutes before their 9:00 closing time. (We checked with the management before sitting, they were fine with it.)

As a gluten-challenged individual, eating out is getting tricky. My husband wanted the coconut prawns appetizer, and asked what kind of batter they were fried in. I'm not accustomed to getting any coherent response to this question, but we were surprised last night to find that not only did they seem to expect such questions, they were happy to accommodate us and whip up a no-flour batch. I think they were better without the batter, like prawn macaroons.

Their menu included our two favorite Thai dishes, drunken noodles (pad kee mow) and panang curry. My husband had the panang with beef, which can sometimes be not too great if the chef uses a poor cut of meat. In this case, it was excellent. The curry was light and flavorful, and the beef retained enough flavor to not taste like tough tofu. The drunken noodles were also wonderful, and the server took it upon herself to be certain the dish did not contain any wheat. I really appreciated that, as I do not like to make a big deal out of checking on these things. (And I've paid the price.) I suspect they would be equally willing to answer questions from vegetarians about fish sauce and other ingredients.

The final tab came to just under thirty dollars, with an appetizer. (Of course, I'd already had my free plastic dixie cups of wine across the street.) No one rushed us out the door, either.

The bottom line: if you are out exploring downtown Tacoma, Galanga is an excellent choice for a great meal at a reasonable price, especially for anyone with dietary restrictions.

Galanga Thai

1129 Broadway

Tacoma

253-272-3393

dining