You'll think about this Rockledge spot's Thai fried rice all the way home | Restaurant Review
Into this space goes a fairly high number of reviews of Thai-style restaurants, the reason being that there is a fairly high number of Thai-style restaurants in Brevard County. They are, someone once said, like car washes and storage facilities: everywhere.
Ubiquitous though they may be, relatively few serve food of the quality found at Thai 4 You, located in the Publix-anchored plaza at the corner of Barnes Boulevard and Murrell Road in Rockledge. Do not mistake it for its less worthy predecessor, which closed a couple of months ago; this is fresh, nutritious food served in organized and immaculate surroundings.
Though the boxes along the wall on the way to the restrooms are jarring, if you expect kitschy walls, pushed-together tables and sluggish service, this is not your place, At Thai 4 You, the proprietor (who formerly had a similar restaurant in Cocoa Beach, for what it’s worth) greets you at the door, seats you at a table that is not sticky or creaky and takes your order, after suggestions, if requested.
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Among the restaurant’s specialties are toasted tortillas ($7.95) flatbread slices folded over chicken and scallions and fried until they’re puffy, served in triangles with dipping sauce and a slices of orange. Spring rolls ($5.95) are spring rolls, which is to say crisp and hot, with nothing limp about the covers and nothing washed-out about the filling.
The tom kha ($5.95), that rich, slightly sweet, slightly tart coconut soup that you must have with every visit to every Thai-style restaurant, was delightful, mainly because you could taste every ingredient that went into it: coconut, lime juice, kaffir leaves, mushrooms, lemongrass, red onion, scallions and cilantro.
Thai 4 You Fried Rice ($17.95) was nothing like the rest. Forget the usual, oily rice with cubed bits of vegetable; this was nutty, chewy Thai red rice, stir-fried with big pieces of chicken, shrimp, egg, onions, carrots, Chinese broccoli and snow peas: one of those dishes you think about all the way home.
A side of plain old fried rice, better named “brown rice with vegetables” was good, but Thai 4 You Fried Rice was special.
Pad see ew ($10.95) was no different than that which you’ve had before, except again, its vegetables are coarsely enough chopped to make a meal of it. The sweet sauce in which it is stir-fried is delicious too.
Ditto for ginger chicken ($10,95), although it contained a touch less ginger than I would have preferred.
While my star of the show was the Thai 4 You fried rice, that of my dining companion, naturally, was pineapple duck ($14.95).
He orders duck often and is notoriously fussy about it; no fatty or faintly undercooked duck will be requested a second time. In this case, it was spot-on, and rather than bits or shavings of quacker came slices of beautifully prepared duck breast with sautéed onions, carrots, bell pepper, tomatoes, pineapple, snow peas, scallions and whole cashews in brown pineapple sauce. He loved it and ordered it again the next day.
As for dessert, it is unnecessary after a food frenzy such as happened on each of our visits, but my dining companion judged the Thai sweet tea first rate.
So, what would it take to bring Thai 4 You to the next level? How about white tablecloths and low lighting in the evening? Its food and professionalism certainly deserve that sort of ambience.
That’s it. See you at Thai 4 You. Often.
Thai 4 You
Three and a half stars
Address: 3824 Murrell Road, Rockledge
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Call: 321-433-2388
Online: thai4youthairestaurant.com
Other: Children’s menu features smaller portions of Asian-style menu items (katsu, teriyaki, fried rice, etc.)
About our reviews
Restaurants are rated on a five-star system by FLORIDA TODAY’s reviewer. The reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and take into account quality of the restaurant’s food, ambiance and service. Ratings reflect the quality of what a diner can reasonably expect to find. To receive a rating of less than three stars, a restaurant must be tried twice and prove unimpressive on each visit. Each reviewer visit is unannounced and paid for by FLORIDA TODAY.
Five stars: Excellent. A rare establishment to which you’d be proud to take the most discerning diner.
Four stars: Very good. Worth going out of your way for. Food, atmosphere and service are routinely top notch.
Three stars: Good. A reasonably good place with food and service that satisfy.
Two stars: Fair. While there’s nothing special about this establishment, it will do in a pinch.
One star: Not recommended. Don’t bother.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Where can you find great fried rice? Try Thai 4 You in Rockledge
