Lunch at Swing Thai in Denver

Stopped for lunch yesterday at Swing Thai, a Denver chain of three restaurants. Over 1 million pud thai sold! Their prices are a little higher – about $9 per entree – for the amount of food you get (I always hope for leftovers) but what you do get is quite good.

And they have put a lot of effort into making the decor pleasant: high ceilings with wood beams, lots of interesting decorative Thai art and plants. It's a mix of modern and traditional. (Should've taken some overall photos.)

The Sergeant had the Jungle Curry: Bamboo, Bell Pepper, Carrots, Baby Corn, Button Mushrooms, Green Bean, Raw Thai Peppers and Fresh Basil.
Hot hot hot! Which is what he wanted. He was happy to have a dish that was just this side of too hot (it's an easy line to cross), enough to make him sweat and grin. He got an extra dish of brown rice so he could finish it all.

I went for the much tamer Swing Special: Sauteed Broccoli, Bell Pepper, Onions, Baby Corn, Button Mushroom, Carrot and Cashews in a garlic sauce, with chicken.
I finished all of it over good, fluffy white, slightly glutinous rice. I was worried it might be too salty, but it wasn't.

To wash it all down, I enjoyed a cool tall glass of Thai iced tea. Love that stuff.
Thai tea is easy to make at home. Maybe I'll make some this week. This link shows you how. If you have an Asian grocery nearby, you can buy the tea there. I use a fine-meshed chinois to hold the tea rather than a filter bag. Works just as well.

Swing Thai
301 S Pennsylvania St. (at Alameda)
303-777-1777
Open seven days a week, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.