Ms. Karen and I met our friend Patty at Tuk Tuk Thai – Thai Street Food, a restaurant in Oro Valley Marketplace on Oracle Road one Saturday early afternoon in May 2022. The place was not crowded and our server, a pleasant young lady, took our drink orders soon after we were seated.
Tuk Tuk Thai Bar Area.
I then ordered an appetizer, the Calamari, lightly battered in rice flour & fried with homemade sweet & sour sauce ($8.95). Also, Iced Tea with lemon, but the server told me they offered lime, not lemon. Well, OK.
Patty then ordered their Summer Rolls, green leaf, carrots and cucumbers, wrapped in rice paper and mint served with Thai peanut sauce ($7.95).
The one remaining Summer Roll with Peanut Sauce. There were originally four.
Then came our time to order a real Thai lunch. Patty ordered Ping (4) grilled marinated chicken strips on skewers ($11.95). I ordered the Holy Basil Chicken, stir fried minced chicken with garlic chili, fresh holy basil and fried egg served over premium jasmine rice (14.95).
Patty’s Chicken Strips. There were originally 4, but Patty got one before I could get my camera out.
Ms. Karen ordered the Panang Curry Chicken served with boneless chicken, coconut milk, bell peppers, Panang curry paste, kaffir lime leafs (15.55).
Kaen’s Panang Curry Chicken
I’ll let her tell you about her experience.
“We met our friend Patty for lunch at the Marketplace in the ORO Valley for lunch the other day. TukTuK is tucked in a corner of this huge spread-out shopping district, is all I can call it. A modest place, the staff was friendly. The television had what looked to be Asian programming. In any case, recalling the last restaurant curry that I had in some northern state, I went for the curry dishes, of which there were many. Jim and Patty had decided what they wanted, so I asked the wait staff for her choice. She chose the XXXXX. I agreed, forgetting that she had indicated it was spicy. And so it was. It was the first bite that surprised me. It was not really that hot after that if eaten slowly and in small bits. Delicious with Coconut milk. And the Thai Iced Coffee was very good too.”
“Patty had the Ping Chicken. This is 4 grilled chicken skewers marinated in evaporated milk. You can order pork rather than chicken with this meal.
It came hanging on a rack like a side of beef. Four large pieces. I had a bite. Very tender, tasty with an almost sweet and sour baste. Patty commented that she thought that veggies might have come with it. No matter, I said. She can have the last spring roll.”
All in all, it was a tasty lunch, albeit more than I would ordinarily want to pay for lunch, but I don’t get out much and even a McBurger meal costs $8 anymore.
I would give it a 3 for ambiance, a 3.5 for food and a 4 for service. I would try it again for lunch, although I miss “Senae Bistro” in Downtown Tucson terribly for an evening out on the town. Cafe’ Milano is gone too. Sad! But there are a few new restaurants popping up here and there.” Ms. Karen
Jim’s Holy Basil Chicken with Fried Eggs and Jasmine Rice.
I enjoyed my Tuk Tuk Thai lunch. A bit spicy for my taste, but I managed to clean my plate. Didn’t care for the Jasmine rice. It was just plain rice. But my Iced Tea with lime was excellent. Very thirst-quenching after a spicy meal.
I award Tuk Tuk Thai three and a half saguaros. The service was excellent, and the menu extensive. But the food was just OK and a half.
Ms. Karen here again. The Tuk Tuk Thai website claims to be Thai Street Food. HIs there such a thing as 5-star “Street” food?
Tuk Tuk Thai – Thai Street Food
