Back of the House

America Discovers “Secret” Thai Menus

Spoon Thai's old
Spoon Thai’s old “secret” menu.

We all know the drill. When you’re visiting places like Spoon Thai, you skip the regular menu and ask for the “secret” one, which is where you’ll find all the good stuff. But is a menu “secret” when it becomes more popular than the regular menu? CNN explores the conflict, by showing that “even in the Midwest” the menus are changing to appeal to today’s more adventurous eaters.

Andy Aroon, the owner of Tac Quick Thai Kitchen in Lakeview, claimed that friends convinced him to translate the more authentic menu. “nearly two-thirds of their diners now order exclusively from the translated menu.” You may remember that this is Grant Achatz’s favorite Thai restaurant in town, and sure enough he is noted for loving the restaurant’s boat noodles, which feature “aromatic, beefy broth traditionally thickened ever so slightly with, of course, cow blood.”

We’re thrilled that the more interesting Thai menus are becoming more commonplace. But it makes us wonder: Are there other restaurants in the city serving “secret” menus that you know about?

America’s ‘secret’ Thai menus no longer so secret [CNN]

America Discovers “Secret” Thai Menus