Marquette Thai House Restaurant

A Taste Of Exotic Flavors From Southeast Asia

Red House Curry from the Thai House Restaurant in Marquette, MI. (MarquetteMagazine.com photo by Ron Caspi)

Marquette Michigan – If you’re in the mood to try some Asian food in Marquette look no further than the Thai House Restaurant on Third Sreet. This place does a good job of presenting many classic Thai dishes for a Midwest palette in a small community largely unaccustomed to exotic cuisine. Their menu invites us to taste and share in flavors from far away to excite and expand our culinary experience in our beloved corner of the world.

Cozied up in one of the many booths that look out onto one of Marquette’s main drags we sipped warm sake and relaxed to the soothing sounds of water cascading over fountain rocks and soft Brazilian music. I thought to myself that this was an ideal spot for an unhurried getaway with a friend over a pot of tea or to lose some time with your lover while enjoying a romantic meal. However, this is not to say that the service is lacking or slow in any way! Only that the overall the ambiance is warm, inviting, and comfortable.  Being a less crowded venue, our food was ready in a snap and the waitstaff was all smiles, attentive, and very friendly.

If you’re a Thai food lover already you’ll be happy to have a place to get your spring rolls, coconut curry, or Pad Thai noodle fix. For those who have never tried Thai cuisine we have some recommendations to get you started on your new culinary experience. Most likely you’ve already tried Chinese cuisine and have a few favorites that you rarely stray from. For you the Thai House offers a few Chinese standards like Kung Pao, orange chicken, egg rolls, crab wontons, and fried rice. For those curious to branch out and try new flavors you won’t find in other Asian cuisine we have a few suggestions to consider as you scan the menu.

The first thing you should know is that Thai food can get hot, which can be a good thing or not depending on how you like it. But don’t worry, just let them know when ordering if you like your food mild or spicy, they have 5 levels of hot to choose from! Thai cuisine also tends to combine several taste elements together creating dynamic flavor in the mouth. Spicy, sweet, salty, and sour are often all incorporated into one dish. Perfect examples of this flavorful blend are the hot and sour Tom Yum and Tom Ka Kai soups combining fragrant lemongrass, with chicken, onions, mushrooms, cilantro, tomatoes, and lime juice (the later example including the addition of coconut milk).

Here’s a few Thai dishes that feature flavors you really can’t go wrong with and are almost always crowd pleasers: off the appetizer menu a must try is the Chicken Sa Tay, skewered chicken marinated in a blend of coconut and yellow curry served with peanut and cucumber sauces. (So good you may need to get two orders!) Another popular standard is the Pad Thai Noodles, small sized rice noodles sauteed with meat, egg, bean sprouts, green onions, and garnished with crushed peanuts. (Slightly on the sweet side.) Finally, Thai cuisine is known for it’s rich curries featuring coconut milk that usually come in red, green, or yellow varieties. The Thai House serves two versions of red curry and we recommend the Thai House Curry which features broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and red bell peppers simmered in a decadent coconut milk and peanut curry.

On our visit to the Thai House Restaurant we decided to try something new for us. Duck is quite common in Asian cuisine but here in the Midwestern fringes of America chicken is king. We decided it was time to try the other fowl meat and so ordered the Spicy Basil Duck off the Chef’s Special Menu. A rich and powerful aroma permeated our noses as a hearty plate of duck meat stir fried with fresh chili, garlic, basil,  mushrooms, and red bell peppers sitting atop a bed of sauteed onions arrived to our table served beside bowls of steaming white rice. The duck was tender and tasty making our mission to try something new a success.

For drinks, the Thai House features a wide variety of Asian beers and to our delight warm sake (warmed rice wine served in a small carafe).  A special treat for those who like sweet drinks is the Thai Ice Coffee or Thai Ice Tea especially on a hot day (warning these can become addictive!) Hopefully they will be adding more desserts to the menu but for now they do have a mango sticky rice if you have room left after dinner. Sticky rice is another Thai delight which goes great with curry soups. You won’t see it on the menu but they do have if it if you request and don’t mind paying extra. Overall we loved the atmosphere and enjoyed a satisfying meal at the Thai House Restaurant in Marquette, MI.

Dinners prices range from $10.95 – $14.95 and appetizers are all $10 and under. Their full menu is available on their website and you can order online and pick up at the restaurant (no delivery service)

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE THAI HOUSE RESTAURANT

Find them at:
1031 N 3rd St.
Marquette, MI 49855
Phone: (906) 225-5945

They’re open 7 days a week at the following times:

by Erica McMillan

Out of curiosity and necessity I have become accustomed to wearing many hats in life. The latest hat in my collection is as owner/publisher/author/photographer/videographer for Marquette Magazine. Among other things I am a doula, certified breastfeeding counselor, NMU student, and mother of 5... whew, I'm getting tired just writing that...

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