If you haven’t had the opportunity to try the delectable dishes that Nok’s Thai Cuisine has to offer, then your poor taste buds are being neglected. Reward them by diving into a fanfare of exquisite and well-priced traditional Thai appetizers and entrees, from Tom Yum — a lemongrass and lime leaf broth, perfect for a bitterly cold day, to chewy wide rice noodle Pad Kee Mao, which is stir fried with egg, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, green beans, and fresh basil. Bite into a fresh spring roll — your choice of pork and prawns or tofu, wrapped in a gooey rice pad and stuffed with soft rice noodles, crunchy lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, and cool mint, and dip it into a mellow peanut sauce and full-bodied hoisin sauce. Enjoy sizzling meats paired with aromatic sauces and textured nuts, fruits, vegetables, noodles, and rice.
The restaurant’s unique dishes are matched by Nok’s one-of-a-kind décor, as the building retains its vintage diner architecture while adding welcoming decorative touches. Intricately painted life-sized carvings of cheerful women greet you with coy cupid’s bow grins. Gold geometric crown moldings encase the simple eating area and glisten in the evening amidst the lively chatter of satisfied customers buzzing from table to table. Scents of strong, spicy sauces and sweet, alluring lemongrass tease your nostrils upon entering, as overflowing dishes are whisked towards mouth-watering customers from all walks of life. The hardest challenge is narrowing down your order to merely a few dishes. Nok’s well-loved chef, Sue, has been a community favorite in Bellingham for years, and her keen attention to combining flavors is what brings hungry diners in during prime time.
An ultimate comfort dish is found in any of their soothing curries, as each fragrant concoction delicately simmers in creamy coconut milk, Thai basil, and a carefully selected variety of fresh vegetables and spices. Try the green curry — generously filled with refreshing bell peppers, tender carrots, and sautéed zucchini, with a choice of chicken, pork, tofu, beef or prawns. Frothy coconut milk undertones gently serve as a subtle overture to Nok’s spicy, silky homemade chili oil. Drizzle your desired curry over a hearty spoonful of brown or white rice.
The fried rice options are savory mounds of goodness, enough to share and have some left over. Chewy clumps of rice have taken on a new flavor altogether, the petite grains fusing with roasted, charred bits of wok spices and crispy strands of juicy onions, corn, peas, bell peppers, and scallions. Give into sweet-tooth cravings and try the rich Curry Fried Rice, spiced with curry powder and enhanced with raisins and plump pineapple chunks.
Nok’s Thai Cuisine
1213 Dupont St., Bellingham
360.746.8642