ThaiKota Restaurant Review

Anyone who's ever asked the internet where to eat in Fargo has hopefully heard of ThaiKota, a small northern Thai restaurant right off of 1st Ave. North. Tucked into the back of a building that shares space with a gas station, ThaiKota is limited in space but not in flavor or charm. The dining area is comfortable and charming, and when I visited on Oct. 28, the whole place was decorated with the spirit of Halloween. I sat near the door in the company of an adorable tray of succulents; the time between ordering at the counter and my food arriving to me was only around 10 minutes.

ThaiKota has a handwritten menu offering dishes familiar and new, from soup and noodle dishes to sides and salads. The restaurant had a fridge with bottles of soda and cans of Thai iced tea, as well as house-made pumpkin coconut milk. There's also a carafe of water available for self-serve, alongside utensils and napkins.

The first dish I tried here was Thai Fried Rice. It's eggy and almost sweet, and it came out piping hot. This dish would be perfect for a cold day when you need something filling and cozy. It also came with a spicy chili sauce on the side, so patrons can add as much sauce as they see fit. The sauce had a zing to it but wasn't crazy intense.

Next, I tried the Crispy Gao Gee, which was the perfect portion size for a snack, with four wontons in one order. Fried crispy with an aromatic meat filling, these wontons came with a classic sweet chili sauce to dip them in. Without being too greasy or filling, they were a perfect before-meal snack to munch on while I let my other food cool down enough to eat.

The Khao Soi Curry was exactly what I wanted when I ordered this soup dish: a spicy and creamy coconut curry, with pad Thai-style noodles and crunchy fried noodles on top. I ordered the curry with chicken, which came in the form of drumsticks directly in the soup. This item was a bit messy to eat, but if you can stand to get your hands dirty, you’ll find the chicken is deliciously moist and goes great with the curry broth.

The last dish I tried ended up being my favorite: the Drunken Mama. This ramen noodle dish is — fair warning! — really spicy. The spice lingered in the back of my mouth after I took a bite, and the dish was delightful and full of umami flavor. I recommend getting it with pork, as the meat adds a fatty note to the dish, really bringing the whole thing together.

Overall, I'd recommend ThaiKota to anybody looking for a quick and inexpensive meal that really wows the taste buds. Once winter comes in earnest and the cold starts to seep into my bones, I expect to be back again for something spicy to thaw me from the inside out.