I had the privilege of photographing some specialty dishes at Malee’s Thai Bistro in Scottsdale. What a fun experience! The food was without out a doubt absolutely beautiful. As the owner, Deirdre Pain, said, the Thai eat with their eyes before their mouths.
Successful. The artistic display of the dishes was astounding. By the end of my time photographing, I was filled up visually, and my olfactory senses left my mouth watering and my stomach in some serious want. Needless to say, I enjoyed my lunch. 😉
Being close friends with her daughters, I have known Deirdre since I was a kid, and have seen the success of her restaurant grow over the years. The restaurant has won many awards and has been spotlighted on local tv programs. She is one of the reasons I love Thai food today, and I can honestly say that – in my opinion – Malee’s has the best around!
There is no need to take my word for it. Take a look at their site, and stop in for a delicious lunch or dinner. https://maleesonmain.com/
So what does Yum mean? I had to look it up. According to Wikipedia, it is the combo of spicy and sour – specifically, a spicy sour salad common in Thailand and Laos. Tom means to boil- – so you can see how the fragrant, spicy, sour soup gets the name Tom Yum.
At Malee’s, the Tom Yum is served flaming hot. . literally! The top photo is Tom Ka Gai, which is Tom Yum with coconut milk. Truly a “WOW” dish.
