BY BOBBIE WILLIS
Southern and Northern Indian Cuisine
Daily Lunch Buffet $6.99 11:30am - 2:30pm
Dinner 5pm - 9:30pm
• Variety of vegetarian entrées
• Private catering and Banquet Room available
BUY ONE DINNER ENTRÉE GET 2ND ENTRÉE 50% OFF
w/ purchase of 2 drinks
One coupon per party • Valid for dine in only • Monday-Thursday • Expires 7/31/04
65 Division Ave., Suite M • Santa Clara Square • 541-607-1717
Little things,
Big Ideas
T a s t y T h ai K it c he n
T r a di t i on a l
The staff of Tararin (left to right)
Vun, Bangon, B, Mon
T h a i Cu is in e
by Owner and Chef Pismai
The Next Generation
WEEKLY
SPECIALS
Tararin Thai Cuisine continues the tradition of good,
fresh food.
D
owntowners will be happy to have
a Thai restaurant back at 1200 Oak
Street, and even happier to know
that the relatively new establishment,
Tararin , is owned by B, son of Chao Pra
Ya’s Vivat and Bangon Kaokept, whose
cuisine has become known in Eugene for its
dynamite flavor and freshness.
Upon entering Tararin, you will be
announced by clanging chimes attached to
the glass door. The sound is almost startling
given the calm, quiet setting of the waiting
area. Tararin is painted in warm shades of
cinnamon and beige, and the lobby area has
a charming water fountain made from two
spiraling towers of small terracotta bowls,
40 bowls all together spilling water from
the top, one into the next. The sound is
soothing and, along with the soft strains of
background music, helps to create a calm,
quiet atmosphere for a good meal.
Maybe because it’s the first day in a
while that feels like summer, but I have the
littlest hankering for BBQ. Scanning
Tararin’s lunch menu, I see that there are
actually a couple of BBQ options. I decide
to order the Khao Naa Kai Tod BBQ selec-
tion ($7.50), which is described in the menu
as: “Battered lemongrass chicken breast,
deep fried. Served over jasmine rice.
Comes with a side of Three-Flavored Sauce
and Garden Salad.” I also order salad rolls
($4.95), feeling a little guilty about BBQ
and particularly this deep-fried version.
The salad rolls arrive promptly, and they
are huge, enough to take leftovers, or to at
least be a lunch meal on their own. With
basil leaves, crisp lettuce, carrot bits and a
chunk of tofu wrapped in tender rice paper,
these are wonderful morsels of fresh flavor
and texture. The basil is amazing, and the
chunk of tofu is the perfect soaker-upper for
the sweet, tangy, spicy, nutty dipping sauce
(the sauce is so flavorful and tasty, in fact,
it is another one of those cases where you
wonder if you aren’t eating the real food
just to get as much of the dipping sauce as
you can…).
Then comes the BBQ, and it is both not
at all what I expect, and a pretty cool food
surprise all in one. The “deep fried”
description had me fearing I might get a
hunk of fried chicken tender on a plate. And
the BBQ aspect had me thinking there was
chance that the dish could be greasy or
drenched in sauce.
However, what arrives at my table is a
beautifully prepared chicken breast coated
with a very thin, but full-flavored batter.
The batter is so thin, I hesitate to even use
the word — it’s more like a rub or a well
incorporated marinade. According to my
waitperson, the chicken is first grilled, then
coated with the batter and deep fried light-
ly. Lemongrass, it seems, is a pretty great
flavor to accompany grilling (I would never
have known this on my own). It adds just
the subtlest hint of lemon and something
floral to the dish. With the Three-Flavored
sauce, similar to the salad roll dipping
sauce, but not quite as spicy, it still didn’t
seem like BBQ, but it was very delicious all
the same. The dish comes not only with jas-
mine rice, but with tender steamed vegeta-
bles (mine was broccoli) and a salad of ice-
berg lettuce, cubes of cucumber and bits of
red onion. The dressing (I could write a
whole column, I suppose, on the sauces and
dressings) is a sweet, light vinaigrette —
simple, clean and fresh.
Actually, throughout the whole meal,
the word “fresh” keeps coming to mind.
From the flavorful basil to the crisp greens
to the perfectly prepared steamed vegeta-
bles to the lemongrass batter, my meal is
full of fresh flavors that are clear and dis-
tinct, yet perfectly matched and balanced
when everything is put together.
The service at Tararin is fantastic.
Waitpersons are attentive without being
overbearing, and food orders arrive
promptly, even during the lunch rush.
While Tararin’s predecessor Chao Pra Ya
may be known as well for its cuisine as for
its affordability, Tararin’s tony downtown
location and more sophisticated, sit-down
style seem to be reflected in slightly higher
prices.
Tararin serves a variety of noodle, stir-
fry, curry and entrée specials (lots of veggie
options), along with appetizers, soups, sal-
ads and desserts.
FOR LUNCH & DINNER
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN
OPTIONS AVAILABLE
BEER & WINE
NOW AVAILABLE
Your Decorating Coach
THE HOME REDESIGN STUDIO
345-5470
NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH ON SATURDAYS!
www.homeredesignstudio.com
302-6444
Mon - Fri 11 AM - 9:30 PM • Sat & Sun 12 PM - 9:30 PM
80 E. 29th & Willamette
S ushi Station
199 East 5th Avenue ◆ 541-484-1334
Come see our sushi-go-round and open grill
Sushi starting at $1.75
We serve:
tempura ◆ udon ◆ yakisoba
teppanyaki ◆ teriyaki
lunch box specials
and more...
Take out available
Lunch MON-FRI 11:30-2:30
Dinner MON-SAT 5:00-10:00 ◆ Closed SUN
1200 Oak St. 343-1230. Lunch M-F 11 am-3 pm, dinner 5
pm-10 pm; Sa-Su noon-10 pm. Wheelchair accessible. $-$$.
JUNE 17, 2004 31