Kitchen 79
Located off of bustling Roosevelt Avenue, Kitchen 79 boasts strong Thai flavors despite an unassuming name. A modest black-and-white-tiled interior contrasts the bright reds, greens, and oranges of many dishes. Focused primarily on Southern Thai food, a branch of Thai cuisine that is characterized by intense spice donned by chili pepper, Kitchen 79 offers many dishes dominated by chili sauce and chili paste.
The abundance of coconuts in Southern Thailand, due to high amounts of rain, leads Southern Thai curries to rely heavily on coconut milk. Kitchen 79’s Gaeng Kiew Warn, a green curry with bamboo shoots, eggplant, bell pepper and basil, is simmered in coconut milk. The Tom Kha Gai, a chicken or shrimp coconut soup, provides a mellower contrast to one of the spiciest dishes on the menu: Ka Nom Jeen Gang Tai Pla. This Thai pasta dish swims in Southern-style chili curry paste along with shrimp and mackerel.
