Acton Eats: Benjarong

Benjarong
214 Main Street (Route 27), Acton
(978) 635-9580
http://www.benjarong.info

Acton residents are lucky to have several Thai restaurants within easy driving distance. But my wife and I, the chief consumers of Thai food in our household, prefer Acton's own Benjarong. While Thai Chili and Siam Village in Maynard are capable of serving up a perfectly good curry, we find the consistency to be higher at Benjarong. We've eaten both lunch and dinner there several times over the past decade and have yet to have a bad meal.

Judging from a visit on a recent Saturday night, we're not Benjarong's only fans. The modestly sized restaurant was surprisingly full, with patrons spilling over into the bar area. Still we were seated quickly, placed our order, and got our food in no time. It was difficult getting our waiter's attention during our meal, to order a second round of drinks, for example, but it was hard to blame the poor guy. On less hectic occasions, the service has always been friendly and attentive.

For our appetizer, we ordered the Fresh Rolls ($4.25 for 2), which were attractively presented. A single basil leaf was clearly visible through the delicate wrapper. Other filling ingredients included bits of chicken, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, and transparent bean threads. A tasty dipping sauce was loaded with ground peanuts. As these rolls are neither fried nor heavily seasoned, freshness is the key here, and these certainly were.

Starters we've had on previous visits include the Golden Bags ($4.50 for 4), a dish we've seen elsewhere with different wrappers and different fillings. The version served at Benjarong reminded us, in taste, of an Indian samosa. Lightly curried diced potatoes, carrots, and peas were wrapped in wonton skins, tied to look like a little bag, and deep fried until crisp. Koon Naang ($4.95 for 4) were shrimp rolled in wonton wrappers and again deep fried, making them crispy on the outside and tender within. And the Paradise Beef ($5.25) consisted of thin slices of lean beef marinated in honey and soy sauce and deep fried until just chewy. Our least favorite of the appetizers we've tried is probably the Thai Rolls ($4.50 for 4), tiny spring rolls that were nice and crisp, but heavy on the celery and cabbage.

Our first entree on our most recent visit was the Seafood Treasure ($13.95), which was only mildly spicy, despite being rated three stars out of three on the heat scale. We saw several chile pepper stems on the platter, but the peppers themselves must have been removed before serving. But, as the name indicates, this dish includes quite a variety of seafood, such as shrimp, squid, and scallops, all of which were fresh and tender. On this night, however, the dish did not come with the expected fish fillet. Perhaps to compensate, we got way too much imitation crab. And in lieu of clams, we got some green-lipped mussels, instead. As is typical, the dish was decorated with a number of different fresh and crisp vegetables, including onions, mushrooms, and red and green peppers.

Though we love Pad Thai, arguably the most popular dish from Thailand, we rarely order it when we go out. But on this occasion, we decided get the Shrimp Pad Thai ($9.25), and we were glad we did. The rice noodles had the perfect tender-yet-stretchy texture, and the shrimps were large and succulent. Bits of egg, bean sprouts, and some scallions and ground peanuts rounded out the dish.

Oh, and both dishes smelled absolutely delicious. It must have been the fish sauce.

Main dishes we've sampled on previous visits include the Shrimp with Red Curry ($10.50) and the Lemongrass Chicken ($10.25). The former had a little bit of firepower on the night we tried it, though it was listed at only two stars. Along with the shrimp came a colorful array of vegetables, including peas, carrots, bamboo shoots, and zucchini. The taste of Thai basil was very evident, though not overpowering, while the coconut milk lent the dish a rich flavor and texture. In the latter dish, bits of boneless chicken came sauteed with tender onions, carrots, scallions, and rings of fresh lemongrass. We didn't find it too spicy, despite an abundance of dried red chile peppers, but the flavors were bright and crisp, with a hint of nuttiness.

Benjarong has a full bar and serves wine, beer, and a range of cocktails. On our last visit, my Singha beer was crisp and fresh, while my wife's Mai Tai was just okay.

If you're looking for something truly novel, you won't find it at Benjarong, but you will find Thai food that is tasty and reliable. And that's why Benjarong has been a fixture on the Acton dining scene for more than 15 years.