The Indy Endorsement: The Thai Honey Duck at Thai Palms Restaurant

What: Thai honey duck

Where: Thai Palms Restaurant, 12070 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs

How much: $20.95

Contact: 760-288-3934; thaipalmsrestaurants.com

Why: It’s unique.

I’ve eaten at a lot of Thai restaurants—and I’ve never had anything quite like the Thai honey duck at Thai Palms Restaurant.

We met some friends there for dinner on a recent Monday evening. While there weren’t a lot of people dining at the restaurant, a steady stream of people came in for takeout orders—which I took as a good sign. Thai Palms is clearly doing something right; according to the menu, the DHS restaurant has been around since 2001, and there was also a location in Palm Springs for a while.

We ordered all sorts of food. While some dishes didn’t quite excite our taste buds, others did, including the tasty wonton chicken soup ($6.95 for a bowl) and the huge, delicious papaya salad (a steal at $9.95).

However, the dish I can’t stop thinking about is that Thai honey duck. Wow.

Let me be clear: This dish is not for everyone. If you don’t like entrées with a big dose of sweet along with the savory, do not order this—because it’s very sweet.

But, wow, it’s different. Wonderful crispy duck is joined by broccoli, cabbage, lots of bell pepper, pineapple and ginger. (The menu says the dish comes with tomatoes, but there weren’t any on my plate.) And it’s all swimming in a brown sauce that’s … well, it’s hard to describe. Yes, there’s honey, but there are also several other flavors I couldn’t quite place. (Tamarind, perhaps?)

Put it all together, and it’s one of the more bonkers plates of food I’ve had. Frankly, I wasn’t sure what to think at first—but I couldn’t stop eating it.

Did I like the Thai honey duck at Thai Palms? I think so. Would I order it again? Maybe. Should you order it? If you like your mind blown, go for it.