What: The Tom Yum Soup
Where: Thai House, 246 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
How much: $11.95
Contact: 760-778-1728; thaihousepalmsprings.com
Why: It’s a delicious pick-me-up.
Whenever I am stuffed up due to a cold or an allergy attack, I go see Nisa—and she helps me feel better.
Such was the case one recent workday. I had a crazy sinus headache, and I had a lot of work to do, so I headed to downtown Palm Springs to get some sinus-clearing chicken tom yum soup at Thai House.
The aforementioned Nisa is Nisa Hennecke, the owner of Thai House for more than four years now, and one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. She instantly recognized me and asked if I wanted the tom yum soup pot. Yes, I said. Yes, I really do.
Not only will this tasty hot-and-sour soup make one’s sinuses feel better; it’ll make one’s taste buds dance for joy. Lemongrass, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, lime juice, fresh chicken and other ingredients help make this tart but oh-so-savory soup unbelievably delicious. The presentation’s fun, too: It comes served in a hot pot, with a moat of yummy soup surrounding a lovely flame.
While I make a beeline for Thai House to order the tom yum anytime I am under the weather, the restaurant’s charms go well beyond soup; all of the food I’ve had at Thai House has been delicious, from the curries to the noodle dishes to the chef’s favorites and beyond. Oh, and the service is fantastic as well—especially when Nisa is there, as she almost always is.
Nisa is a poker dealer-turned-restaurant owner who comes from a restaurant background: Her family had a restaurant business in her native Thailand, and she’s assisted in the kitchen by her sister and brother-in-law. The family makes food with love—and it shows.
So, the next time you’re in need of some sinus-clearing soup, or, well, you’re simply hungry, go see Nisa. She and her fantastic food will help you feel better instantly.