Take a seat at the counter of tiny Thai Tom in the University District or you'll miss the show. On a recent trip to this Seattle favorite I had plenty of competition for the front row but that's where the action is.
Sitting at the counter puts you in a perilous position but oh so wondrously close to the heat; the heat of six burners fired up like fighter jets, the fragrant heat of chiles wafting from four woks going at once as the cook turns in front of you to ladle up elixirs of sauces. The kinetic energy of this cook is mesmerizing, a fluid motion from the leaping flames to the ladles of magical sauces to the steaming rice to the plate. In no time at all I had before me a golden banana-leaf shaped bowl filled with rice and panang curry with chicken. Sweet and hot, I attacked it with the same gusto as the cook who prepared it, stopping only to gulp down ice water for a brief respite from the heat. Dinner and a show at Thai Tom for about $10 is one of the best deals in town.
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