Nan Thai is not only a fine dining establishment in Midtown Atlanta, it’s also the best I’ve been to. Period. The décor is modern, with plenty of white booths and wicker ceiling fixtures to boot. Wooden beams painted matte gold and maroon hold up the mahogany ceiling, and Bangkok-born Chef Nan Niyomkul’s numerous Diamond culinary awards adorn the walls of the expansive dining room. Nan is a 14x Four Diamond Award winner. Chef Nan has catered high-profile events such as the PGA Tour Championship Dinner, the FedEx Cup Dinner, the Miss Universe Dinner, and the Master’s Champion’s Dinner.
I reserved my table on Seated, an app which gives discounts on certain restaurant reservations.
Satay Appetizer
The satay appetizer consisted of 4 carefully-stacked mini skewers of marinated chicken with a side of creamy red curry peanut sauce. Call me crazy for ordering a simple dish in a fine dining establishment, but I was in the mood for it. The mini cucumber salad was a nice touch, too.
Tom Kha Kung
My tom kha kung soup was not just a game changer, but a life changer as well. It was smooth as silk, and spicy and soothing at the same time. I could taste the TLC put into it, which made all the difference. The traditional Thai soup consists of coconut milk, carefully-tossed thin lemongrass slices, mushrooms, galangal, chile liquid, and in this case, shrimp.
Lamb Hung Lay
Now, on to the main event—lamb hung lay—a huge lamb shank in a lake of exceptionally creamy and slightly spicy massamun curry (peanuts, red curry and ginger). It passed the fall-off-the-bone test and then passed the taste test with flying colors.
I’ll admit—I overdid it with the chicken satay. Never underestimate the size of a lamb shank, folks.
Conclusion
The restaurant runs like a well-oiled machine. The friendly, courteous receptionist took me to my table, despite me arriving 20 minutes prior to my reservation. The staff hurried back and forth making sure every customer’s needs were taken care of. From the INCREDIBLE food, to the subtle touches like the tiny lime and chile on the rim of my soup bowl to the three little potatoes hidden behind my massive lamb shank, to the ridge-cut cucumbers, the restaurant left no stone unturned. They say God is in the details, and Lord knows that Nan Thai has been blessed.
Nan Thai Fine Dining
1350 Spring Street NW #1
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 870-9933
www.nanfinedining.com