Just a few weeks ago, CrushCraft Thai was but an artist's rendition, a hazy picture that served Thai food only in our minds after we've reclined into our couches and ... never mind.
But now Jack Nuchkasem and chef Paul Singhapong have sent real photographs. They've offered a glimpse of the cooking to come, and they've announced an opening date for their new restaurant: Monday, January 27.
CrushCraft is said to serve the Thai food you've always dreamed of -- the authentic cookery you might encounter should you board a plane to Bangkok and then hire a tuk-tuk to take you on an urban culinary adventure. Except getting to Thailand is expensive and taking an Uber to The Quadrangle is much more reasonable. Think of all the money you'd save that you can now spend on wok-seared noodles and Singha beer.
The menu features dishes you've seen at most Thai restaurants including minced meat and toasted rice dressed in lime juice and fish sauce (laap Isaan), stir fries with fish sauce, basil and bird's eye chiles (kra-pao) and grilled pork skewers (moo ping). And there's also a "for chefs" section of the menu that will offer dishes meant to cater to more adventurous palates, even though what's listed now isn't any more adventurous than the rest of the menu. Picture sweet pork belly curry, roast chicken and braised short ribs.
What matters more than what they're cooking, though, is how they're cooking it, and Singhapong promises a made-from-scratch approach he says will stay true to traditional Thai recipes and techniques. It doesn't hurt that they plan to stay open late enough on the weekends to contribute to our recently growling late-night dining scene. They'll be open till 3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday.
CrushCraft Thai Street Eats, 2800 Routh St., Suite 150, crushcraftthai.com, 972-677-7038