The rapper Slug of the underground hip hop group Atmosphere once said, “Thai is the new pizza,” and while it’s hard to completely agree (the ratio of pizza joints to Thai places in Springfield is still about 17:1, by this writer’s not-researched math), there is no denying the food genre’s rise in popularity in recent years. Locally, Thai Xpress (948 S. Glenstone Ave., 417-865-0102) has played an important role in that rise, bringing Thai food to the public faster and cheaper than any other place in town. Does that make it the Domino’s of the Thai world? Well, no.
Chicken and rice soup, available free with entree purchase on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Okay, so their service is let-me-get-my-coat-off-first fast, but there is little to no discernible drop in quality when compared with other establishments, and the portion sizes and perks (free chicken-and-rice soup on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for example, not to mention fried wontons with fresh stuffing in them) more than make up any difference. On this particular visit, Scott had the Royal Chicken (raved about it), his guest had the green curry with shrimp and I, being a creature of habit, got the pad thai (pictured at top, $5.45) my stomach had been whispering to me about since, oh, a few days earlier when I had last ordered it. It’s an addictive dish, though in this writer’s opinion it’s best experienced with the shrimp option rather than the beef, chicken or tofu. The spicy Thai sauce at Thai Xpress seems to pair better with seafood; on the other hand, that may not be the case if the sauce were made as spicy as what’s used in other establishments.
The Royal Chicken is outstanding, but the combo with fried wonton (top right) offers a nice surprise: Stuffing you can bite through!
Here is where you’ll find an admitted weakness: In order to get that super-quick service, sacrifices have been made in the ability to customize one’s order. Whereas most Thai restaurants in Springfield would ask you how spicy-hot you would like your food to be, Thai Xpress asks you no such question and hands you your food with barely a hint of spice in it. To those with an affinity for hot foods this may be an issue, but quick-service restaurants tend to cater to the masses like that.
For the combination of price, speed and flavor, it’s almost impossible to find a better option for Thai food in Springfield. Others can raise the bar in quality, if only slightly, but the other categories Thai Xpress is almost untouchable in the category. If Thai is indeed the new pizza, this place defies any easy parallels. It isn’t delivery, and it sure beats DiGiorno.
