Kinnaree

To our good fortune, chef-owner Tony Kanjanakorn and his wife Ladawan have decided to scale back a bit in their older age.

Thus, after many years of successful operation of their Thai-French Alisa Cafes in Upper Darby and Cherry Hill, Tony has opened a much smaller, easier-to-manage B.Y.O.B. in Horsham named Kinnaree in the space that had been the Magnolia Café, bringing his well-honed culinary skills and sunny disposition along with him.

I have made several visits to Kinnaree with my LDC (Lovely Dining Companion) and friends in the two years since it opened. The Thai-French cuisine is weighted toward French; two-thirds of the dishes are of French cuisine, or a French-Thai fusion, such as the Thai calamari salad, Thai-style Cornish hen and the Thai seafood bouillabaisse. The rest are classic Thai.

I was very surprised and pleased to see that the prices, which are very reasonable, have not been raised at all, and if anything, the quality of the food and service has gotten even better.

On my most recent visit this month, we chose two of the classic Thai dishes. The chicken pad Thai ($13), stir-fried rice noodles in a tamarind-based reduction sauce with fried bean curd, julienned vegetables, egg, scallion and peanuts, was one of the best I have had anywhere. All of our party of four tasted it and agreed.

The second dish was a personal favorite at Kinaree, red curry duck (“gaeng dang,” $16). If you like the “curries” of Thailand, you’ll love this red curry, as I most certainly did. The level of spice was just right for me. As you may have observed by now, I am partial to duck when it is done properly, and Kinnaree’s duck-off-the-bone in this dish was extraordinarily succulent and tasteful. The combined fresh vegetables (broccoli, green and red pepper, yellow squash, cherry tomato and zucchini), chunks of pineapple and duck in the divine coconut milk-based curry sauce are a rare treat that seduced me to return and enjoy this entree again.

Thai-style Cornish hen ($17), a colorful entree marinated in garlic, lemongrass, coriander and Thai herbs, and served with papaya (Asian slaw) salad and coconut rice, was a sweet and savory symphony of French and Thai cuisines.

The only misstep was the overly rich, heavy port wine demi-glace reduction under the rack of lamb ($25), which was otherwise a tasty and juicy medium-rare meat lover's delight.  I mentioned this later to chef Tony Kanjanakorn, and he said he will make sure to lighten it in the future.

The soup of the day was lobster bisque, as it was on my first dinner here two years ago. That time, with a few added shakes of table salt and pepper, it was positively awesome. Its creamy goodness and deep lobster taste were sublime.  This time, no added salt or pepper was needed ... it was perfectly delicious as is.

Also, remembering that much earlier dinner visit, I knew I had to have the wonderful sautéed oysters ($10): nine plump and juicy medium-sized oysters on a bed of spinach in saffron cream sauce. And again, they were fabulous. 

Two more starters we tried that night were equally excellent: a large jumbo lump sautéed crab salad ($10) on a bed of organic mixed greens with Pernod vinaigrette, and a dish of “potsticker” dumplings and shrimp shumai.

All of these delectable appetizers were thoughtfully served on heated dishware.

Based on previous times at Kinnaree, I would also recommend the French-style steamed mussels in tomato Provencal sauce ($9); the chicken satay ($9), a Thai fave of skewered chicken tenders lightly grilled with peanut sauce and refreshing cucumber relish; and the crispy Thai shrimp rolls ($7), three whole shrimp cocooned in a crispy spring roll wrapper and served with sweet chili plum sauce (not your father's Chinese egg rolls). 

Young Nattapon Lohajoti single-handedly, smoothly and graciously covers the dining room. Adding to our pleasure was the decidedly serene midweek ambiance, the soft music, real linens, the fresh flowers in mini-vases, the golden walls hung with floral prints, and comfortable, well-padded seating. All the foods were nicely presented on beautiful China dishware.

In case you’re curious about the name, a “kinnaree” is a mythical female creature that has the head, torso and arms of a young woman dressed like an angel, and whose lower body is depicted with the wings, tail and feet of a swan. It’s renowned for its dance, song and poetry, and it is a traditional symbol of feminine beauty, grace and accomplishment.

To contact Mitch Davis, email MdavisMainCourse@aol.com.

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Overall rating: mmmm 1/2  (out of 5 m’s)

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The Main Course at Kinnaree:

Location: 583 Horsham Road in Horsham

Phone: 215-441-5514                   

Cuisine: Thai-French

Hours: Open for lunch and dinner

Prices: Appetizers, soups, salads, $4 to $10; entrees, $13 to $25 

Ambiance: Small, but comfortable. Quiet, almost serene.

Reservations: Recommended on weekends

Credit cards: Visa and Mastercard

Alcoholic beverages: B.Y.O.B.

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Briefly Noted: 

• Recently, I had one of the best Mexican dining experiences ever. It was at Xochitl (pronounced “so-sheet”), 408 S. Second St., Philadelphia, at Headhouse Square, 215-238-7280. The guacamole is made from scratch fresh tableside, which was glorious. Choose your own tequila from over 50 varieties for a magnificent margarita made fresh at one of the two bars while you watch. (I like Cabo Wabo tequila myself.) The food is gourmet level. A fixed price, three-course dinner for $32 is the way to go.