I found a Thai restaurant a few minutes' walk from Hamura Station on the JR Ome Line. Recently, I have been experiencing the jinx that great Thai restaurants are hidden in the suburbs, and I believe this is definitely one of them. I discovered this restaurant on Instagram. I quickly looked it up on Tabelog and visited around 5 PM on a holiday. Despite it being a holiday, it was still early for dinner, so there were no other customers when I arrived. I, as usual, dined alone and sat at a table I was shown to. I always have trouble deciding what to order, but this restaurant has a limited menu and offers half-size portions, which was great for a solo diner like me. I ordered the following: Nam (Thai sausage), fried rice, 3-spice spring rolls, half-size Yam Wun Sen, half-size Tom Yum Kung. They also had an original drink menu where you could choose alcohol and a mixer, so I opted for a unique combination of gin and jasmine tea. The drinks were relatively tasty and well-paired. However, the highlight was the quality of the food. The spring rolls, Yam Wun Sen, and Tom Yum Kung were all perfectly executed with exquisite flavor balance. I could clearly feel the chef's skill in each dish. In particular, the Tom Yum Kung, which I personally consider a benchmark for Thai restaurants, was superbly balanced in flavor. And most of all, the Nam fried rice was outstanding. I'm not sure if it's always available, but I can confidently say that it's a must-try dish. The level of spiciness was just right for me, and the fried rice, with its perfect balance of sausage saltiness, was incredibly delicious. They accepted credit card payment. There seemed to be a constant stream of delivery orders coming in while I was dining, so perhaps there is a high demand for delivery in the area as well.

As the calendar is about to change in September, it's still very hot. It feels like we're in a subtropical zone. Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, so why not head to a hot Southeast Asian spot? By the way, there was a Thai restaurant in Hamura. I checked it out when I visited the neighboring Indian restaurant, Gandhi. Without hesitation, I arrived around 1 PM. The outdoor sign said "3 kinds of platter," so I decided to go for that. Inside the restaurant, there were two other groups of customers. The ladies sitting in the raised seating area were drinking beer in the afternoon. When I was a student, I used to think Budweiser and Coors were cool and I admired them, so I always ordered Bud at mixers. Now, I only drink Asahi or Kirin, but back then... The 3 kinds of platter (1210 yen) allowed you to choose from 5 options. I chose pork Gapao, Yam Wun Sen (glass noodle salad), and stir-fried greens with shrimp. Oh! They serve jasmine tea instead of water here. Typically, places that serve jasmine tea are good, so there's a high chance of it being good. The soup is self-service, so let's wait patiently. Maybe it was a service, but I received fresh spring rolls. The peanut sauce inside was the highlight. There was something like vinegar at the bottom, and when combined with cilantro, it was refreshing and I could eat as much as I wanted. A good approach. The 3 kinds of platter were served all at once. Let's start with the Yam Wun Sen since the Gapao and stir-fry seemed hot. As mentioned in parentheses, it's a glass noodle salad. But with just fish sauce and lemon juice, it takes on their taste, which is interesting. Now, let's try the main dishes. The Gapao is just Gapao, always a safe and reliable taste. The stir-fried greens with shrimp had a punch with oyster sauce, chili, and garlic. It's the kind of dish you want to enjoy with a Singha beer. Instead, I gulped down the jasmine tea and felt refreshed. Oh, there are occasionally young mothers coming here. Is this place really popular? Next to the Indian restaurant is "Smile Land."

It's not a very big restaurant, with seating for 12 people including 4 two-person tables, and 2 counter seats. I first tried UVER here and ended up becoming a regular because the food is delicious. There is parking for 3 cars across the street from the curry shop next to Okura. The lunch set includes jasmine tea, soup, and two fresh spring rolls, all for under 1000 yen, with the option to choose your favorite dish. This week, I enjoyed the seafood gapao which was packed with shrimp, squid, scallops, and shrimp balls, giving it a rich flavor. I love adding extra coriander to it and savoring every bite. You can choose the level of spiciness, and even the least spicy level still leaves you sweating by the end of the meal. I usually share dishes with my companion, and everything we've tried so far has been delicious. Unlike other Thai restaurants that are either too sweet or too spicy, Okura strikes a perfect balance and allows you to customize the spiciness. I keep telling myself I'll try the tom yum ramen next time, but I always end up ordering the seafood gapao again. It's just that good! I can't seem to break free from the temptation of Okura's dishes.笑

Lunch with a friend who loves Thai food. We always go to eat a variety of Thai dishes! The Thai dishes are made in a way that is easy for Japanese people to eat! It was very delicious. Suggestions from a foodie aunt: ◯ It would be nice if there were more menu options! ◯ An extra 50 yen for more coriander... It would be nice if lunch was free. ◯ I wish they would add Fukurotake mushrooms to the soup that you can get seconds of during lunch.

I visited the Thai restaurant "Thai food OKURA" located along the Hachioji Highway, about a 5-minute walk from the east exit of Haguruma Station on the JR Ome Line. The restaurant has a cute bar-like exterior and a bright, clean interior with about 20 seats including table and tatami seating. I ordered the "Spicy Fried Rice with Thai Sausage" for 900 yen, opting for a spicy level of 3 out of 4 chili peppers. The dish was flavorful and not too spicy, with ingredients like Thai sausage, green onions, scrambled eggs, sakura shrimp, garlic chips, chopped peanuts, cucumber, and coriander. It was tasty and satisfying, with a good portion size. I enjoyed the meal and finished it promptly.

Stable Kaomangai with first time green papaya stir-fry and Yam Woon Sen lunch. The meat stir-fry tastes like sweet grilled meat. When you stir-fry papaya, it tastes like winter melon... Completely different from the texture of Somtam.

The restaurant is extremely crowded but the staff are still friendly and smiling, even with a 30% discount.

I wanted to eat my usual Khao Man Gai, and as expected, the taste was consistent! The Pad Thai was not too sweet, just right. The Yum Woon Sen was okay, with fewer shrimp this time and squid included. I'll definitely go back. I love okra.