Mom Can Cook

Yes she can! And our waiter too, for that matter, since he also makes masterpieces in the kitchen! So I checked out another Thai place that was recommended to me by a friend yesterday. Yes, it is called "Mom Can Cook". I think that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to check this place out.



Located behind all the action of the quiet area of Canyon Country. I just fell in love with this cute, little restaurant. Being inside the restaurant felt like we were in a restaurant in Thailand (I'm just assuming!). Just by everything they had in there, decor-wise, throughout the restaurant. Like I had mentioned, the restaurant is very small and was full so we grabbed the last available table outside.

I loved the menu. Didn't see anything too generic. And unlike Thai Pepper, the menu appealed to me more by showcasing more Thai dishes that I was unfamiliar with.



So this is how the night went....

First wanted to make clear that most of the opinions given about the dishes we consumed are by my friend, Paola, because I've been sick for almost a week now and have lost my sense of smell at the moment! Sad times for me, but it didn't completely ruin my night. I even had a friend who I work with make a joke about it before I had gone to dinner (She is sick as well; not a good week for both of us!).

"Are you really going to spend money on food when you can't even taste it?"

"Um....yeah!"

Ok, so looking at the menu, I first wanted to choose a soup or salad. I was eyeing the Papaya Salad but what had stopped me from ordering it was the honey chili lime dressing. Not a fan of honey. And it isn't me to order a side and ask them to remove something, especially when it would have put the whole thing together.

So I saw that they had Tom Kha and Paola was okay with trying something new, so we had ordered it. We chose the tofu option.




Tofu in coconut soup with galanga, lemongrass, cilantro, and lime juice.

(Galanga=Resembles ginger, but not in flavor. A citrus, earthy aroma)

Unfortunately, I couldn't smell or taste the lemongrass. Paola said and I agreed, from what I could get from it, was that the lime and maybe even the galanga was really overpowering the lemongrass. The soup was still warm and comforting, despite the citrus standing out in the dish. She also didn't like how the tofu didn't take on any flavors from the soup. I noticed that as well, but it didn't really bother me because I like tofu and I don't mind it on its own. I asked her if she would order this again and she said she would, but she would get the chicken option instead. I'm proud I got her to try something new!

So next up we split our rice and entree courses. She ordered the Siamese Fried Rice with Shrimp and Scallops, which she really recommended, and I just ordered a side of Egg Fried Rice.

The Egg Fried Rice that I never even tried! That was because we had filled up on the other dishes before I tried this one and ended up taking it to-go, in which one of the waitresses bagged our food and switched our orders so Paola took my food home! So anyway, this is what it looked like, untouched.



The Siamese Fried Rice, on the other hand, I cannot say enough great things about this dish! Really, it was like my sense of smell came back the second I had my first bite of this greatness. Too many words I could use to describe this just satisfying dish!



Fried rice with shrimp, scallops, tomatoes, eggs, green onions, peas, carrots, cilantro, lemongrass, and the one thing that I just fell in love with---FRIED GARLIC! Oh my GOODNESS, wow, definitely brought this dish to a higher intensity! The flavors were just simply outstanding! Paired extremely well together. How lucky was I to take home Paola's meal instead! (They stapled our to-go bags shut so that is why I didn't catch this until I got home.) Must be precautious from now on when going out to eat! Yeah, I really recommend you try this one out!

And lastly, I had to make a decision between the Brown Curry or Pad Woon Sen. After a couple minutes, I decided to go with the Pad Woon Sen.




Beef stir fried with glass noodles, fish sauce (nam pla), tomatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, egg, and fried garlic.

I loved it. The flavors tied together. The nam pla was the main reason, to me, that tied everything together. The whole dish was so delectable, warming, and inviting. Paola enjoyed it as well. Sad she took it home with her! I will, however, say there was only one thing that disappointed me, and that was the beef. It was dry and hard to eat. Overcooked. Nothing I experienced at Thai Pepper. But I will say the flavors stood out to me in this dish so much that it alone made me forget about the overcooked beef. Definitely didn't ruin my opinion.

The only thing I do regret about this night was not having dessert or even just looking at the dessert menu! Not that I really order or eat dessert, but I always like looking at what each restaurant offers, especially in these type of family-run restaurants. I hear they offer a good variety of desserts that resemble ones you would find in Thailand.

Phenomenal authentic food. Matt, the owner and who was also our waiter, was just hilarious! Very kind, friendly, open, and humble. Cozy atmosphere and wonderful decor. Very reasonable prices. 5 hearts ?????. I would go back.