Natalee Thai brings spice to healthy Asian cuisine

By Sharon Hori

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Imagine if Theodore Seuss Geisel (better known as the lovable
Dr. Seuss) wrote menus instead of children’s books.

Maybe that’s what Natalee Thai Cuisine had in mind when
they were constructing their list, which playfully lures hungry
customers with delectable charm.

The nutty chicken dish, for example, plays on a crazy
combination of flavors, and Natalee facetiously makes that clear:
“No, we aren’t talking about the chicken’s mental
faculties, but about a crazy, spicy combo of chicken, onion and
dried chili. A sizzler!”

And from the profuse amount of alliteration and rhyme used to
title their titular dishes, you wouldn’t hesitate to believe
that the menu was written by Dr. Seuss himself.

Appetizers like Westside Wonton ($4.50) and Siam spring rolls
($4.75) are branded “Notable Nibbles.” The all-time
favorite Pad Thai ($6.25), whose long flat noodles are garnished
with shrimp, bean sprouts and a tangy peanut sauce, lead the way
for “Oodles of Noodles.” And spicy combinations of
fried rice highlight the restaurant’s “Rice is
Nice” category.

A comfortable setting for an exquisite sit-down dinner, Natalee
offers 70 dishes that will appeal to Thai food addicts and amateurs
alike. With two establishments, one on Venice Boulevard in Los
Angeles and another on South Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills,
Natalee sets the stage for a casual and quiet meal.

Once you get past the cutsie menu, you can dive into the main
events. For $7.95, Korean Barbecue beef flaunts ginger, garlic and
sesame. At $7.25, a Bangkok Bird (deep-fried cornish hen) is
marinated with garlic, soy and Chinese herbs (which the menu claims
is “Not to be found at that fast food place run by the guy in
the white suit!”). Another favorite is Natalee’s
notoriously rich peanut sauce that can be poured over vegetables,
pork or chicken for only $5.95.

Health conscious people need not worry though, Natalee is heavy
in taste, not in oil. The fried rice dishes are a bit drier than
usual, but Natalee prides itself in its concoctions of chili and
garlic, and mint leaves and onion. As their menu teases,
Natalee’s rice can be prepared on the hot side (“Call
the department!”), steamed (“Just because it’s
plain doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a nice
personality.”) or au natural (“To your
health!”).

With or without the puns, the taste is there. You could eat them
in a box, you could eat them with a fox. And for variation, you
could eat them with pineapple, shrimp and crab.

Veggie lovers can try the chow mein medley, whose noodles are
mixed with mushrooms, broccoli, cabbage and bamboo shoots ($5.75).
The spicy Maha Jumlong Curry ($5.75), bathes a potpourri of veggies
in curry and coconut milk. And Natalee’s spicy eggplant
($5.95), soft and gushing with a pungent sharpness, is a real
winner that doesn’t leave you feeling drenched in oil.

Natalee’s caters to both the masochists who love their
food hot and spicy and the weaklings who don’t. Although the
dishes are not hot enough to burn off your taste buds entirely, one
bite into a chili will linger on your lips and remind you to flag
down the waiter for another glass of creamy Thai iced tea.

And don’t forget to save room for a little dessert.
Natalee’s fried bananas ($3.50) add a soothing finish to a
gorging feast.

Natalee is accessible with free parking, free delivery and
welcoming hours (11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily). With enough dishes
to satisfy aching stomachs and curious taste buds, Natalee is in a
hurr-ee to feed the hungr-ee. That’ll beat green eggs and ham
any day.