Swaddee impresses enough for a second go ’round
By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI
Get Out

Wait: We were welcomed with a sweet “Swaddee Thai!” chorus and offered our choice of seating at 7:45 p.m. on a Wednesday.

Service: Politely quiet, informative and quick with the refills.

What we liked: Our main dishes were two of the most phenomenal Thai plates we’ve had — from San Francisco to SoHo. Our massaman curry dish had six pieces of tender stewed beef, peanuts and potatoes in a bowl of slightly-sweet, three-star spiced brown curry sauce. Speaking of spice, Swaddee’s has a legit five-star heat scale so we went three stars and easily reached our preferred runny-nose/slight-sweat state. Barely nudging out the curry was our spicy noodles plate — a generous portion of fried flat noodles, chicken, onion, jalapeño and herb-infused basil so fresh you could smell the dish coming. Not as amazing as the entrées, but still impressive was our appetizer (crispy noodles lightly drizzled with a caramel-infused sauce) and two homemade desserts (coconut ice cream and sweet sticky rice with Thai custard).

Scene: There's a tasteful Thai theme throughout, including a staff clad in black and red. Tables — ebbing and flowing with couples in their 20s and 30s — are jazzed up by intricate, matted Asian artwork, as are the dark mustard walls. Ask for one of the many comfy, red-and-gold booths with headrests. The option to lean back came in handy after my fifth “last bite.”

Bathroom break: Clean, private women’s restroom with a school of painted origami fish pinned to the wall.

Tab for two: $52 with tax and tip for mee krob ($6.95), massaman curry ($12.95), spicy noodles ($9.95), coconut ice cream ($2.95), sweet sticky rice with Thai custard ($5.95) and a soda ($1.50).

If work weren’t buying: I thought Malee’s on Main was the best Thai in town, but they’ve got some spicy competitors in Swaddee.

By CHRIS PAGE
Get Out

Wait: With only six people in the dining room at 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday, we were met with a warm “Swaddee Thai!” (“swaddee" means "hello," we were later told) from a charming woman who took us to a small booth right away.

Service: My companion and I feigned ignorance to Thai food, so our greeter — beaming at the prospect of newbies — gave us a Thai primer and pointed out favorite dishes from the photo-rich menu. Later dish servers were less personable, mostly mute, but expedient even as the restaurant filled with patrons.

What we liked: Obnoxiously cloying Thai cuisine can blast out taste buds with flavor-killing curried heat, but our meals at Swaddee were articulated orchestrations of spicy and sweet, starting with veggie eggrolls that were light and crisp. The tofu pad Thai, ordered medium heat, was perfectly creamy and chock-full of fresh vegetables, as was the addictively smooth but piquant tom ka (hot and sour) soup, filled with lots of mushrooms, lemongrass and broccoli. The equally fresh but unremarkable pineapple curry, ordered full-blast spicy, was hot enough to cause sniffles, but the fire was sublimely subdued by the coconut ice cream, a coconut milk sherbet topped with crushed peanuts that's the ne plus ultra of summertime treat for lactose intolerants. Need a cold, creamy, refreshing dessert with half of milk's thickness? This is it.

Scene: Head-scratchingly hidden inside a strip mall (we missed it in our first attempt to spot it on Ray Road), the uncomplicated but warmly decorated Swaddee, with its soft lighting and Thai art all around, could be either a best- kept secret for locals or a slick romantic spot for Thai gourmands.

Bathroom break: Absolutely spotless and well-stocked men's room with a two-tone avocado and tomato bisque paint job.

Tab for two: $58 with tax and tip for tom ka soup ($9.95), veggie rolls ($3.25), tofu pad Thai ($9.95), pineapple curry ($14.95), two Thai iced teas ($1.95 each), and coconut ice cream ($2.95).

If work weren’t buying: Whaddya mean? We came back the next day to get more coconut ice cream, only to find Swaddee’s closed on Sundays. Whoops.

Swaddee
5055 W. Ray Road, Chandler

Major cross streets: Southwest corner of Rural and Ray roads
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 5 to 9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 5 to 9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
Reservations accepted: Yes
Health report: Two major violations on July 6
Kid-friendly? Yes
Web site: www.swaddeethai.com