Subsin’s Authentic Thai Food
5517 Manchaca Rd., 462-1450
Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm, 5-10pm; Saturday, noon-10pm; Sunday, 5-10pm
www.subsinthai.food.officelive.com
As Thai places go in Austin, South Austin’s Subsin’s is one of the more authentic. An entirely family-run operation, the restaurant has been in business for nearly three years. Thailand native Kidagorn Amatyakul, who goes by the nickname Joe, cooks, while his daughter waits tables. Mrs. Amatyakul handles the prep and keeps the general business in order. With less ambience than the local dry cleaners, the restaurant itself is not much to look at, either inside or out. But the food here bears the stamp of care. The yellow curry with beef ($7.95) is deliciously scented with lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal. Ample portions of tender, thinly sliced beef and potatoes make this a dish easily shared by two. The pad mow-mow ($7.95), stir-fried flat rice noodles with basil, zucchini, peppers, and chicken, strikes an appealing balance between sweet, salty, and spicy.
Less successful is the Thai meat salad ($8.95). We made the mistake of ordering it with pork (a meat relatively uncommon in Thai cuisine, since a large portion of the population is Muslim) instead of beef or chicken. The spicy, vinegary sauce renders the pork chewy and frankly a little rotten tasting; it would have complemented beef better, though the sauce is still slightly acrid. Also a little disappointing is the chicken satay appetizer ($5.95), which seems skimpy and whose accompanying peanut sauce is greasy and separated.
In addition to the usual array of stir-fry noodle dishes, piquant soups, and curries, house specials include whole fish fried and topped with chile sauce or julienned ginger (market price) and steamed green mussels ($8.95). Just about all of the curry and noodle dishes can be made vegetarian. Very affordable for lunch or dinner, Subsin’s is a popular spot among locals who value good, no-frills meals.
This article appears in October 9 • 2009.
