Thai Food lovers in the East End rejoice! The popular St. Matthews restaurant “Simply Thai” has opened a new location in Middletown at 12003 Shelbyville Rd. Many may notice that this new location has previously been home to three failed restaurants – but judging by the food and the crowd, Simply Thai will be around for awhile. 

The menu is well-priced, ranging from $4.50-$6.99 for appetizers and $8-$20 for pretty large entrees. It includes many Thai food favorites like fried rice, pad thai, and spring rolls but also offers more unique dishes like edamame dumplings and “loaded” fried rice, topped with edamame and black beans. The restaurant can prepare most dishes vegetarian or vegan if requested, and all dishes can be prepared with a spiciness level ranging from 1-5. 

The large menu can be daunting, but being a frequent visitor I have quickly found my favorites. The loaded fried rice is deliciously unique, featuring the classic tastes of vegetable fried rice with the addition of edamame, black beans, onions, and spiciness. The variety of curries offered, red, green, massaman, pineapple and yellow, are all delicious, but my personal favorite has been the creamy but light massaman. All curries can be ordered with a chicken, tofu, TVP (texturized tofu) or beef or shrimp for an extra $1. All the entrees are big enough to share with at least two people but many are perfect to eat the day after for lunch at school.

The restaurant’s open for lunch and dinner Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.  to 2:30 p.m.  and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. and Saturday noon to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10:30 p.m. There’s generally a decent crowd, but parking can be difficult because of the always-crowded Havana Rhumba next door, with whom the restaurant shares a parking lot. 

A new feature of the Middletown Simply Thai is that you can make reservations online or over the phone, up to weeks in advance. Find out for yourself why Simply Thai is simply delicious!