Racha Thai - Worcester MA - Sheri

It was a Tuesday night and Ian and I were feeling as we usually do on a weeknight with no specific plans - lets go get something to eat! Unfortunately, our spending has quickly been outweighing our income these days, so we figured we better do something cheap. Not like McDonalds cheap, but we would have to set our budget a little lower than, say, the 111 Chophouse. We were both thinking Thai. Sturbridge was a little far for us, and besides that, we've already reviewed that place :) So we thought either Racha Thai or Thai Cha Da on Park Ave. We decided on Racha Thai, simply because it was closer. So off we went.

Racha Thai is nothing spectacular to look at, and if you were not previously aware of its existence, it would most likely continue to escape your notice. Its in a small plaza, towards the back end. I would tell you to look for the Papa Gino's across the street from Wendy's near the Burlington Coat Factory on Rt. 20. By the time we arrived, it was about 6:30 and we were seated immediately. The decor is typical and generic "Asian." Our waitress was friendly and demure. She seemed to be the only waitress. There were only 2 other parties, besides us, and she was readily available to promptly take our orders and keep our water glasses filled.

We ordered the Golden Bags and Vegetable Tempura to start with. The Golden Bags ($5) were tasty and I love the sweet soy sauce that is served to accompany them. In case you're wondering, the Golden Bags are pretty much like pot stickers or dumplings. I really liked the variety in the Vegetable Tempura. There was a nice mixture of baby corn, sweet potato, broccoli, onions and green beans. It was served with a slightly spicy and sweet dipping sauce. The tempura batter was a little heavier than I would prefer, but at only $5, its still a great deal.

I had the Pad Thai for an entree. I asked for a side of peanut sauce as well. Ian got the Massaman Curry dish with tofu. Our entrees came out quickly, before we even finished with the appetizers, actually. The Pad Thai was delicious and freshly prepared. For me, Pad Thai is incomplete without the peanut sauce, so I was glad to see that my waitress had remembered to also provide a small dish of peanut sauce. It was delicious, and at only $7, a steal. I only ate about 1/3 of my dish, and I was looking forward to eating the rest for lunch the next day. The waitress even gave me a small container of peanut sauce in my to-go box. I sampled some of Ian's dish as well. The Massaman curry sauce was good, but not the best I've ever tasted (once again, I'm lamenting the loss of Thai Cuisine in Millbury!). I was not a big fan of the tofu either. It was a little dry and rubbery. But that's tofu for you. Ian seemed pleased with it though.

All in all, I would say Racha Thai offers many favorite and freshly prepared Thai dishes at prices that are more than reasonable along with amiable service. Its a great place to take friends or family out, your treat! I would suggest getting a couple of appetizers and entrees to split and share, since the portions are generous and the prices kind. They even have an appetizer sampler for only $9 that includes mini Thai rolls, satay and golden cups among other popular items. They also offer a lunch buffet during the week and a dinner buffet on Sunday's. I've yet to try the buffets, but I'm determined to get there one of these days! They also provide carry out service, which is really convenient for lunch time or if you happen to live close by, for dinner. I've ordered out during lunch time and never had to wait more than 15 minutes.

Racha Thai is conveniently located on Rt. 20, right around the corner from the Blackstone Valley Shoppes. The next time you're looking for a place to eat after an arduous shopping trip, and are sick of the Longhorn's/Applebee's/TGI Friday's/Uno's/Red Robin/Qdoba offerings at the Shoppes, consider Racha Thai. Its good food for an extremely reasonable price.