By Teri Bayus

I love finding new restaurants that are established and for some reason missed my culinary radar. We dropped our grandbabies off at their Morro Bay abode and Nana and “Dude” (what they call grandpa) were weary, starving and needed some adult beverages.
I had heard from several “on the street” foodie friends that Morro Bay possessed a Thai food restaurant so good, that I had to try it.
We stumbled into Thai Bounty and were immediately taken by the beauty and layout of this Thai vessel.
Greeted by a stunning creature named Victoria, we settled at the bar and she brought me a Sing Ha beer. I went to study the kitchen (I always do before I order at a new restaurant) and was greeted warmly by Doi, the chef and owner.
Her kitchen was a clean and fragrant as her demeanor and I was excited to try many of her dishes.
While I was away exploring, Gary order mango sticky rice to start. When we were in Thailand, he ate at least five mango sticky rice dishes every day. This was an outstanding presentation using black sticky rice, coconut milk and a perfectly ripe mango. The crunchy black rice made this a new experience.
Then we had the Larb, a favorite dish of mine. I ordered it mild (Dude doesn’t like hot but I do) and had Victoria bring me some chopped Thai chili to use on mine. With Lard you take the minced pork (or chicken) that is sautéed with red onions, fresh lime juice, mint, basil, chili and toasted rice. You bundle it in Napa cabbage leave and eat it like a taco.
All the elements of Thai cooking were here — hot, cold, spicy, acidic, sweet and refreshing. It was impeccable and the Thai chili was blazing hot, so I was happy. We paired it with a Sanford Chardonnay that was precision with this fiery dish.
Next I had the garlic peppered chicken. It was thin slices of chicken sautéed and served with caramelized garlic, with the vegetables on the side. I liked that they weren’t all mixed together so I could control the portions.
Their famous fresh lime chili sauce blew my mind and I ending up taking a side home for my eggs in the morning. This sauce was the perfect balance of flavor and helped to bring out the essences of everything it touched. I will need a pint of this for my home.
I also ordered the Pad Thai as everyone does it a bit different and I wanted to try Doi’s version of Thai stir friend noodles (and these are always superb the next day).
I was beyond impressed with the balance of all the essential ingredients that comes with Pad Thai, chicken, noodles, bean sprouts, green beans, onion, egg and crushed peanuts. It was a delight.
Gary had the pineapple curry, a dish he uses to define a Thai restaurant. It was chicken and fresh pineapple in a traditional red curry coconut sauce. Doi told us how they make the curry paste fresh every day using over 35 items slowly added and stirred with a stone and pestle. It showed in this remarkable bowl.
Thai Bounty offers fresh, local ingredient, locally caught wild fish and seafood, and constantly changing daily specials. They are all prepared and served in authentic Thai fashion, for dine-in or take-out. Doi and family invite you to visit and experience the rich culinary traditions of Thailand. I know that I will be back, often.
Thai Bounty is located at 560 Embarcadero in Morro Bay. Call them at (805) 772-2500. They are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., every day except Wednesdays.

Teri Bayus can be reached at: or follow my writing and ramblings at: www.teribayus.com. Bayus also hosts Taste Buds, a moving picture rendition of her reviews shown on Charter Ch. 10. Dinner and a Movie is a regular feature of Tolosa Press.