One of the great treasures in life is the freedom to try a new activity, go on a new adventure or try a new type of food. Preferably the kind that excites your imagination and brings forth dreams of lands far away. This month I got to indulge my imagination and my palate with a trip to Nooddi, a Thai Restaurant in downtown Media. Sometimes we can be afraid to try a completely new type of food – one that we’re not sure we’ll like – especially now, when finances can be a real concern and we don’t eat out as often. But don’t fret – set your fears aside and dive into the wonder that is Nooddi.

Sure, they offer exotic sounding dishes like Tom Yum Soup or Pad Woon Sen, but these are merely names. The food itself is made of ingredients we eat every day such as sautéed chicken, bean thread noodles, vegetables and egg with brown garlic sauce. The difference is that it is prepared so creatively it seems like an entirely new experience.

Mark and I had the pleasure of dining with our friends John and Adele who are newcomers to Thai cuisine. The look on their faces when the first courses were brought out pleased us greatly. Obviously they were surprised at the huge portions and pleased at the beautiful way the food was presented. But the best came next, when they actually bit into their first pieces from the appetizer Nadia’s Treasure ($14.95). This sampler of crab dumplings, chicken satays, moon dumplings, meek rob, Nadia’s rolls, corn and shrimp cakes and golden triangles was delicious and served piping hot. Next we shared a gorgeous plate of Spring Rolls ($4.25) made up of crispy rice pancake stuffed vegetables served with sweet and sour sauce and peanut topped.

The Hearty Soup ($5.50) Adele ordered would make any grandmother proud. A huge dish with traditional Thai shrimp (gigantic!) and chicken, peppercorn, and wholesome vegetables made me wonder how she would ever be able to finish her entrée.

It was hard to decide amongst the many entrees offered, but I settled on Winning Alligator ($19.95). Sauteed, sliced alligator served with eggplant, onion, bell pepper with fresh julienne ginger, soy bean, green peppercorn and Thai aromatic herb sauce. I’ve never eaten alligator before and was surprised at how tender the meat was – I’ll definitely be back for another stab at this dish. John tried the Chicken Pad Thai ($10.95), also offered with Shrimp for $12.95, which consisted of Nooddi’s famous stir-fry rice noodles, tamarin citrus, bean sprouts, egg and crushed nuts. The plate was heaping with food and delicious aromas wafted upward as we ate.

Mark ordered the Deep Sea ($19.95) and was treated to an amazingly presented array of sautéed seafood: salmon, shrimp, scallops, mussels and squids with basil garlic sauce. The sauce was especially delightful and brought a whole new taste sensation to the dish.

Bangkok Garlic with Beef ($11.95) was Adele’s selection and just as I guessed she had a hard time finishing the large dish filled with sautéed choices meat, garlic and black pepper topped vegetables. Although I didn’t think I could eat another thing, we dug in for dessert. In traditional Thai fashion we shared all our food and didn’t stop with dessert. Thai coconut custard, tiramisu, Thai iced coffee and a Shirley temple was enjoyed by all.

Although we visited the Media location, a second restaurant recently opened at 500 E. MacDade Boulevard in Folsom and everyone is invited to stop in for a delicious meal. There’s free delivery and the restaurants are open for lunch and dinner. They’re both BYOB, so pack up your favorite beverage and head on down. You won’t be disappointed and it’s a sure bet that you’ll be counting the days until you can return – I know we are.

For more information call 610-522-1560 for the Folsom location or 610-892-8710 for Media. Visit them on the web at www.thaicheftoday.com.