Mint Café

Mint Café
1791 Coventry Rd.
Cleveland Heights, OH
216-320-9915
Lunch, Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ; Dinner: Mon.-Thurs., 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. ; Fri.-Sat., 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ; Sunday, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

When you mention Thai food, my mouth starts to water and my mind flashes back to an unforgettable plate of pad thai I had in Bangkok a couple years ago. Spoonfuls of granulated sugar, red chili pepper and peanuts, along with a lime, dotted the plate next to the tasty rice noodles, allowing me to control the levels of heat, sweet, sour and salt. Thai cuisine, in general, is known for its balance of fundamental flavors, which gives tongue a complete workout, leaving you satisfied, yet still hungering for more.

With the memory of that plate of pad thai burned into my taste buds, it has been a challenge to find a suitable substitute—but I found it at the Mint Café in Coventry. Besides the light and refreshing pad thai, the restaurant serves a mean mango curry, which consists of chicken, shrimp, mango, tomato, red pepper, onion, carrot and summer squash simmered in a yellow curry base.

On a recent visit, Manager Niek Nimsuwan provided more good news: the restaurant is expanding to locations in Pepper Pike and Strongsville.

Try This: Create your own curry dish, choosing from six different curries with varying degrees of spice, then pair it with a meat or vegetarian selection.

Most Popular Items: Thai Style Basil, Mango Curry or the seafood combinations: Coventry Road Madness and Under the Sea

Spice Factor: Thai cuisine has a unique taste all its own, which borrows elements of Chinese and Indian Cuisine. As a result, you’ll find a wide variety of spices, from curry and hot chilies to basil, coriander and, of course, mint. Galanga, which is native to Thailand , is a member of the ginger family, but has a pungent, spicy flavor. It is used in the Tom Khar Gai, the chicken coconut soup. Any dish can be altered according to your preference.