Dale Grable, the owner of Thai American Market, always has a new idea. Since opening his unique Asian store in Nice several years ago, he’s committed to taking the stress out of cooking Asian food. I don’t know if you’ve ever walked into an Asian food store, but if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can be intimidating. None of the labels are in English, it’s difficult to tell the difference between five varieties of fish sauce, and, seriously, is that dried jellyfish?
Fortunately for Lake County, Thai American Market is nothing like that. Dale selects the best of each item, removing the confusion. He grinds and makes his own spices and seasonings. And, if you’ve never cooked Asian before, he’s made it simple by creating meal kits that demystify your favorite foods.
These meal kits span everything from Pho to Pad Thai to curry. They’re surprisingly simple and contain everything you need to make a meal that impresses you, your family, and your friends. Dale puts thought and attention into each one, grinding the galangal by hand, ensuring that the seasonings are perfectly balanced, and taking care to make sure that everything is perfect. Each box comes with spices, noodles, and the few fresh ingredients that you’ll need to add, such as chicken or an onion. After that, you can just follow the steps provided to produce a spectacular dish.
We picked up a green curry, drunken noodles, and some black rice. All were simple to follow and full of flavor. It felt like we were eating at a Thai restaurant, and I felt like a chef. Seriously, it’s that simple. Now that we know how to do it, we can do it on our own whenever we want, thanks to the kits. If you ever get stuck, though, don’t hesitate to ask. Dale’s a master at finding whatever you’re looking for.
But that’s only a small part of what Thai American Market offers. We love sriracha and kimchee, and Dale makes it fresh to sell. “I’m starting to make things instead of buying them,” he says, and you’ll be glad he did. His kimchee is fresh, tangy, and with none of the funkiness that some kimchee has. He makes it fresh regularly, then stores it in the fridge. “If it’s not quite ready,” he advises, “put it on the counter for a day.” We took ours home, left it out for two days, and it was perfect. It’s living, fresh, and a perfect accompaniment to Korean tacos. In addition, his homemade sriracha is spectacular. We love it. It’s chunky, spicy, and sweet. We’ve switched over from the standard, mass-produced one to almost exclusively using Thai American Market’s.
Wherever we visit, we always discover something new. So head over to Nice and get something unique, tasty, and sure to impress. But if you can’t visit, you can buy Thai American Market’s food kits online on their website.
3707 E Hwy 20 #3
Nice, CA 95464
(707) 262-2724
Hours: 12-6, 7 Days a Week.
