And It Was Delicious

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Kevin and I are huge fans of Thai food, and, while I have been attempting to expand my culinary expertise in the foreign realm, there are some foods in this realm that I can't quite get right yet.  While I achieved a fantastic Pad Thai finally, I have had quite a difficult time getting my curries right.  I am not sure if it is the fact that I do not use fish sauce in them, or if somethign else is lacking, but my sauces just don't tend to have the depth that a good Thai curry should have. 
About a month ago, Kevin and I realized we had been told by numerous people about a good Thai restaurant here in Pittsburgh (Hello, Oxymoron), called The Smiling Banana Leaf.  First of all, I love the name of this restaurant.  It actually makes me smile every time I say or hear it. So we went. And it was delicious. 

As many places are in Pennsylvania (the capitol of making it hard to buy liquor of any sort), it was a BYOB.  I am actually starting to like this concept though - it means I can bring a decent bottle of wine and not pay more than double for it at the restaurant. So I stuck a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in my purse, and off we went one Friday night.  The Smiling Banana Leaf is on a corner in the East Liberty area, and quite small.  We walked in and were barely able to fit in the door near the hostess stand whiel we waited for a table.  The dozen or so tables were packed with people, and steaming plates of food came out of the small kitchen and past us as we waited, unpatiently.  Fortunately, we did not have to wait long.  About 10 minutes after walking in the door, we were seated, and our wine was opened and poured for us (not even a corkage fee!).  After skimming the menu, I quickly decided what I wanted - my go-to Thai dish of green curry with tofu. I also LOVE spring rolls (the fried ones), so ordered those as well.  Kevin, as usual, took a bit more time to decide, and then wanted to switch some things up.  The poor waitress did not speak a lot of English, and was quickly confused by Kevin's questions.  Ultimately, he ordered the pumpkin curry, as well as his own spring rolls (the raw ones). The spring rolls were good - not the best I have ever had, but certainly good. In true Kevin fashion, our table was adorned with multiple types of sauces, and I really enjoyed their peanut dipping sauce.  Our entrees came out, and we dug in.  The only complaint I really had was that I had asked for a spice level of 3 (Kevin had asked for 7), and mine was spicier than his, but that did not stop me from basking in delight of that green curry sauce, with all its depth and flavor.  Vegetables like bell pepper, broccoli, and green beans floated in the broth, and there was a LOTof tofu in there as well, which is always appreciated and not always found.  Kevin enjoyed his pumpkin curry with chicken, which was sweeter than the green, and had the flavor more like a red curry.  The vegetables in his included carrots, peas, and onions. 
And it was delicious.