With elements of sweet, salty, savory, spicy, and tangy, Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines. It also features flavors that stay with you long after the meal is complete and for me I always wonder, “can I make this myself?” On a cold, lazy, Saturday night, my friends and I took the Camel Van to downtown New London for dinner at Lazy Leopard. The food was delicious and very memorable. For dinner, we ordered a range of appetizers including sushi from the “Sushi Side”, curry puffs, summer rolls, and a small bowl of tom yum soup. Though, the sushi was the real standout appetizer of the night. My friend Sharon Van Meter ’20 had never tasted sushi, and was very impressed. The “Caterpillar” was a great introduction to the art of sushi because it featured fresh tuna, fanned avocado, cucumber and was garnished with a spicy mayo. A great compliment to this spicy appetizer, is the Thai Iced Tea! Thai food can be spicy, so this tea makes a great addition to the meal. Plus, Lazy Leopard has a full list of cocktails and an excellent list of non-alcoholic beverages! The rest of our appetizers ranged from tasty to bland, as the summer rolls are not recommended.
Stand out entrees included the Beef Pho (pronounced fa) and the chicken Pad Thai! I recommend ordering food as mild, but if you can handle the heat, go for it! Noodles are the name of the game at Lazy Leopard, and the menu features plenty of variations on this humble ingredient. Diners recommend the “drunken” noodles as they come in a several variations. The noodles served in big bowls are perfect for sharing on a cold night. Sharon’s Pho and the Chicken Pad Thai were easily split between three hungry camels including David Johnston ’19, that slurped up every last drop of the salty, but savory broth. The Pad Thai can be ordered with either chicken, seafood, tofu, or duck. This critic recommends diners order the dish with either chicken or tofu. The sweet noodles are stir-fried and topped with chopped peanuts and savory bean sprouts! A touch of fresh lime-juice rounds out the dish!
If you find yourself in downtown New London, be sure to find your way into Lazy Leopard. The staff is excellent with assisting in ordering, but also making you feel like you just walked off the plane in Bangkok! Of course you can always order take out, but this place is best experienced in person! Bon Appetit!
