Thai Festival — Daley Plaza — Through Fri 6-20-08

The Thai Festival goes for two more days (Thu and Fri, June 19-20, 2008) in Daley Plaza. Overall, the food didn't look terribly exciting but it could be a welcome break from the usual Loop offerings. Restaurants include Sticky Rice, Manee Thai, Sura, Miss Asia, Star of Siam, Amarit and The Spice.

Be sure to stop at the Thai Consulate's tents at the west side of the plaza. They are giving away samples of fresh mangosteens, rambutans and other fruits imported from Thailand.



Also don't miss the exquisite fruit and vegetable carvings on display.

Rene G wrote:Be sure to stop at the Thai Consulate's tents at the west side of the plaza. They are giving away samples of fresh mangosteens, rambutans and other fruits imported from Thailand.

Excellent tip and quite a treat. Thanks, RG.

Thanks for the tip. I'd never had a rambutan or a mangosteen before. The rambutan reminded me of lychees.

It was a double treat today w/the farmers market too.

I thought fresh mangosteens could not be imported to the U.S. Has that ban been lifted?

schenked wrote:I thought fresh mangosteens could not be imported to the U.S. Has that ban been lifted?

Diplomatic pouch?

Stopped by around lunchtime today and the place was packed with huge lines everywhere except Sticky Rice's stand. I soon found out this was because Sticky Rice was out of sticky rice! Looked like a few other stands were out of various items as well. I figured, living in Lincoln Square I can get excellent Thai any time I want without fighting festival crowds, so I hopped on my bike and rode to Bari for an Italian sub, a decision I do not regret in the least.

schenked wrote:I thought fresh mangosteens could not be imported to the U.S. Has that ban been lifted?

I saw fresh mangosteen a few years ago at Tai Nam supermarket around Broadway and Argyle. I was excited to see it but quickly deflated upon actual tasting. It was obvious that the fruit had been picked while grossly underripe and then frozen, making for miniscule, mushy little individual segments, many of which were brown. A few years ago, I heard tell of an American entrepreneur opting to grow mangosteen offshore, somewhere in Latin America/the Caribbean, making for quicker transport, but have yet to see the idea bear fruit (ahem) . Then again, I haven't really looked for it since that first disappointment.

The mangosteen (fresh?) I shared with the 'spouse at the LTH Potluck was excellent - a very sexy fruit.

titus wong wrote:...I heard tell of an American entrepreneur opting to grow mangosteen offshore, somewhere in Latin America/the Caribbean, making for quicker transport, but have yet to see the idea bear fruit (ahem) .

Tacky, I know, to respond to one's own post, but in the spirit of sharing information, I offer the following link.

Previous mangosteen discussion (with additional links) here and here.

same festival has been going on this week. No LTH attention so far, and I didn't start a new thread because at least from an eating standpoint, there is nothing noteworthy. Pad Thai, egg rolls, smoothies. I did have decent Yam Neau from Tiparos.