Entering this newly established Thai restaurant one could be forgiven for thinking one had entered a spa center on Bali island. The soft-toned decor and scent of lime leaves and lemongrass convey this impression.
Although it is located on the 11th floor of the Sogo Department Store, the hype and hubbub of downstairs is not apparent. The food, like the decor of the restaurant, is trendy and innovative.
You can still order typical dishes like prawn cakes, lemon fish or green curry, but the innovative items on the menu will probably interest you more.
Grilled beef sirloin with zesty north eastern dip and Thai-style Tacos are two impressive starters. Little fillet is first marinated in Thai chili sauce and pepper and then it is grilled until 80 percent done. On top of the beef are sprinkled a few white-colored grains, which chef Kham Phan said adds extra flavor to the meat. The north eastern Thai flavor sauce is made of dry chili, chili sauce, garlic, lime, fish sauce and sugar.
The Thai style chicken tacos have a milder but crispier taste. Fried tofu, minced chicken and shrimp are sauteed with shrimp paste. The filling is then put into a crispy, fried spring roll skin.
At Patio you don't have to worry about authenticity. Patio's sister restaurant is Patara, Taipei's well-known old house for Thai cuisine. Both are branches of Thailand-based international food chain S&P Global. Apart from these two restaurants in Taipei, the group has also set up restaurants in Bangkok, London, Singapore and Geneva.
Chef Phan has been working at Patara for two years and has now transferred to Patio. His Classic phad Thai with Prawns is a traditional item one should not miss. The prawns are large and the rice noodles are chewy, having been stir-fried with dry shrimps, pickles, egg shreds and peanuts. When serving, don't forget to do like Thai people do and add one spoon of chili powder, one spoon of sour chili sauce and one spoon of sugar on top of the noodles.
There are also Thai-style pastas, such as clam spaghetti and Thai style, which is a spicy plate of pasta with a strong taste of black pepper, shrimp pate and dry chili. Penne spaghetti tossed in a tom yum seafood sauce tastes sweet, sour and spicy.
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