Tucked away next to the Coliseum of Comics in a small plaza near the Mall at Millenia (next to the Super Target), NaraDeva Thai is truly a hidden gem. When you first walk into the restaurant (previously occupied by Bear Rock Cafe), you are immediately transported into a world resembling a wooden village in the jungles of Thailand. The decor is lush and earthy, with all the pieces hand picked by co-owner Tammy, a native of Thailand. Over the fireplace, a solemn statue of Buddha sits watching over the restaurant by the eastern wall.
A Look inside NaraDeva Thai Restaurant
Naradeva comes from the ancient Sanskrit word meaning “human being”, a ancient language that came to Thailand via India. The restaurant is a by-product of a beautiful love story spanning the world and over two decades. The owners of NaraDeva Thai restaurant, Tammy and Ali, originally met as students in Paris, and finally arriving here in Orlando, Florida.
The owners graciously hosted a food blogger media event to showcase their dishes and items to our readers. The waitresses and staff were all excellent and kind and the food was delightful. The menu, filled with authentic Thai dishes, is featured in English and in Thai for the native speakers out there.
Steamed Dumplings ($5.95) at NaraDeva Thai
For appetizers, we began with the Steamed Dumplings ($5.95), steamed Gyoza Wrapper, filled with a seasoned pork mix, with garlic chives and shredded cabbage in sesame sauce, served with Sweet & Sour Soy Dip. The dumplings were soft and tender, and I particularly enjoyed the texture of the dumpling wrappers, made with a very thin, delicate skin.
Chicken Curry Puffs : $ 5.95
Another favorite appetizer were the Chicken Curry Puffs ($5.95), home-made crunchy puff pastries filled with mildly spiced, curried chicken and potatoes
Chicken Satay $7.95
Shrimp Rolls ($7.95)
I really enjoyed the Shrimp Rolls ($7.95), crispy, fried whole shrimp wrapped with ground pork mix fried in a spring roll sheet and with a sweet Thai chili dipping sauce.
Crunchy Shrimp Salad $ 13.95, made with crunchy battered shrimps, on a bed of mixed vegetable salad, drizzled with House Recipe tangy Thai Salad Cream
Spicy Beef Salad $ 13.95
The large plate of Spicy Beef Salad $ 13.95, made with slices of grilled Beef Steak, tossed in spicy & sour salad sauce, with cucumber, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro was fresh, filling, and healthy.
Thai Red BBQ Fried Rice $ 12.95, a Fried Rice with B.B.Q. pork, eggs and chopped scallions. This dish is one of the most popular dishes at NaraDeva and I can see why; The bbq is sweet and salty, the fried rice is flavorful and rich, unlike any other fried rice that you would find normally.
Battered Prawns in Sweet Tamarind Sauce $ 19.95, crunchy battered prawns, sautéed in Sweet Tamarind Sauce served on a bed of Steamed broccoli, cauliflower & carrots
Classic Combo: Coconut Pandan Rice with Thai Jerky (Beef) and Papaya Salad $ 16.95
Steamed Jasmine Rice in Coconut milk with a subtle blend of Pandan Leaf fragrance, served with Thai Jerky (beef). I thought the pandan coconut rice was very unique in its flavor, a sweet and aromatic taste. The dish was very large, reminding me of those rice and beans and pork dishes you could get at the local lechonera. The beef here is fried and served with some fish sauce I believe, making it a tad bit on the salty side.
Crispy Duck $ 19.95, boneless Duck, lightly battered, deep fried until crispy served with your choice of sauce. This duck was truly crispy, fried, and delightful.
Deep-Fried Whole Snapper with choice of sweet chili, sweet and sour sauce $ 28.95 – $ 34.95
Soft shell crab served with a yellow curry sauce $ 19.95
Thai Desserts
Thai Coconut Cream Custard $3.95, steamed coconut cream and rice flour custard pudding in mini cups. This dessert reminded me of the ones my mom used to make growing up, very simple yet touching.
Thai Doughnuts with Pandan Coconut Custard Dip $ 4.95. The pandan coconut custard dip really brought out this dish, made with the aromas of the pandan, a fragrant leaf found in south east Asia.
Sticky Rice with Sweet Taro Stuffing $ 4.95
Steamed and served wrapped in banana leaf, with Coconut Cream Sauce dip
Black Sticky Rice with Coconut in Palm Sugar Caramel Topping $ 4.95
Black Sticky Rice with Shredded Coconut in Palm Sugar Caramel topping, topped with Coconut Cream Sauce
Overall, I was very impressed with the large array of dishes, authentic and unique, to Thailand that NaraDeva Thai has to offer. My favorites of the night included the crispy duck, the Thai Red BBQ Fried Rice, Crunchy Shrimp salad, and all of the wonderful Thai desserts! I would definitely check this place out again and try more of their menu items.
Hours
Everyday
11:00am – 9:30pm
Address
4696 Millenia Plaza Way
Orlando, FL 32839
(407) 903-0300
naradevathai@yahoo.com
www.naradevathai.com
http://facebook.com/naradevathai
I would like to taste their steamed dumplings. According to my friend, Sherry, they have one of the best dumplings in the town.