Thai in miniature: Madison’s finest Southeast Asian appetizers

Most of us experience Thai food as a big bowl of something spicy plus steamed rice. But focusing on smaller plates shows off another dimension of Thai food—and it’s high time for that, what with Thai places proliferating in ever-more-redundant fashion across the land. Decider went off on an appetizer adventure to seek out the best locally prepared versions of some classic Thai starters.

Chicken satay sticks
The Thai idea of dinner is to ease into a meal with some finger food, drinks, and conversation before ordering main dishes. An easy option is the satay stick, a marinated strip of chicken spiked with a wooden skewer and then grilled. These tend to be a beautiful yellow and come with various sauces for dipping. Satay sticks are widely available at various summer festivals in Madison, and eating off of the skewer is not only an efficient food-delivery mechanism, it satisfies a primal need: eating meat on a stick.
Where to get them: An addictive peanut/chili/sesame oil sauce and sweet pickled cucumbers complement the mildly spiced, succulent satay sticks at Sa-Bai Thong.

Spring rolls
An elegant cousin of egg rolls, Thai spring rolls are typically made from bean sprouts, ground sausage or shrimp or tofu, shredded lettuce, diced cucumber, minced crisp galanga, garlic, and fresh herbs all bundled in a thin wrapper made from rice flour in a burrito-like fold-over. Rolls are served with plum or peanut sauce and sometimes deep-fried, but more classically served fresh.
Where to get them: The veggies are crispest at Vientiane Palace. No deep-frying here.

Lap isan
Lap isan is a Thai/Laotian salad of ground rice, shallots, and coriander, sometimes laden with raw meat and garnished with fresh lime juice. It’s tangy, intense, and bursts with contrasting flavors when prepared correctly.
Where to get it: Bahn Thai keeps its Lap isan particular with grilled ground beef, red onions, and loads of freshly shredded mint.

Tom yum
Tom yum is a mellow soup of garlic, lemongrass, coconut milk, and lime leaves. Squid, shellfish, or tofu is frequently added along with complementary herbs and spices.
Where to get it: Vientiane’s sumptuous tomato-infused variety is heavy on white onions and well-suited for take-out; the similar light-yellow and ginger-saturated tom ka soup that Weary Traveler Free House offers may be the best in town.

Rangoons
Think of a rangoon as a super-awesome version of a Hot Pocket. Thai rangoons are a spiced preparation of meat—a popular variety involves freshly minced white crab—mixed with chopped cilantro, bean sprouts, bread crumbs, scallions, pepper, and lime juice. All of it battered and deep fried in oil.
Where to get them: Lao Laan-Xang serves creamy crab rangoons with a light chili paste, ginger, and vinegar sauce. Sa-Bai Thong’s white crab rangoons are architecturally constructed; herbed and puffy in the center, and crispy around the pointy, extending talons. These look like deep-fried satellites, which are tricky to prepare and rather spectacular in presentation.