Recently I tried one of the Auburn community’s favorite Thai restaurants – Gor Gai Thai Street Food on 614 E. Main St.

Gor Gai Thai Street Food has won the Best of Auburn “Asian food category” several times in the last several years and I was excited to try the community favorite.

The restaurant itself has a tiny and home-like feel with indoor and outdoor seating. The staff was friendly and helpful, even giving me their recommended order when I requested it.

I started by ordering a coconut Thai iced tea, which was a sweet drink that when served had a layer of white cream that cascaded into the rich reddish brown of the rest of the drink, making a pretty and inviting gradient of color.

The crispy pork belly I ordered was delicious. It is always an impressive dish to me, especially when you consider that it is a transformation of soft and fatty pork belly into deliciously crispy and tender little bites that melt in your mouth. It was served with a sweet syrup for dipping.

Lastly, upon the recommendation of a staff member, I ordered the Pad Gor Gai. It was a stir fried noodle dish starring large flat noodles that had a tender and chewy texture. The noodles absorb the flavors of the dish as they are stir fried with chicken, egg, bell peppers, basil, Chinese broccoli, peanut, and curry sauce.

I liked the flavors of this dish as it held a rich sweetness with an almost cinnamon-like aroma. Everybite was coated in flavor held within the tenderness of the ingredients.