Rearn Thai is an unassuming little restaurant that sits quietly in downtown Clayton. Tucked into the ground floor of a building, it avoids claustrophobic feelings with a large front window, white walls, plenty of light, and tasty meals that spark the imagination and help kindle conversation. Evenings are usually quiet, although we suspect lunch business is brisk. Chinese influence on the Thai kitchen seems a little more apparent than at other Thai restaurants, and it was easy to find several examples for those who like or are curious about that combination.
Thai soups always are alluring. One of our favorites is tom yum, or, as it’s spelled at Rearn, thom yum. Fans of Chinese-style hot and sour soup need not hesitate at Rearn’s version. . Yes, there’s lemongrass, its distinctive scent and flavor leading the way, but the heat and tartness will be familiar friends. Kaffir leaves give their citrus-y contribution, and there are mushrooms; we chose shrimp for our protein and as a finisher, though other options are chicken or tofu. We think this is chicken-broth based; vegetarians should inquire.
Hoy jor can entice sausage lovers. It involves a ground mixture of taro, shrimp and pork, wrapped in a thin sheet of bean curd, steamed and then quickly fried to crisp the outside edge. Several sources we checked call them Thai-Chinese, and in many ways, we can imagine them on a dim sum cart. Taste? The taro-reluctant can be converted by these crisp-outside-moist-inside slices with charming meat and seafood notes and a flavor that can best be described as delicate. The menu said it came with plum sauce, but we received a clear, somewhat sweet sauce with a little acidity coming in late. Superfluous, as practically any sauce would be.
Rearn’s take on fried rice is a classic example of what we’ve tasted at other Thai restaurants, and made from Thai cookbooks. Lighter and far less greasy than the average Chinese-American version, our Thai chili fried rice (with pork–beef, chicken, squid and shrimp also are available, the latter two with an extra charge) was fluffy and flavorful, although not nearly as fiery as we’d expected, given our usual spicing request for “somewhere between medium and hot.” Plenty of green and white onions, always desirable, some snow peas, a few pieces of fresh tomato, and the pork, which wasn’t overcooked, and was free of fat and gristle. A first-rate rendition.
Rearn offers a dozen different stir-fried dishes, and even those that look as if they’d be more Chinese, clearly show an underlying flavor showing they had come from a Thai kitchen. For example, our pad khing, described on the menu as having fresh slices of ginger, onions, baby corn and straw mushrooms, quickly made our taste buds think of Thailand. We couldn’t put our finger on what made it a little different, but came to the conclusion that perhaps it was from a dollop of red curry paste added to the pan as the cooking began. Whatever it was, it worked. Perhaps the beef wasn’t prime grade tenderloin, but overall it was savory, properly spicy above and beyond the ginger, with plenty of beef and mushrooms.
We’re always happy to have sticky rice with mango for a dessert. Rearn tops its sticky rice (which is traditionally cooked in coconut milk) with a dollop of the thick coconut cream that rises to the top of coconut milk. On this visit, the mango was firmer and slightly tart, and, unusually, wasn’t peeled. Not a problem for us; the skins are like nectarine peels, thin and easily eaten, but there are those who have severe allergies and should be aware.
The usual affable service, and a kitchen that moves with alacrity. Good stuff.
7910 Bonhomme Ave., Clayton
314-725-8807
Lunch Mon.-Sat., Dinner nightly
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Fair
Smoking: No
Entrees: $8-$16
