By Pamela Brownstein
The quest to sample the best of Beaufort’s Asian cuisine continues as the Lunch Bunch tasted just some of the many Thai and sushi dishes offered at Papaya.
We all started with steamed shrimp dumpling appetizers, which I adore, served with sweet teriyaki sauce.
Elizabeth, Nikki and David tried different rolls from the sushi menu. Elizabeth had the Spicy Tuna roll and the Fried Oyster roll, made with tempura fresh oysters and avocados, both excellent. Nikki went with the Snapper roll, stuffed with fried snapper and avocado, and the Crispy Shrimp roll — tempura shrimp and asparagus topped with shrimp sauce and sesame seed — that was crunchy and yummy. We all agreed that David’s Millipede Roll with tempura shrimp and asparagus topped with tuna and avocado was
also awesome, most likely a must-have.
Buck was thrilled with his yellow Thai curry with chicken — the colorful dish tasted as good as it looked, and he ate it all. The classic Pad Thai made with flat rice noodles, shrimp, chicken, egg, scallions and crispy bean sprouts was calling Kim, and she really liked it.
I was running late, so I told Elizabeth to go ahead and order for me. Since I eat sushi and Thai food all the time, I figured I have tried everything. But, I was unfamiliar with the dish she chose for me, even though it is a common item. The Pho is Asian noodle soup that comes with a choice of meat (mine had shrimp) and served in a humongous bowl. It was really good, and I was excited to try something new.
Nikki had to have her favorite watermelon martini, and since I didn’t want her to drink by herself, I felt
obligated to order the Peach Cobbler martini special. With a sprinkling of cinnamon on top, it was not too sweet, and quite delicious. The bar area is chic and modern that manages to be upscale without being pretentious, making it a great place to meet for drinks and dinner or for happy hour after work.
The restaurant also features an early bird dining menu from 4:45 to 6 p.m., in addition to dinner and daily specials.
Papaya is located at 1001 Boundary Street, Suite D, Beaufort, and is open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., 4:30 – 9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., 4:30 – 10 p.m.; Saturday, noon – 3 p.m., 4:30 to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 3 p.m., 4:30 – 9 p.m.
