This little corner spot is something of a phenomenon: It’s crowded, inconvenient and noisy, but the crowds keep coming. Once you taste the food, you’ll know why. Everything is filled with compelling flavors: sesame, basil, lime, red chile pepper, peanut sauce, ginger, cilantro and Lona’s ‘secret spices/herbs.’ Probably the annoying ritual of standing in line to place your order is part of the appeal, too. Just bring your patience.
Lona started out with a stand at the Soulard market, selling goodies from her native Thailand. The homemade touch she brings to everything ballooned into this storefront where the menu is simple—spring roll or dumpling starters, wraps or plates as entrees, and some of the best veggies you’ve ever tasted as sides. A home cook, she isn’t shy about showing St. Louisans how bitter her greens can be and how hot her roasted spices can be.
Dishes hinge on a small menu of sauces: Lona-Q, an Asian barbecue sauce heavy on ginger and rice wine; Spicy Sesame, a hot sauce of sesame oil and roasted pepper flakes; Lemongrass Pesto, a green sauce with citrus and cilantro; Lime-Ginger Peanut, a sauce described by its name; and Smoked Vinaigrette, balsamic and smokey.
Both starters are good, but I’m partial to the Dumplings ($7 for six), which are delicious dough pockets stuffed with shredded veggies like greens, cabbage and carrots, and sautéed mushrooms. The spring rolls ($5.75 for three) are fresh, stuffed with the same variety of greens, only raw, in a rice paper wrap.
The entree ‘plates’ are stellar and come with a side or side salad, your choice. My favorite is the Sautéed Shrimp Plate, which comes with lemongrass pesto, a tangy, citrusy topping. The accompanying Spicy Eggplant I chose is probably the best-selling side here: soft, sautéed eggplant comes with slivered green onions in Lona’s ‘secret spice blend,’ which, suffice it to say, is pretty good.
Also appealing is the Lona-Q Chicken, mostly because the sauce—Asian barbecue with caramelized ginger and rice wine—is so delicious. The chicken itself, all white meat, was overcooked and pretty dry. The side we chose for this dish was ‘sauteed vegetables,’ which basically just consists of a leafy green similar to bok choy, but with a markedly bitter flavor.
The wraps here are gigantic and stuffed with greens, glass noodles or rice, a protein, and one of the delicious sauces. I customized a giant rice paper wrap to include shrimp and steak, stir-fried noodles and spicy sesame sauce, which, true to its name, was pretty spicy. It was a satisfying and tasty meal, especially since it came with a side.
Don’t pass up dessert, either Clementine’s ice cream ($3) or homemade cookies. ($2.50). You wouldn’t necessarily expect the cookies to be as good as the savories here, but they are. The Spicy Ginger variety had an appealing chewy texture—and it was big.
[amuse bouche]
the scene | Busy urban Thai food spot
the chef | Lona Powers
the prices | $5.75 to $7 starters, $9.25 to $15 plates & wraps
the favorites | Handmade Dumplings, Sautéed Shrimp Plate, Spicy Eggplant, Lona-Q Chicken, Spicy Ginger Cookie
[chef chat] >> lona powers
culinary pedigree | I learned to cook at home in my village from my mother and grandmother.
favorite ingredient | Sesame sauce
favorite st. louis restaurant | Cafe Natasha’s and The Shaved Duck
most memorable dining experience | Cooking seafood soup with my husband when we were dating.
guilty pleasure food | Pineapple cookies
2199 california ave. | 314.925.8938
Photos: Bill Barrett
