Coco Palace
2530 South Louise Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57106
Phone: (605) 361-7252
Score: Three and one-half (out of four)
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: Lunch Special (Monday-Saturday) $6.95, includes soup; Appetizers $3.00 to $5.95; Soup mostly $2.50; Salad $4.95 to 7.95; grilled steak, chicken and seafood $10.95 to 22.00; Thai dinner entrees $10.95 to 14.95; Chinese dinner entrees mostly $9.95; Asian noodle dishes $9.95 to 10.95; Sushi and Sashimi ala carte (2 pieces per order) $3.95 to 6.95; rolls $3.25 to 9.55. Kid's menu $5.95.
Alcohol: Wine and beer
Non-smoking section: all non-smoking
Wheelchair accessible: Yes
After a long absence, Thai food has returned to Sioux Falls ethnic food scene. Coco Palace has recently opened at the site of the former Rue 41 on South Louise. What a transformation! The space has been completely remodeled with new wall decor, striking fabric chair backs, sturdy stylish tables and roomy comfortable booths. The old bakery and food service area is now a sleek sushi bar with counter and table seating. The place is airy and inviting.
We were very pleased with the immediate and helpful service at each of our visits. The manager closely supervised the servers and answered any questions about the menu; and we had no long waits at any time.
We started a recent lunch visit with complimentary soup. The hot and sour soup was bracing with just the right amount of pepper heat, Chinese vegetables and shredded pork. The wanton soup was tasty with rich broth and generous wantons stuffed with spiced ground pork.
My companions Pad Thai ($6.95) was a flavorful melange of sauteed Thai rice noodles in a sweet and sour sauce with shrimp, bean sprouts, dried tofu and ground peanuts. I found it to be rather bland, but my companion loved it. My Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodle) featured big flat noodles cooked with chicken in a spicy sauce flavored with fresh Thai basil. The menu promised it was "guaranteed to set your tongue on fire" but it was more of a tingle. The dish was flavorful and something I would order again.
On another lunch visit we started with Bangkok Spring Rolls ($3.00 for 2 pieces) which were hot and crunchy in thier deep fried rice paper rapper and filling of cabbage and other crunchies. They were served with a thick, delectable sweet and sour dipping sauce. We also had miso soup which was jazzed up with tiny cubes of tofu.
I had been craving Thai curry and I wasn't disappointed with the red curry lunch special. I chose the beef over the chicken and was glad I did. Often beef dishes are tough or stringy, but this was tender and soft and absorbed the unique flavor of the spicy curry sauce. Subtle sweetness and flavor of coconut milk and Thai basil added depth to the broth. Red and green pepper chunks and bamboo shoots were a nice addition. The dish came in a shallow bowl and I added the sticky rice accompaniment to the broth. Wonderful!
We also had a Chinese dish, Hai Nan Chicken. Chunks of white meat are lightly battered and fried to golden brown, then further cooked in a sweet and sour ginger sauce with pineapple and red and green bell pepper chunks. This sweet and satisfying dish, much like General Tso's chicken except for the sauce, was elevated by the taste and crunch of the chcken pieces. Nicely cooked and presented.
We couldn't ignore the third feature of this multi-faceted restaurant. The sushi menu offers lots of variety and features many familiar favorites. A trained master chef prepares demanding dishes. We tried to simplify with one representative specialty: Rock'Roll ($9.95). This house special is a typical roll with rice, crab and cruchy batter bits inside. On top is a spread of tuna paste with herbs and spices. It was devilishly tasty and appetizing, in spite of the name. Certainly worth a try.
Finally, one can't pass up mango rice ($4.25). Although a classic Thai dessert, it was perfectly at home sharing a table with a Japanese specialty. The sticky rice sweetened with coconut milk was freshly made and warm. Topped with firm, cool, perfect slices of ripe mango it was a heavenly mixture. A one-of-a-kind experience in the dessert world.
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