Thai to table

Global flavors, local food: Since the Earth cooled, organisms have sourced their food locally. The recent farm-to-fork trend among American restaurants merely corrects the historical deviation of importing what we eat. At the newly opened Thai Farm House BBQ and Bistro (1049 Broadway), owner Ice Promkesa prepares food the way chefs in her home country of Thailand have often done—not because of a branded movement.

“If we get it locally, it’s fresh,” said Brad Promkesa, Ice’s husband to whom she delegated interviewing duty. “If you buy basil that’s bruised versus a couple bunches at [the farmer’s market], you’re going to notice.”

Bringing 15 years of experience from restaurants in Thailand and the U.S., Ice routinely attends the under-the-freeway farmers market, valuing hand-selection of her produce and buying from local growers as often as possible.

She employs a few friends, she said, to help her with grinding herbs, chopping vegetables and preparing fresh sauces for her menu that contains the Thai classics Americans expect, plus novel dishes like pork belly prepared two ways (starting at $8.95) and Crying Tiger beef ($9.95)—grilled marinated cuts topped with spicy lime sauce.

During its soft-opening on August 22, the cozy restaurant lacked a sign and decorations for its white walls that rumbled whenever athletes at a neighboring gym threw medicine balls. In the future, it’ll feature canvases by Thai street artists, offer local beers and unveil weekly specials. Brad made it clear that the in-progress look of his wife’s restaurant doesn’t match the know-how in the kitchen.

“They’re not new at all,” he said of Ice and her team. “They know what they’re doing.”

Baking brothers: With poke restaurants swarming Sacramento, the new Poke Fix (3880 Truxel Road) in Natomas stands out for its customizable poke bake ($7.95). Brothers and business partners C.P. and Alan Pham top sushi rice with shrimp, imitation crab, masago, green onions, unagi sauce and spicy mayo before putting the deconstructed sushi roll in the oven for two minutes.

Alan said some customers have taken to scooping bites of the warm dish with tempura seaweed chips. Although most add salmon as their extra protein, he highlighted another choice.

“I saw a guest throw some [octopus] on there,” he said. “And it looked pretty damn good.”