Tuk Tuk Thai (and Sushi), West Lebanon

If it is not the hottest summer on record, it’s at least the hottest summer that I can remember in my decades of living in the Upper Valley. Adding to the rocketing temperatures is the fact that my husband and I (we moved! And thank you to all who have asked) have spent days and days of doing battle with big hulking boxes as we try to unpack. I have a beautiful kitchen. Despite our having filled the swanky new refrigerator with fresh groceries, when dinner time nears, we just can’t make peace with standing over a scorching stove.

Enter Tuk Tuk. Our new West Leb neighborhood (and we include downtown White River Junction just across the bridge) is awash in eateries and we will undoubtedly make our way to each and every one. This Tuk Tuk is the sister restaurant to the one of the same name in Hanover. We’ve eaten here before, but especially appreciate that we now share the neighborhood.

The service is welcoming and the food is great and slightly—or more, if you prefer—spicy, and they have done everything possible to turn this former Dunkin’ Donuts into a charming space. We started with a fresh mango salad that was perfect for a sweltering evening, and then ordered a massaman curry with crispy duck and a dish of eggplant basil (photo, top). And because we were anticipating the tenacity of this hot weather, we ordered a few more dishes to go to carry us through much of the weekend. Ask for brown rice: a bit extra, and so worth it.

Once seated you will be presented with two menus. We merely scanned the sushi menu and then ordered the traditional Thai dishes. We watched, however, as plates of various sushi rolls were artfully created and ferried to a number of tables—to families with kids and couples seated at the counter. Next time . . .

And what’s in a name? A tuk tuk is a three-wheeled auto taxi in Thailand. Here is an audio lesson on its pronunciation.

Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine is located at 12 Main Street in downtown West Lebanon, NH. Hours are:

Monday – Tuesday 11:00-9pm
Wednesday - closed
Thursday 11:00-9pm
Friday and Saturday 11:00-9:30pm
Sunday 11:30-9 pm

Numerous orders of take-out (you can order online) were flying out the door when we were there dining in. For more information, check out Tuk Tuk’s website and menu.

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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.