Frugal Floozie Friday -- Tuptim

A friend and I recently ate a fabulous dinner at Tuptim Thai restaurant. Neither of us had been there in ages, so it seemed a perfect place to go on a Friday evening.

Tuptim means "ruby" in Thai, and the restaurant's owners extend a very warm invitation on the menu with hopes that "you will find our atmosphere as lovely and our food as enticing as that precious gem."

The atmosphere is friendly and very inviting; the exterior is a bright and vibrant red. The staff is also quite gracious, helping to create an ambience conducive to conversation.

But the food is the greatest enticement - I have never eaten anything at Tuptim that I haven't loved.

Our Frugal Floozie Friday feature is the appetizer pictured above: Curry Puffs. Delicate pillows of puff pastry stuffed with a curried potato and pea filling, these are tender and delicious! They're served with a tangy cucumber vinaigrette that isn't absolutely necessary - the puffs are wonderful without it - but which also adds a unique flavor and distinction if used for dipping. They were a perfect fit for the mission, at precisely $5.

We also ordered a Grilled Beef Salad, with tomatoes and cucumbers and a lovely vinaigrette. At $8, it exceeded our Frugal Floozie Friday $5 per person budget if ordered by an individual; and it is admittedly a perfect size for one person's meal. But since we split the salad as part of a several course meal, this also counted as a less-than-$5 per person option. The beef was tender, the vegetables were fresh and crisp, and the dressing was slightly tart, slightly sweet, and an ideal way to bring all of the flavors and textures together.

Our entree went over the budget even when shared; but it was so wonderful that I had to mention it anyway. The Basil Fried Rice with chicken cost $12, was fragrant with a variety of seductive aromas, and was probably the highlight of the entire meal ... quite a statement, given how delicious everything was!

There were several other potential Frugal Floozie Friday options at Tuptim, from spring rolls to fish cakes to dumplings, a vegetable soup with tofu and ginger and vermicelli, as well as a tapioca pudding prepared with coconut milk.

Enjoy some great frugal - but still delicious! - dishes at Tuptim!

Tuptim
4896 Washtenaw
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-528-5588


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