Today I got the rare opportunity to eat lunch out with two of my best friends at a local Thai restaurant. I've tried a few Thai places in Stuttgart (and they are somewhat few in number in the heart of Baden-Württemberg), but Lilavadee in the suburb of Degerloch is my favorite. I've been there for both lunch and dinner, but their lunch menu is particularly nice as it offers a set meal of soup and an entrée at a relatively low price.

Thinking hard about the delicious curry!

Today I ordered the Gäng Ped Gai, a combination of chicken in a red curry sauce with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, and Thai basil over jasmine rice. I just love the flavor and spice of their sauces! The menu labels the sauce as scharf (hot), and although it's not quite the hot I'm used to in American-Thai restaurants, it's one of the hotter dishes that I've had in Germany (where hot is not really part of the cuisine). One of my friends likes her dishes Thai hot, and so she was able to order her dish with more heat upon request. As I said, before our main meal we also got a small bowl of vegetable soup with thin rice noodles, carrots, onions, and potatoes as part of the lunch menu.

Lilavadee also makes some delicious cocktails, including a non-alcoholic Lemongrass drink with fresh lemongrass, lime, and mint. It's very refreshing! I've also had their lychee schorle (lychee juice with carbonated water) and lychee sekt, both of which are delicious.

Their dinner menu is just as good, and I can recommend the Gung Sa-Rhong (crispy prawns), Gai Saté (chicken satay), and Pho-Phia Thai (crispy spring rolls) on their appetizer menu. Of their entrées, I've also tried the Gäng Gai Fag Thong (chicken, pumpkin, peppers, and basil in red curry), Gäng Bedd Yang (duck slices, lychee, pineapple, and thai basil in a red curry paste), and Gäng Ped Muh (pork, thai eggplants, bamboo, and basil in red curry), and found all to be delicious. Their menu includes a number of seafood dishes, noodle dishes, and vegetarian options, as well. The menu comes in both German and English (except the lunch specials) and is available online in both languages, so it's very accessible for non-native speakers.

The inside of the restaurant is beautifully decorated in palm fronds, gold statues, and multi-colored, patterned table cloths. They have a lovely outdoor patio, as well, that's great for warm summer nights. The staff is always very kind and accommodating; they even gave a bowl of water to our beagle when we brought him with us to dinner one night. However, I don't get the impression that they always have enough staff at lunchtime, and so be prepared to wait a bit for service during lunch or let them know that you're in a hurry ahead of time.

The restaurant is about a ten minute walk from the Degerloch U-bahn stop, so be prepared for a stroll. However, just next to the restaurant are many walking trails down through the Weinsteige (wine climb). If you have some time, I recommend you go stuff yourself at lunch and then take a leisurely walk down through the forest as you make your way back to the center of Stuttgart. It's a lovely walk!