Restaurant Review: Thai Food at Coco Wok 

• Alex Springer

Writing about Thai food in Utah is a little tricky, since we have such a solid batting average among Thai restaurants; it's tough to find a Thai place that doesn't take things up a few notches. So, when I'm on the lookout for new Thai spots, I tend to get a bit more excited about places that include creative spins on the existing canon of Thai entrees that are available.

This is what led me to Coco Wok (1435 S. State Street, 801-474-3322, cocowokslc.com). Their main menu has a solid selection of traditional Thai dishes like pad thai, stir fry and all the curry, but it's their appetizer menu that speaks to the restaurant's creativity.

I started following Coco Wok on Instagram because, like most of my local foodie follows, they know how to stage a dish. Sizzling bowls of veggie and tofu stir fry, vibrant curry that I could almost smell through my phone screen and tightly-wrapped egg rolls with every entrée piqued my curiosity, so I started to check out their menu online. I was excited to try their curry variations to begin with, but that's when I spotted the Thairancini Rice Balls ($8). I must have missed the post that showcased a Thai take on the lovely Italian deep fried rice balls known as arancini, but the knowledge of their existence got me there in a hurry.

Longtime fans of the dearly-departed Thai Siam restaurant on 14th South and State Street will recognize the space that Coco Wok currently operates, and it's as cozy as ever. I'm a fan of the restaurant logo painted directly on the exposed brick, which gives the place an updated look that fits in with today's urban restaurants. Lunch and dinner see their fair share of regulars coming and going, so it looks like Coco Wok has managed to capture the attention of Thai food fans in the neighborhood.

Of course the Thairancini were a given when I placed my order, but I also wanted to dance around on the appetizer side of the menu before selecting an entrée. I also checked out the Coco Crispy Pork Buns ($8), and decided to go with the cashew nuts and chili jam with pork ($8). I went during lunch time, so the prices and portions are a little easier on the wallet, but if you're headed out with friends, it's pretty easy to split the entrees and the appetizers.

The Thairancini were a good deal bigger than I was expecting—these are softball-sized orbs that arrive piping hot and aching to be sliced open. The traditional Italian arancini usually has rice and cheese mixed together before getting battered and fried, which is present here. While most arancini I've tried lean into a soft, fluffy rice texture, these celebrate the alchemy when rice gets cooked to somewhere between crispy and chewy. The outer layer of these appetizers is akin to the crispy rice at the bottom of a nice Korean bibimbap, and the core of the rice ball is a mix of mozzarella cheese and some massaman beef curry. If what I just described doesn't have you hopping in your car and beelining it to Coco Wok, you need to reevaluate your priorities.

When you kick things off with a heavy-hitting appetizer like this, it's a bit hard for the rest of the meal to keep up, but Coco Wok is far from a one-trick pony. The Coco Crispy Pork Buns are comprised of a steamed dough exterior that folds over onto a mix of thinly-sliced cucumber and carrot, and a slice of crispy pork belly. I've become rather fond of these appetizers at ramen joints around town, and love seeing slightly bigger versions of them here at Coco Wok, but I could have used a bit more pork belly to round out the flavor ratios a bit. All the same, swinging by to cherry pick the appetizer menu at Coco Wok seems like a totally viable option—I'd also recommend the curry dumplings ($8) and the duck tacos ($8), and their list of egg rolls is truly inspiring. Soft shell crab, anyone?

The entrees at Coco Wok are solid, with plenty of favorites that fans of traditional Thai cuisine will be happy to dig into. I think your best bet is sticking with the options on their wok or stir fry menu—the place is called Coco Wok, after all. The cashew and chili jam packs a powerful punch of flavors, especially if you order it hot; they have a spiciness spectrum for those who like a little or a lot of heat with their dishes. The chili jam is a great component in a stir fry, helping to spread the smoky, spicy flavors all over the place for an equitable amount of heat.

I like a restaurant that sticks to its bases while having a bit of fun with certain elements of their menu, and Coco Wok is just that. Whether you're a fan of traditional Thai food or are looking for something a bit more creative, it's definitely worth your time.