There are some days when the craving for Thai food is simply undeniable. I’ve found that most people seem to have their Thai place and there is just no convincing them to try something new.
When they don’t have to look at the menu anymore and they are familiar with the spice levels, it’s often a difficult endeavor to persuade someone to try a new Thai restaurant.
Although I have my Thai place with several locations in town, I have yet to find one near my office on the North Side.
So I ventured into Rock San.
Don’t let its aesthetically pleasing website give the assumption of a formal ambiance. Rock San is what you would hope a good Thai restaurant’s interior offers: simple furnishings, dark, tinted storefront windows, unrecognizable music in the background.
The seaweed salad is a must. The dish was refreshing, crisp and a shareable serving portion. Although my go-to Thai dish is typically spicy basil, this visit called for keng dang (red curry), a house specialty and Rock San’s self-proclaimed spiciest curry.
The spice scale options at Rock San range from one to five. I went with four, confident but not arrogant, particularly with a dish claiming to be spicy at its core. For those of you gluttons for punishment, go for the five and then some.
The curry had great spice and flavor, but I could have handled more heat.
There was Pad Thai at the table, also a spice level four, which I couldn’t help but dive into. Rock San’s version is certainly a crowd pleaser. Again, don’t be afraid to go for the five if you really need some heat to test your palate’s spice limits.
There was no room for sushi this visit, but Rock San has an extensive sushi menu. Several rolls are inspired by Rock San’s surrounding patrons — the USAA roll, the UTSA roll, the KCI roll and the Spurs roll — all prepared by the in-house sushi chef.
The takeaway with Rock San is that it’s a Thai place worth trying. The restaurant nails the classic dishes and offers some unique fare for when you’re looking for something different. I would imagine the dinner experience to be a bit more formal with more culinary-inspired plates.
Rock San
5238 DeZavala Rd. Suite 124, (210) 561-0011, rocksanrestaurant.com
Lunch special available 11am-2:30pm Mon-Fri