Anak Urwannachotima, owner of Thai Hut 2, serves Pad Thai with prawns, left, and chicken satay at the restaurant on South 72nd Street in Tacoma. (CRAIG SAILOR/The News Tribune)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Drop-In Dining is a dining report about a new or new-to-us restaurant. Reporters drop in unannounced and sample the food, on TNT’s dime, then report what the scene and food was like. Have a suggestion for a drop-in dining feature? E-mail us at tntdiner@thenewstribune.com.

By Jeffrey P. Mayor
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com

When it comes to Asian food, my preference is Chinese or Japanese.

But when a co-worker suggested trying out Thai Hut 2, I figured why not. I don’t often make it to Tacoma’s South End, so I thought this would be a good chance for some culinary exploration.

The trip down Interstate 5 to South 72nd Street was worth it.

Atmosphere: The wood décor creates a warm atmosphere for diners. The artwork on the walls serves as a low-key accent to the overall feeling. There are no mural-size homages to the mother country here. There is a nice mix of tables and booths. Even though just three of us ate lunch on this visit, we ordered lots of food. Our table had plenty of room for all the plates that came with our meal.

Menu highlights: While the menu has plenty of Thai standards, there were some pleasant surprises. Even though we did not sample them, there were a number of salmon entrees on the dinner menu. The appetizer and salad selections are more extensive than other local Thai restaurants.

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