Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Thanks in part to a reader suggestion last week, we decided to check out the weekly food fair at Wat Mongkolratanaram off Palm River Road this past Sunday. We had first heard about Wat Tampa’s food fair in an article by Chris Sherman of the Times a few months ago. The place sounded great.

We still weren’t sure, though, what to expect at Wat Tampa. All we knew was that we liked Thai food and that our money would go to a good cause. All proceeds from the food fair go to the building of a new Buddhist temple and other facilities. The fair is run by volunteers and all the food is donated.

We arrived in the early afternoon to find the place packed with people in a sort of open-air market atmosphere. It took us a few minutes to get our bearings and figure out how things work. Most dishes are $3 to $5 a piece. Drinks like Thai tea are just a buck each.

Even though we didn’t really know what we were doing, everyone was friendly and helped us out. A few minutes later, we had several plates of Thai food for a bargain price. We sat down to eat at one of the many red picnic tables that line Wat Tampa’s grounds along the Palm River. We certainly didn’t feel like we were in Florida.

The dishes we tried included a traditional pad Thai, a spicy curry, a roasted chicken, and spring rolls. We also tried fried slices of vegetables (tasted like plantains or potatoes?) that were sweet and interesting. For dessert, on Chris Sherman’s recommendation, we ordered coconut rice cakes. This was clearly the most popular item at the fair. The rice cakes reminded us a little of of marshmallows.

Overall, our visit to Wat Tampa was a great experience – a combination of a good affordable lunch and a nice outing. Even if you’re not a big fan of Thai food, I think you’d enjoy walking around the grounds and checking things out. Again, sitting on the peaceful river I felt like I had been transported to another place and time. The food fair is open each Sunday from 10:30am through the afternoon. Palm River Road is off US 41/50th Street not far from the exit off the Crosstown.

Bottom-line: If you’re looking for something different to do for lunch one Sunday, check out the weekly Thai food fair at Wat Tampa. Enjoy good food at good prices and your money goes to a good cause.