A Culinary Trip to Keila

Text and photo Susanna Poikela

Honey chicken with rice and vegetables with chilli–basil seasoning and green curry sauce.

Keila is not very far from Tallinn, especially if you’re craving good Thai food. Sometimes even Google seems to know where food lovers should be directed. We tested the restaurant with the best reviews, and were pleasantly surprised down to every taste bud.

In a modest commercial space beside Keila’s central square operates a small restaurant called Õhetav Naeratus. In English, the name means “Radiant Smile”. The chefs are Thai, and genuinely friendly. Service is available in Estonian, English, and naturally Thai as well. The menu is extensive, and features many of the best-known dishes of Thai cuisine.

The indoor dining area seats around 16 people at a time, while the outdoor terrace accommodates about ten more. On a Sunday lunchtime, however, the terrace is empty, and inside the restaurant there is nowhere near the same bustle as during my first visit a month earlier. Back then, the door barely stopped opening. During the little over half an hour we spent in the restaurant, I counted around ten customers. That is a lot for such a small place. The locals have clearly discovered the delights prepared by the smiling Thai chefs.

Nuanced Thai Cuisine

During my first visit, I ordered chicken in garlic sauce with rice. My companion chose the special offer, which included pad thai with chicken and noodles as well as deep-fried prawn sticks. On the second visit, I selected honey chicken with rice, while my vegetarian-minded friend ordered vegetables with chilli–basil seasoning and green curry sauce.

The honey chicken sauce was pleasantly sweet with just the right amount of heat. On both occasions, the dishes were nuanced and well balanced in flavour. The portions were also so generous that some of the food went home with us afterwards. The restaurant has now been operating for two years, and it strongly appears that it will remain a permanent part of Keila’s restaurant scene.

Õhetav Naeratus, Keskväljak 10, Keila

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