Wellington The Magazine – June 2016 Salmon Tartar At Tub Tim Thai & Sushi Restaurant
Story and Photos by Julie Unger
Tub Tim Thai & Sushi Restaurant — a popular choice in the Wellington area for 12 years — moved to its current location near Trader Joe’s in the Village Green Center on State Road 7 a year and a half ago.
Jib Meeudon, the owner’s daughter, is proud of the restaurant’s authentic Thai decorations and dishes. The name Tub Tim means Red Ruby, which is Meeudon’s mother’s name.
Originally located in the Marketplace at Wycliffe, Tub Tim moved to the Village Green Center when it was built.
“It has been good,” Meeudon said. “We have the same phone number, and people have known us for a long time. They know we moved from the old location to the new one.”
Meeudon offered advice for those who have never tried Thai food or sushi. “Thai food is spicy. If you like spicy, just come try it,” she said. “Our sushi is very fresh. If you like fish, try something new. Thai is not the same as Chinese. Chinese is very different from a Thai dish. Thai is very tasty.”
Tub Tim offers many dishes, including its current special, not found on the regular menu, Tub Tim Salmon Tartar.
Sushi Chef Gary Mawu explained this special dish. The plate features salmon with a miso aioli sauce and cucumber with salmon, lettuce, radishes, avocado, onions, scallions, dried apple and an edible orchid. “The salmon really goes well with the avocado, of course, the texture,” he said. “Then we have to add a little crunchy and the detail of the flying fish roe inside there, and the onions give a little crunchy to it. It’s not only the taste, but the texture.”
The crisp and sweet apple chips meld well with the soft salmon and avocado. The cucumber at the bottom of the plate, Mawu said, acts as a garnish and boosts the flavor of the dish. The radish slices add a decorative element and an extra crunchy blast of mild spiciness. Although miso sauce is more of a Japanese item, it lends itself well to the dish, fusing together the culinary arts of different cultures.
The wonderful food at Tub Tim is accompanied by a comfortable atmosphere. Handmade wooden artwork that adorns the walls was brought in from Thailand, where Meeudon’s parents are from.
The family lived in Germany before moving to the U.S., where they started Tub Tim Thai. At the time, there weren’t many Thai restaurants, but Thai food has been gaining in popularity.
“Many different restaurants, with different recipes and flavors, are available,” Meeudon said, pointing out that that there are many flavors within Thai cuisine, and often, even if customers try Thai food somewhere else, they come back to Tub Tim.
The authentic Thai flavors, creating by using ingredients such as fresh Thai chili, make Tub Tim’s food special.
Culture is an important part of Tub Tim, where Meeudon and the staff will happily help newcomers learn about the different types of Thai foods available.
Tub Tim offers a vast array of dishes, with six curry meals, along with duck, squid, shrimp, lobster, fish, snapper, chicken, pork, beef and tofu entrees. Specialty meals include Pla Saam Root, Tub Tim Crispy Duck and Gung Saam Rot.
The sushi menu features more than two dozen types of rolls, such as the Tub Tim Roll, the Macky Roll, the Black Dragon Roll and the Kentucky Roll, as well as sushi and sashimi made with conch, yellowtail, tuna, salmon, bluefin toro, octopus, surf clam, eel, spelt roe, salmon roe, sea urchin and many other delicacies.
“The customers love it,” Meeudon said. “Come and try it.”
For those with less adventurous palates, and children, there are French fries, sweet potato fries, baked brie, cheese and margarita pizzas, salads, steak meals, chicken meals and even a black angus burger on the menu.
Located at 2815 S. State Road 7, Suite 100, in Wellington, Tub Tim offers delivery with Delivery Dudes and is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 11 p.m. Tub Tim is open on Sundays from noon to 10 p.m. For more information, call (561) 641-5550 or visit www.tubtimthaisushi.com.
