TukTuk

The tuk-tuk (ตุ๊กตุ๊ก or ตุ๊กๆ in Thai) is the Southeast Asian version of a vehicle

On entering Tuk Tuk, a surprisingly elegant new Thai place in a giant Natomas shopping center, I was first struck by the pervasive scent of lemon grass and then by the décor. Full of dark-wood detailing that’s angular rather than ornate, low benches and sand-colored walls, it’s dramatic in a way you don’t expect from the shopping-center surroundings and the slightly whimsical sign outside. That’s not to say the interior doesn’t have its whimsical touches: The most obvious is a bas relief of the restaurant’s namesake. A tuk tuk, it turns out, is a motorized rickshaw-type vehicle used in Thailand. Its image lends a certain charm to the opulence.

By Kate Washington
SN&R