Ok, so this is a Berkeley classic.
Every Sunday, Wat Mongkolratanaram – often referred to as Thai Temple – opens its doors and hosts a massive cookout. Over the course of about three hours in the mid morning to the early afternoon, roughly 1,000 people cram into the temple’s courtyard, lining up for plates of curries and pad thai, bowls of steaming noodle soups, and delicious sweets.
Whitney and I went last Sunday, thinking that perhaps there would be fewer people than normal due to the long weekend. Evidently, about 1,000 other people had the same thought.
I love the tight-quartered, community-oriented experience that is Thai Temple on a Sunday. I feel like the chance to enjoy food at a communal table in a bustling, outdoor atmosphere like this is something I don’t encounter enough of.
To play, first walk into the temple's courtyard, hang a left and and exchange dollars for tokens (cash only). Then, pick a line, any line, and get excited for some fantastic food you're about to enjoy :)
The lines are certainly long, but the wait isn’t ever outrageous. Plus, it’s kind of nice in our modern society of fast food and same-day shipping to be forced to have a slower pace. Hunger is the best sauce, after all!!
And, oh yah – the food is fantastic.
Some popular items include the beef noodle soup (you get to choose what thickness of noodles you want), the spicy basil chicken, skin-on barbecued chicken, sweet and sour fried fish, and the green papaya salad.
Whitney and I shared a 3-entré veggie plate with yellow curry, eggplant, pad thai, rice, and some amazing Kanom Krok. You gotta try it.
Closing out this post with a few questions to the community:
1) Does anyone know how long they've been serving Sunday brunch for? I found one post that said 20 years, but I'd love to learn more about the history of Wat Mongkolratanaram's cookouts!
2) If you've been, what are your favorite dishes to get?
3) Know of any other fun, community-oriented food experiences like this? If so, please share them in the comments!
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