Tuun Thai Pop-Up at Sea Thai Orlando: A Hidden Menu Most People Don’t Know Exists
This is a pop-up that’s been on my radar for a while but I just never got the chance to go since it only runs from Friday to Monday night. Tuun is a separate menu operating inside Sea Thai Orlando, and it focuses on upscale Thai dishes that I’m honestly not too familiar with. Orlando’s Thai scene is pretty safe and consistently sticks to the classics like Pad Thai, curry, and some rendition of papaya salad. Tuun does something new and exciting with a small menu focusing on Thai flavors that aren’t well known to the local palate.
We were the only ones in the restaurant that ordered off the Tuun menu. I think most people are unaware it exists since they don’t actively promote it inside the restaurant. I found them through their Instagram page.
I didn’t even get a chance to look at the menu before my friend decided we should try the whole thing and the waiter took the menus away. Probably don’t do this if you came as a couple because we had to pack the last two dishes to go.
Roti
Very strong start to the dinner. The roti was crispy and airy with very tender shredded beef. The vinegary sauce on the side was great to cut through the richness. If you order one thing at Tuun Thai, make it this.
Pla Gong
Another standout dish from the menu. Lightly poached shrimp in a flavorful spicy sweet and sour sauce. The shrimp was very well cooked, plump and juicy, and paired beautifully with the tangerine and mint which added herbaceousness and brightness. This is the kind of dish that makes you realize how much the local Thai scene has been holding back.
Octopus
The spiciness of this dish was definitely a tier above the rest. Nothing I can’t handle as a frequent chili head, but if you’re someone that finds ground pepper spicy you might need a glass of Thai tea. The octopus was tender but tasted a little dry. The slight bitterness of the chili sauce and sourness from the pomelo was refreshing though, I liked it. Flavor wise it was milder than the first two dishes.
Tuun Noodles
This tasted like a more refined version of drunken noodles. The noodles were saucy, savory, and had a great slippery texture. This dish stands on its own and didn’t need the beef, which tasted the same as the sweet subtly spicy shredded beef from the roti. If you’re ordering both, the overlap is noticeable but the noodles themselves are excellent.
Soft Shell Crab
I had high expectations for this one because I love soft shell crab and I frequently order the Pad Prik King soft shell crab from Sea Thai’s house speciality menu. The Tuun version didn’t have much that differentiated it from the Sea Thai version. They’re both fried soft shell crabs with curry paste so the flavor is pretty similar.
It was still solid and paired well with rice, delivering the classic Thai trifecta of spicy, sweet, and savory. But at this point in the meal I wanted something with more acidity because the sweetness that’s so quintessential to Thai cuisine was starting to get cloying.
Jumbo Shrimp
Full sized shrimp with the head still on, cooked perfectly. Tender and plump without the stringy tough meat that usually plagues jumbo shrimp when they get too big and start tasting like chicken breast rather than crustacean. But I was not a fan of the sweet chili jam sauce. Even for a Thai dish this was overbearingly sweet, like it was drenched in corn syrup. I would have preferred something lighter like a citrusy herb sauce.
Nam Tok Galbi
This is a skip for me next time. It didn’t taste any different from regular galbi I’ve had from Korean barbecue joints and at $30 for the portion there are better items on the Tuun menu. Also a minor gripe but I wish they would have separated the lettuce for wrapping rather than just putting a quarter chunk of a whole lettuce head on the plate.
Braised Beef Fried Rice
The chef himself told us we didn’t need to get this since he described it as the same as the noodle dish but with rice. He was right. The braised beef was exactly the same and the fried rice itself was bland and very oily. Combined with the beef it was way too rich. Go for the noodles.
The Verdict: Is Tuun Thai Orlando Worth It?
Tuun Thai is one of the more exciting dining experiences I’ve had in Orlando, especially if you’re tired of the same safe Thai dishes at every restaurant in the city. The smaller plates are where Tuun shines. The roti with beef curry and the pla gong shrimp salad are both outstanding and unlike anything else you’ll typically find at local Thai establishments.
Where Tuun could improve is in the flavor variety across the full menu. There’s a lot of overlap, particularly with the beef dishes which all use the same sweet subtly spicy braised beef. The sweetness starts to feel cloying by the fourth or fifth course without enough acidity to balance things out. A little fine tuning with more citrus forward and vinegar based elements would make the full menu feel more dynamic so you can eat more without feeling bogged down.
But that’s a critique of the full menu experience. If you’re ordering a few dishes like a normal person instead of my friend who ordered everything, you’re going to have a great time. Tuun deserves a much bigger audience than it currently has.
Tips for Visiting Tuun Thai at Sea Thai Orlando
- Find them on Instagram if you want to make a reservation
- Runs Friday through Monday evenings only
- Order the roti with beef curry and pla gong as your must haves
- The noodles over the fried rice every time if you’re choosing between the two
- Skip the Nam Tok Galbi
Have you tried the Tuun Thai pop-up at Sea Thai Orlando? Did you even know it existed?
