Storied Meal: Canton's Basil Asian Bistro Has History
Some of the dishes at Basil Asian Bistro in Canton have been passed down by family. At Ricky Ly’s Chinese Gourmet in Stark County, which was owned by Luong Ly and has since closed, Luong served avocado curry during the early 2000s, a time when neither Thai food nor avocado were trendy.
“That’s the crazy part — to have that foresight that avocados would be excellent pairing with a savory dish,” says Tony Ly, Luong’s son and the owner of Basil. “I have to give kudos to my elders for even coming up with that.”
The Thai dish ($16) is one of the most popular offerings at Basil, which serves up Pan Asian fare, with dishes inspired by Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean meals. The avocado curry begins by mixing green and red curry pastes, which are made with young green chili peppers, mature red chili peppers, garlic, shallots, lemongrass and Thai basil.
“Thai basil is pretty unique,” Tony says. “It has more flavor and aroma.”
The curry pastes are cooked down in a large wok and mixed with coconut milk, salt and sugar. Fresh lemongrass and lime leaves are added for further aromatics. Veggies like Spanish onions, green peppers, red peppers and green beans are blanched and sautéed, and chicken, beef, pork, tofu or shrimp are also added to the hot wok. Half of a fresh avocado is briefly added.
“You don’t want to cook that too long because you don’t want the natural fats in the fresh avocado to break down,” Tony says.
The dish is topped with peanuts and plated. As the flavors come together, the slight spiciness of the curries is balanced by the coconut milk and avocado.
“It’s very savory, velvety,” Tony says. “It has this flavor of freshness and uniqueness that a lot of people don’t find in a lot of other cuisines.”
People often stop by Basil before a Canton Palace Theatre show, and Tony says they sometimes aren’t too familiar with Asian fare. He often suggests the avocado curry since its ingredients aren’t too unusual or spicy. He has seen people fall in love with it, becoming regulars over the last decade-plus and ordering it each time they come in.
“The avocado curry I would recommend as a gateway dish into Thai cuisine,” he says. “The spices from the green curry and the red curry, and the avocado, it’s a nice way that brings it all together.”
Basil Asian Bistro, 585 Market Ave. N, Canton, basilasianrestaurant.com; Next Stop: WERC nightclub, 304 Cherry Ave. NE, Canton, facebook.com/wercanton