I'm usually weary of pan-asian restaurants, mostly because it's hard to do everything well! I'm not too familiar with Cambodian food, but the food I had on my first visit was delicious! I was visiting friends in Providence, and we were in search of something light and healthy for dinner. They are regulars here and spoke highly of the food! We had the chicken nime chow, which was delicious! I usually order spring rolls with shrimp and pork, but I enjoyed the chicken and the peanut sauce. We also ordered the Cambodian chicken and rice noodle soup, which was very similar to pho, and it was light and perfect for a cold winter's day. We ordered a large bowl to share, and it was perfect. We also tried the terriyake beef and the stir fried spicy satay noodles. The beef was tender, sweet, and cooked perfectly with a side of a radish salad. The fried spicy satay noodles were made of udon, and while it was a solid dish, it wasn't a hit. This fed three people with left overs to spare for only $21. Wow! Our server was fast and attentive. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. Overall, this was a great experience. Next time, we'll BYOB to dinner! read more

Apsara Palace - Fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce - Chinese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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I was looking for different cuisine and after reviewing the online menu, I decided to give them a try for take-out. I was looking for Cambodian food, and since they were advertised as serving both Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisine, among others, I thought they would be different. So when I asked about their Cambodian dishes, I was bluntly told by a VERY young staff worker with attitude that "its all the same..." Knowing better, I insisted on Cambodian and so I ordered both the Plear (Cambodian beef salad) and Stir Fried Cantonese Noodle (Cambodian style). Both dishes were rather tasty but her attitude did leave a bad taste for ever going back. They really should just advertise themselves as "Asian" so that they can just lump it all together and treat people with more dignity and respect. read more

Flavorful, authentic Asian cuisine + cheap prices + massive portions + crazy addictive chili sauce = I'm so sold and would live here if I could. For Asian food in Providence, it doesn't get any realer than Apsara. They have a monstrous menu selection, but you really can't go wrong with most things. I would highly recommend the eggplant and crispy chicken sautée, the nime chow, and the scallion pancakes. Also, I haven't tried this, but I've seen a friend order the pork buns and they are MASSIVE. In addition, they have excellent noodles. If you like spicy, dousing your food in their chili sauce is a must! It's not super hot but has a great flavor and chunky texture. All their food tastes fresh, their meats are well cooked, and their flavors are on point. The thing with Apsara is that their dishes seem averagely priced, around $7-10, but the portions are so large that you basically get at least two meals for the price of one if you take leftovers home (a hungry college student's dream!). Apsara does get busy during peak dinner hours, but the wait usually moves pretty quickly. Also, you have to pay a dollar or two to add steamed rice, but it's definitely worth it. This is some of the best Asian food in Providence, and it's also an insane deal - how could you not? read more

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I will not be coming back to this restaurant. Ordered takeout the other night and specifically asked for no peanuts due to an allergy. When I got home their were peanuts. I went back and they made me a new one. Got home and they left out part of the meal. I called back and was told next time you come in we will give you a new order. I never asked for a new one, it was offered. A week goes by I go in explained what happened the gentleman remembered me and my order. When I asked for my order his exact words were "I never would have given you a free order only the portion that was missing". Then he relented and gave me a new order. When he brings the order out this kid lectured me on how he never would have given me another meal. Once I got home I was so angry I promptly threw the meal in the trash. I called and spoke with the kid and explained how I thought his customer service left something to be desired. His response was "If you don't like it don't come back" and he hung up. I own a restaurant myself. If a customer gets a meal in which we messed up once let alone twice, we complement that meal. If it was just a messed up order I would have let it go. The reason I will never go back was the very poor customer service. A $10.00 meal cost them our entire family. Shame on you Apsara Palace. read more

General tsos chicken was rubbery, and tasted old. It was so gross I almost threw up. It was meatless chicken?! It tasted like if it were the chicken skin, super old chicken skin just kind of like grilled with the sauce. Nastiest general tso order I've ever had in my entire life, beware. Gag. read more

Less fresh ingredients and definitely less hygienic than Gourmet House which is a few stores down. There are always mystery stains on glassware, silverware and sometimes plates which made me never come back to this location and pushed me to try Gourmet House which I'm so happy I did. If Gourmet House is Target, then Apsara is Walmart. Quality isn't comparable. read more

Don't let the location, in a random strip mall fool you, this place was worth the wait. There were lots of yummy items we shared. We got shrimp spring rolls, and a couple items suggested by our server as more traditional options. One had seafood and one was veggie. We were delighted to learn of the BYOB option. The decor could use a little refreshing, but the clientele doesn't seem to mind, as it was hopping from the time we arrived (45 min. wait) until we left. All this and it is CHEAP. I will look forward to going back! read more

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My gf and I are always checking in here. I should have a bazillion check-ins, but I always forget about Yelp. Nim Chow?!? Yes please. Chicken wings?? Oh hell yeah. No matter the flavor, they're always super delicious and meaty!! Fried to perfection. Angle hair noodle dish is great, not entirely saucy but full of flavor. Love the Japanese Udon noodle dishes, the Pad Thai never disappoints and my gf pretty much loves the entire menu. We never go without ordering 5 dishes. They always think that we're ordering for a group of people with all the chopsticks and fortune cookies we get. And the portions are so huge, with our orders we could feed the entire state of RI. Alas there is only ever two of us and a lot of leftovers. I've recently decided to try duck. Omg why haven't I ever tried duck before?!? So good! And I'll be getting it every time now. Also went outside of my usual and ordered the pineapple fried rice. This was huge for me because I hate cooked fruit. It was good and had a little Indian flavor to it, however I still hate cooked fruit. Gross. I enjoyed it otherwise! I cut up my duck and mixed it together. Delicious. read more

Went over for dinner and ordered Tom Yum soup and Apsara special fried rice. The Tom Yum soup was nice, the small bowl itself had sufficient quantity at a price of $1.5. I ordered the fried rice and I was mighty surprised with the quantity and was wondering whether they gave me the large portion. Not to be since it was priced for the regular portion. I liked the paste that was used for the fried rice and was rightly spiced. However, the chicken pieces didn't have any marination and tasted raw. They could consider infusing some marination into the chicken or use smaller pieces instead of large chunks. Service was quick, seating was nice and comfortable. It really is a value for money restaurant and for this reason, may go back to check a few more options. read more

Best nine chow I have found in RI. Amazingly low prices, BYOB, very friendly. I love how you eat with people from all walks of life. There are poor college students to your left, and wealthy east siders to your right. Everyone loves their food. Endless amounts of tea, and they are great on refilling your water/tea. There can be a wait, and it's not a super fancy restaurant, but thats why I like it! You can also get your food to go. The max amount of people you could fit in there at a time is probably 8 people - usually you want to be 4 or less. read more

Apsara's has now become a tradition when my mom and I visit Rhode Island. It's our refuge, where we can go to get some delicious food in a comfy family-style setting. Since returning to this restaurant a few more times, I have become confident in the quality of their food, particularly their Thai and Cambodian noodle dishes. For the appetizer, we just had to order their Nime Chow, which is my mother's favorite. We love their Nime Chow so much that we ordered THREE of them - one order for my mom, my sister, and me! We became a little more adventurous with our ordering of entrees. Normally, we always get the Pad Thai and Bee Bong because they are delicious! However, after getting the same thing so many times, we decided that it was time for change. I could not have been happier with this decision! We settled on the Drunken Noodles and Chicken Curry Soup with Rice Noodles. What I love about Apsara's is two things: 1. they cook their meat and/or seafood well, and 2. their sauces and broths are so light but flavorful! For me, these two qualities often separate the "meh" restaurants from the greats. In conclusion, we decided to go for some new items on the Apsara menu and were not disappointed! On the contrary, I think I have some new favorites. :) Thanks, Apsara, for another great meal! read more

Apsara Palace - Drunken noodles - Chinese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Lipstick on the water glass, a bug on the table, a server that took 25 minutes to visit our table (but waited on others). BUT. The food is very, very good. And the portions are large. And the beverages are BYO. What we ate: Nime chow: Crunchy, stuffed, fresh. Served with a fantastic peanut sauce. Crab Rangoon: Standard issue. Chicken and beef teriyaki: The best I've had, well-cooked and seasoned, with a glorious absence of fake red "flavor". Green curry soup: The bomb.com. Yup, I went there. So delicious, subtle, and flavorful. Service. Slow as heck, but they were busy, so I'll give them a pass. Ambiance: Legends of the Hidden Temple meets family Thanksgiving at your aunt's house. Interesting, functional, and amusing. The food, y'all. Go for it. I highly recommend take-out. read more

Apsara Palace - This is how the glass came to the table. Ewwww. - Chinese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

This place is delicious and the prices are great! The crab Rangoon is a must! And did I mention you can bring your own alcohol?! Yes BYOB !! read more

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LOVE this spot for takeout! Food is always delicious and reasonably priced. I typically have trouble selecting a dish because it's all so yummy. If it weren't for terrible parking and limited dining capacity, I'd rate this restaurant 5 stars. read more

For the price, we had a nice dining experience if we exclude the crowds.. Foods were flavorful and the services were friendly :) Drawback: the Pat Thai, too dry and unspicy when we wanted it to be spicy. Over Priced: PeiKing Duck, taste good but the portion didn't worth all that lot ($14.99) read more

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TL;DR: You may wish to avoid this place, due to underprepared foods and unpleasant service. For most of our three years of living in Providence, Apsara Palace used to be a staple restaurant for my wife and I. Just about everything they served, from the ridiculously tasty chicken wings (with cilantro and lime) to the plethora of noodles and nime chow were the bee's knees. When we used to do laundry next door, we'd go to Apsara Palace for lunch or dinner, every single time. Sadly, however, that time has passed, and we will probably not be going back there again. The food the past couple of times we've gone there has just not been as good as it used to be; but this last time, we were left fairly disgusted. There was a hair on one of the chicken wings (which were also not prepared as well as they used to be), the nime chow's rice paper stuck to itself so much that it tore wide open (making for a messier appetizer than usual) and then there was the shrimp bee bong... At first, we thought the bee bong just tasted a little off; I wondered if perhaps it had been so long since I'd had it that I had forgotten how it was supposed to taste. But then we realized what the problem was: the smaller-than-usual shrimp was NOT fresh! We stopped eating to avoid risking food poisoning, and were very upset to have to leave the place for what is probably the last time, but with the way the place has been lately, can we be blamed? Whatever has been going on behind their kitchen doors, it's not good. The restaurant has been on a slow decline in quality and service (very absent, flaky, and sometimes downright rude servers) for some time now, but today was the last straw. Here's to hoping they go under new management someday; but until then, Apsara Palace is officially off of our favorites list. read more

I don't know what everyone is talking about with this place. It is terrible. This is the second time we have ordered from here and our order has been missing items twice now. They did allow us to come back and refund our money, but still. The portions are large, yes, but they taste like a pile of mush. Crab rangoons were my favorite out of: generals chicken, pork fried rice, chicken lo mein, nim chow, and beef teriyaki. I'm not sure if options are just low in the Hope area, but I'd rather drive myself 15 minutes north to Asia Grill. read more

My wife and both of my girls were referred here by close friend whom told us to try it out. She is aware that when we like a place we where out our stay. Lol We arrived on Friday around 630p or so to be seated in a booth and greeted perfectly and quickly by the waitress to order appetizers. We were undecided at the time then she returned and we ordered a crab Rangoon and large specialty red curry chicken soup. She came back to complete our dinner orders and I specifically explained to her I do not want our dinners to come out or begin till we are done enjoying our appetizers. She said she will take care of that. No problem. Appetizers came out and within 1-3 mins our dinners were here and I just started to enjoy the appetizers. I said to the waitress what happened and she said sorry they cook quickly. I said that is unacceptable. If I knew this I would of waited to place my order. Not only did our dinners come out to quickly but my 10yr daughter dinner which consisted of chicken wings and rice didn't come out for like 30'mins I caught the waitress twice in the interim and she stated they are still making them. Never sorry then she avoided and had another male waiter bring our food to our daughter. Very upset that we wanted to try a new experience for a new restaurant that a close friend referred me too. Never took anything off the bill for the inconveniences and I also requested to speak with the manager. The male waiter explained to me that he is already left the restaurant. That was just a poor excuse. Sorry but very poor service and I couldn't even enjoy my dinner because I was still eating my large soup and my dinner got cold. Never did they ask to remake my dinner so I told the waiter to box it. Very unprofessional but don't think my family or I will return. That was an expensive night and left still hungry but couldn't see to eat my dinner cold. Thank you in advance for reading my review. read more

Every time I go I get the same thing: -brown fried rice with pineapple and shrimp -scallion pancakes. Both are must try's. Super cheap, not super clean, but definitely delicious and a bargain. read more

Apsara Palace - Scallion pancakes. Try with the plum dipping sauce!! - Chinese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Unsure what happened here. New chef? Food isnt good like it used to be. Its almost bland.

I'm not sure if Apsara Palace and Apsara Restaurant are owned by the same person, but we chose to go to Apsara Palace since it was closer to campus. They had a strange Asian fusion menu so I wasn't really sure what to order. We ended up sharing some vegetable egg rolls, crab rangoon, and Vietnamese bee boong. The won ton soup appetizer was the perfect size and pretty satisfying. The broth had a bit of a strange, oily, peanut-y flavor so it wasn't the best won ton soup I've ever had. The egg rolls could have definitely been more flavorful. The crab rangoon was a pale color and way too hot. The best part of the meal was the Vietnamese bee boong (which I have never tried before). The coconut milk was an interesting addition and the dish was even better when I added some of the chili pepper sauce and mixed it all up. I'm not going to lie, I had pretty low expectations for Apsara Palace. But other than the fly that wouldn't leave me alone, my experience was pretty pleasant. Not too badly priced either! read more

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Normally everything is delicious...but this time the Pad Thai was dry, flavorless, and pink. Pink! Threw away after picking out shrimp.

After reading the other reviews here, I decided to give this place a try, since I've limited my dining adventures to whatever is on Atwells Ave, where my hotel is located. I intended on getting something entirely different after perusing the menu online. But when I got to the restaurant I looked at their expanded menu and decided on kaing kai soup (very similar to tom kha gai) and something called crispy chicken with mango sauce. Imagine my surprise when I saw the server with a huge bowl, which was supposed to be my "cup" of soup. Apparently, the Fred Flintstone size is the only option. Accompanied by the mango chicken dish it made for quite a hearty and filling meal. I was unable to finish it all, although I tried. The soup was excellent. I would definitely order it again. The chicken was very similar to a sweet and sour style, and it was also quite good. The only criticism that I have is that it could have been a bit more tender. However, both items were quite flavorful. And I would not hesitate to recommend trying either. It is not a large place, but there was a small group of college students there enjoying a late dinner. It would probably be suitable for groups of up to 10. read more

Apsara Palace - Kaing kai soup. Expect a very large bowl, definitely enough for 2 to 4. - Chinese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Overrated. Rice should come with saucy dishes automatically. I don't know of any Asian household that don't have rice on deck. Just another way for them to charge. No need to go back. read more

I went to Apsara yesterday. I ordered satay chicken and eggplant, baby shanghai in garlic sauce, and lemongrass chicken wings. Food came out quickly. The satay chicken and eggplant was very, very oily. The eggplant was soaked with oil, and there was a pool of oil in the dish it was soaking in. The chicken was very over cooked and hard. I have had this at the other Apsara and it was much better. The Shanghai, which I know as bok choy was better. It had slices of ginger and was steamed. I wish they cooked it a bit more, because it was chewy, but it tasted good. The lemongrass wings came home. They were good. Identical to lemongrass wings at other places. My server did not come back to check on me, and the place was not at all busy. She sat at a table with two others in front eating. There was another waitress who was talking so loudly, I could hear every word she said for the hour I was there. I could not wait to get my bill and leave. The hostess came back with her to set a table, and she asked how I was doing. I told her the chicken was greasy and showed her the oil sitting in the plate. She said it was because the dish is fried. You don't need that much oil! It was not good at all. She offered to have them re make the dish. I was finished eating at that point so I said no. Then, she brought my bill and said the manager took half off the chicken dish. I said that wasn't necessary, and I left the extra $4.50 on the table with the tip. I would not order that dish again. read more

This place was my go to - I would be cozy and home and would get off my couch, get dressed, and go out ... in the freezing cold .... for this food. It was that much better. But now ... now I'd order from anywhere else. For the last five times I have ordered something has been wrong - they forgot an entree, they had a random entree I didn't order, not even close to what I ordered. Tonight they literally forgot an ingredient in both my and my husbands pad Thai. You know that flavor that makes it taste like pad Thai? Yeah, that. That wasn't in the dish. So it was flavorless noodles and bean sprouts. I don't know maybe they'll get it together but it's been 6 months and they haven't. I'm out. read more

While in town, we stumbled upon this local gem. The menu has its typical Chinese-American offerings, but Apsara also had some really well made Chinese dishes. The greens tossed in oyster sauce were my favorite. The Peking-Style Duck was too salty, but I wasn't too upset as all of our other dishes were just right. Portions were rather large and we were able to take some to-go. Pricing is very reasonable so it's not a surprise how popular this place is with locals. I'm glad we got there before the dinner rush because as we were closing out, there was a sizeable line out the door! read more

This place used to have terrific food, but the wait times for takeout have stretched to totally unreasonable times. I was told 45 minutes, it's been close to an hour and still nothing. This happened last week and I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but at this rate I think it's probably not worth it anymore. There are other places to get good take out that I'll go to first and I would urge anyone else to do the same. Update: the food took nearly an hour and a half instead of the 45 minute estimate. We were given rotten pickles, the broccoli with garlic sauce was too spicy to eat, and the pad see ew was actually inedible. The icing on the cake is that after waiting for nearly double the estimated time, I didn't even get an apology or an acknowledgment that anything was wrong. read more

This place is awesome. Best southeast Asian food in RI (downtown location included). It is not a fancy 5 course meal restaurant. If that is what you are looking for, go elsewhere. They will not time your food perfectly to make it come out at the perfect time. Sorry. They are not terribly well-versed on the niceties - you won't get a linen napkin and you can find your own seat, thank you. Instead, it's a place you come to have great south Asian food. Nime chow, the Thai style chicken wings, crispy shrimp with black pepper, fried rice - are some of our favorites. Yum. It always hits the spot. Every time. I honestly don't understand the poor reviews. This place is relatively cheap and delicious. What more do you want? read more

I read the reviews and heard great things (uber driver said it was his go to for take out) but just didn't have a great experience. I ate vegan and maybe it was the non-vegan entrees that peep came for. read more

I slept on this place for far too long. It's nice and quiet inside and their takeout is great. The menu is so big with so many amazing options. read more

Apsara is a panacea for all things terrible. Had a rough day at work? Call Apsara. You can smell the egg rolls, fried up delicately and filled with spiced pork, from two blocks away. Over the crunch of that golden egg roll wrapper, you can hardly hear your boss taking you to the woodshed anymore. Broke? Apsara. The pad Thai will feed you for four meals if you do it right. Get it with tofu or chicken and that lean protein and fiber will fill you right up. Bad break-up? Apsara. It's BYOB, which means no giant tab for you to get rid of those sorrows! Crack open that bottle of pinot grigio and chat it up with the friendliest group of hosts and servers on the East Side. No idea what to do with your life? Well, maybe don't go looking for the answers in your fortune cookie. But hey, whatever works! Go on, get everything you want out of life - and if you can't, sit down and eat a crab Rangoon. read more

When I moved to Providence from the Boston area seven years ago, I had a hard time letting go of my old standards up north. For many months, I drove 45 minutes for a number of common services that I considered to be uncommonly good: the eyebrow waxing, haircuts, pizza and Thai food from my old hometown were all worth sitting in traffic for nearly an hour, I reasoned, while I tried to scout out their suitable replacements in RI. Trial and error eventually uncovered new go-to spots to meet all of these needs--some decent enough, and some excellent. Apsara on Hope Street was one of those places that I tried on the recommendation of more than one friend. I wanted to like the place, I really did. But after several visits there while "auditioning" locations for my new favorite Thai joint, I just can't understand why folks seem to frequent it in droves; it's always been disappointing to me. The single positive thing I can say about it is, the prices are very low. But then again, the saying applies: you get what you pay for. Parking is spotty at best; there's one tiny, cramped lot that is shared with a number of other businesses in this itty bitty, congested plaza. Traffic makes this area of Hope Street difficult to navigate and in winter, serious potholes abound, waiting to swallow up your car's front end in the dark of night. On weekends, the wait for a table is legendary. It's best not to arrive very hungry, as a small group of us did earlier this year on a Friday night. We waited, uncomfortably wedged outside the bathroom door, for the better part of an hour (hey, I could have driven all the way back up to Quincy, MA for some awesome Thai takeout in that space of time!). Seating, once you do manage to snag a spot, is mostly functional, just a tad too close to one's neighbors. Long wait times and claustrophobic surroundings, while unpleasant, could still make a place salvageable for takeout. But food is where the rubber really meets the road and in this regard, Apsara has always failed to impress me. Everything I've ever ordered here - whether steamed vegetables, nim chow, or pad thai - has lacked flavor, spice, or taste in general. Everything has always been uniformly bland; there's literally no waking up this stuff. I defy you to douse your meal in sauce, dredge it in gravy, pour herbs and spices over it in abundance: you'll register nothing. If you eat strictly to survive, that's one thing. But if food is something that adds any kind of enjoyment and dimension to your life, this is a place to skip. It took me nearly a year to shift all the elements of my world completely to Providence (guess that makes me change-averse). I think the last puzzle piece that finally fell into place may have been a reliable Thai restaurant. Ultimately, I found two: one for stellar takeout (Spice on Waterman), and one for a good, sit-down meal (the "other" Apsara on Public Street, and it's BYOB to boot). Apsara on Hope may have its devoted legions that keep coming back for more; I just can't count myself among them. read more

I was introduced to Aspara by a boy who ended up making out with another girl in front of me on what I thought was a date a week later, but I am forgiving him for that for letting me on to this gem. Always a wait, get over it. BYOB. My best friend and I usually hit up the package store across the street to buy a 6 pack, and make our way over. Get the nim chow or chive dumplings as an appetizer. Orders you delicious noodles, and be prepared to take half of the meal home. Definitely comfort pan-asian food, that but is exactly what hits the spot! For the 2 of us plus a six pack from across the street we usually spend $30-$35 bucks. Not bad for 2 entrees, appetizer, and 3 drinks each! read more

HUGE menu! I lean epic novel length for menus! I can't believe I have lived in PVD for 4 years and had yet to go here... it should be a crime, really. When a date found out I hadn't he put a stop to that. The only problem was that the menu was so long and I wanted so much but didn't really have time to process while being cute and charging. Things I discovered: - When you walk in, it would be crowded, go to cashier and put your name on the list. - It is BYOB... but don't be like the classless PC students gorging themselves and getting loud/wasted in the corner- keep it classy and drink in moderation. The place is small and if you get even a little loud it is disrespectful. - Chix- no, steak... YES! read more

Good family dinner. Very tasty fried rice, noodles, salads. Excellent service. Thoroughly enjoyed. read more

Apsara Palace - Chinese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

After only going to "the other" aspara infrequently for years I finally decided to give aspara PALACE a try. I had foolishly only gone to the "other" one based on reviews stating it was slightly more authentic. I had probably gone a total of 6 times in 10 years, the food was good, service slow and not particularly friendly. After trying aspara palace I can say with 100% certiantity I will neve go back to the "other" aspara. The food - like all the other reviews state- is amazing. The staff is very friendly and attentive. It is ALWAYS packed - I try and try something new every visit, and I haven't been disappointed once. I now go here once a week - an hour drive away from me, its that good. read more

I was recommended to try Apsara by so many people, but sadly I was let down. As a native of Thailand, I find Apsara not worthy to even advertise themselves in any way as a Thai cuisine. I truly cannot believe how utterly disappointed I was after so many people promised that it was "the best Thai restaurant in Providence." I'll stick to Sawadee, which is... just fine. Perhaps the biggest problem I had was that the menu itself was incredibly overwhelming and so abundant in nondescript dishes (fried this, fried that with this, fried that with that, fried this with that and so on) that it was impossible to even figure out what was what. I pretended to be homesick (in terms of food, I truly am) and asked the waiter if she had any recommendations, but to no avail. The food we got was mediocre American fake Chinese food at best. The setting was also highly bizarre, boisterous, and unruly, not to mention that it was not particularly clean. So what is the big fuss over Apsara? Mostly just the same people who think that General Tso's chicken is an authentic Chinese dish. Make time to go to Boston or New York if Thai food is really what you want and see for yourself why I personally will never go back to Apsara. read more

I've never actually sat down for a meal Apsara Palace, but I've had take-out numerous times. The location is uber-convenient as it's within a few blocks of my abode, so I can walk over for my take-out and be done with it. It's always poppin' in there. Like, crazy-busy, which leads me to believe I must be missing something. I've tried a lot of items from their HUGE menu, but nothing really does it for me... Well, perhaps the fresh spring rolls, but even those need to be doused in peanut sauce for anything to register on my tase buds. A lot of the food I've had, including vegetarian dishes, have just been super-greasy and a bit soggy. The soups can be salty and the chicken dishes occasionally have that weird, old poultry taste that just kills it for me. Even The Hus, who LOVES Asian food and Chinese and Thai in particular has been known to drive into Central Falls for his fix than walk two blocks to Apsara. Again, perhaps we're ordering wrong, but I just don't get it! read more

Best cheap date ever. Delicious, yes, but also you can have apps, hot tea, and huge entree for less than I'd spend on parking downtown. Seriously I think we spent $20 on four people once. The lunch specials are even more ridic. So many options, and manages to be pan-asian without catering to those with no taste buds. Every dish I've tried has the perfect blend of spice and fresh herbs. I tend to judge places based on their peanut sauces - and you can tell this one is freshly chopped peanuts and not from a squeeze bottle. Bee bong, pho, nime chow are all favorites, but the one thing that has us coming back every week are the lort noodles. Look like larvae, taste like mouth love. Gotta get there early to grab a table, especially because there's no room to even stand and wait for one so you end up practically in the bathroom. The smart thing to do at that point might be to order takeout, but once you do get a table and pop your bottle of byo-champagne (don't judge) and bite into fresh nime chow, you're in heaven. I almost want to take away a star so no one else finds out about it. read more