I do not believe I am a Thai foodie, but I can't say this place was all that great. To give a bit more detailed critique: the food is plentiful, but Americanized. There is a very sweet palate to the dishes we tried and no spice whatsoever. Of course, the tamari and peanut sauce taste "Thai", but in a watered down, sugared up way. I believe I could do better with a recipe from the food network at getting a true Thai taste, beyond the obligatory lemon grass; speaking of which, I think they use frozen or canned. It's been years, but I have had Thai with fresh lemon grass, and there's a world of difference. Fresh lemon grass compared to stored, is akin to fresh peas compared to stored. The former is bright, crisp, and bursting with complex flavor. The latter is bland, odd and singular mush. I give them a star for a clean and wide open space, a star for their prompt and friendly service, and a star for free soup and a willingness to hear a customer out.
When we first arrived, I asked what was safe for those of us who are gluten intolerant.(I had called a week or so before and asked on the phone, so I wasn't springing this on them. I simply forget what the person on the phone said was safe.)
I was told plain rice and plain veggies. I became confused and clarified, do all the menu items have soy sauce, instead of tamari (what I usually see in Thai places). She says they all use tamari, not soy sauce. I ask what ingredient has gluten. She says the fish sauce. Fish sauce? I ask if soy sauce is used to make fish sauce, as I've never understood that to be the case. She goes in the back to ask. The entire time she is smiling, friendly and relaxed. She returns and says almost everything is gluten free. Some menu items do use soy sauce, but not many.
She doesn't know why, but she thought gluten intolerant people couldn't eat fish, so ergo, no fish sauce. I appreciate her honesty about her confusion. Hopefully they better understand food allergies in the future.
Before we our food came out, we were brought a half cup or so of soup with tofu, egg, and rice. I asked, to be sure, if this was safe for me, and she said yes.
The food came out and I was shocked at the portion size. The food on the plate I was served is the same amount I usually make to feed our family of four, and this was all for one person! I am trying to be healthy (thanks to a genetic crapshoot of the top three deadly health issues), so I immediately portioned out a quarter of the portion and that is all I ate. I took home the rest and made dinner for two teenagers (both of which are active and healthy) and myself with what was left. Even the junk food riddled teens, who are far less picky about their food, stated it was too sweet. I would much rather have half the serving I received, and better quality ingredients.
So to recap:
1) Very friendly and accommodating customer service, clean and well lit, large restaurant.
2) Gargantuan portions for ten to fifteen dollars.
3) Americanized, overly sweet and watered down "Thai" food.
For many, this suits what they were looking for. As such, I'm sure it will be around a while. For myself, if I go out to eat for Thai, I want to know I'm eating Thai. read more