Now that we have moved to the North Shore, we are working our way through as many new places as possible in search of the best of everything over here. Sawasdee is the third Thai we've had on the North Shore.
All in all, I have to say that Thai food in general is much better over here than in New Orleans- Yippee! Gone are the soupy, wimpy curries and overpriced appetizers and I'm happy to say goodbye to the disappointing Thai in the big easy!
Now down to business. Sawasdee Thai:
The Decor and general ambiance- Very nice, very clean, and well put together for a location in a little strip plaza. There was nice soft lighting, dark walls and a dark ceiling, and pretty lighting along the wall. The dishes were served up attractively in simple White dishes with condiments such as a sprig of Basil or nicely placed Tomatoes and Cucumbers. The service was excellent- the waitresses were attentive but not overbearing and our iced teas were refilled often.
The Food- We started with the Roti with Curry Sauce ($4). This was a simple and delicious starter which we both enjoyed and is hard to find in Louisiana. Roti is a soft, flaky round bread type item and it is normally grilled or seared on both sides so that the outside is crispy and the inside is soft. When dipped in the curry sauce the little treat comes alive with flavor. As I mentioned, we both enjoyed it and would choose it again.
My partner also had the Tom Yum soup ($4 Small size, $8 Large size). He's a bit obsessed with Tom Yum since I introduced it to him last year. Anyway, this soup was a bit spicy (I think he went through 2 iced teas while eating it), but with a nice hot/sour flavor as it's suppose to have. It was also loaded with chicken, mushrooms, corn and other veggies so it seemed like a good value and my partner enjoyed it. I tried it and thought the flavor was just as it should be. I might join him and get one myself next time. As a side note, they have a large Tom Yum on their menu under noodles so it appears that they offer this in a large bowl with noodles as well.
For the main dish I had Red Curry with Tofu ($12) (a staple favorite of mine and a good way to judge a Thai restaurant in my opinion). The food arrived in a giant bowl dish. I was thrilled because I was starving! The curry was thick with that awesome sweet coconut undertone, and had a nice amount of Tofu and veggies in it. I could have just eaten the curry sauce with a spoon, but I refrained! The flavor of this curry was exactly as I like it. It had a bit of heat but not too much, a touch of sweetness, but not too cloying, and as mentioned earlier, the curry sauce itself was thicker than water which made me very happy. I would get this dish again and I finished my meal completely stuffed and satisfied. I also had a mint iced tea ($2.50 with free refills), which was lovely an refreshing and was served with a lemon wedge and a nice sprig of mint. Nice touch!
My partner had the Pineapple Thai fried rice with chicken ($12). He was pretty quiet from that point on and he devoured almost all of it, so he seemed pretty happy to me! Seriously, I tried it and it tasted exactly as it should. A little salty, a little spicy, with lots of fresh veggies and lots of chicken and I liked the addition of the cashews in the rice. It was a really big plate as well and I LOVE getting value for money.
All in all, we enjoyed our meal here and I'm sure will be back. It's 5 minutes from our house so it's a nice easy drive as well. If we make it over for lunch one day, I'll update on that as well. I did not give this place 5 stars because it is not the "Best" Thai I have ever had (Beveryl Massachusetts still holds the award for that one)and it is missing a couple of my favorite dishes such as Sticky rice as a side with peanut sauce. But it is actually one of the better Thai I have had so don't hesitate to give this place a try. read more