If you're just here to know what the food is like, it's wonderful, I especially recommend the chicken masman curry, and the Pad See U is to die for! If all I had to rate was the food, this place is an easy five stars!
However, being a restaurant manager of 17 years, I absolutely cannot condone the treatment of their really quite talented staff. I ate here on Feb 13, and Jonathen is an absolute joy of a server, polite, and snappy with refills and requests despite a full house of customers. It is the older woman (Ooza?) is the one that makes me sad. She appears to be some sort of manager or shift lead, and I cannot figure out why. As Jonathen was taking our order, she felt the need to grab him rudely and pull him away, saying "no no no, you don't take orders yet!!" We had already been waiting several minutes to get our order taken, but understandable, because people wouldn't stop piling in! Jonathen returned to take our order a few minutes later, apologizing courteously. I only wish he would've remained our server the whole night! I didn't appreciate the way the older Thai server spoke to my wife and I, nor the way she would go to tables and ask "what do you want?" Excuse me, why? Who really takes orders like that?
I was getting a little mad watching the service decline for the other patrons, when a young Thai woman clearing tables walked up, and in perfect English offered us refills, asked if our service was alright, and also how the food was! Wow! When I commented on her perfect English, she laughed, saying "I'm not Thai, I'm just brown!" She was a joy, and also bowed and thanked us as we left! Didn't catch her name, but she seems to be a busser or dishwasher of a sort. Again, why? Why are you hiding one of your best English speakers in the back?
So I was REALLY angry watching the older Thai woman yell at her angrily over the placement of a high chair, when she was just trying to make more room in the house for the line of people waiting to be sat. It's a small, cozy place, you need every square foot!
I've been here twice in four years, and Jonathen has been there both times. I really hope he's made it into management, or at least received compensation for his excellent work.
The cook (who I met upon my first visit) is a very courteous Thai woman, who seemed delighted to hear how much we loved our meal! Upon peeking into the kitchen, I am humbled by the talent involved in crafting each artisan meal. The large, heavy woks look featherlight in the hands of the chef, whose name I regrettably didn't catch.
Upon paying for my meal, I chatted up the cashier, who I found out was part owner! As for the bag of cans mentioned in some reviews, I'm truly joyed that a business that goes through so much aluminum takes the time to have it recycled. Realize things for what they are, folks, that's a time consuming and wonderful thing for a restaurant to do!
Maybe I'll come back in another four years, maybe in a week. Regardless, I hope to see the chef, dishwasher, and Jonathen again! What a talented staff!
Food: 5 stars
Service: 4 stars
Management: 1 star
Take some advice: good employees are unicorns, and need to be treated as such. You don't find truly talented servers/kitchen staff very often. Treat them better, or they will go elsewhere. Hopefully to me, I need some good servers! Lol! read more