Tida Thai is a local Thai restaurant franchise with three locations currently listed on their website. Its name translates as "Daughter Of Thailand."
The two other locations are in the Red Mill Commons Shopping Center in Virginia Beach and at Kiln Creek in Newport News.
Another one in downtown Norfolk operates independently from the others. It was the former Rama Garden, which was taken over and renamed as Tida Thai Cuisine last year by the son of the original owner and founder of the Tida Thai franchise.
The first and original location opened in Chesapeake in 2003, which is no longer there. If I heard my server correctly, this one is its second location and opened in 2009.
This location is stationed in the Pembroke East Shoppes, a strip mall that is also home to Judy's Sichuan Cuisine only a few steps away.
Colorful lights greet the eyes as you enter with a small bar at the very end of the main dining room. There is a second dining room with more subdued lighting to the right.
Lunch time diners are given the lunch menu during the weekdays, which is separate from their dinner menu. Their dinner menu is given to diners all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
I have tried the following to date:
TOM KHA WITH CHICKEN: Chicken with a Creamy Coconut Milk Broth, Hot and Sour Lemongrass, Mushrooms, and Cilantro.
Galangal, an important ingredient for this soup, was not listed. I found the mushrooms overwhelming in proportion to the chicken and other ingredients.
It was served at a Thai hot spice level to my satisfaction, and its overall taste was still passable. My Rating: 3 Stars.
THAI STEAMED DUMPLINGS: Six Dumplings with Ground Shrimp, Chicken, Mushrooms, and Water Chestnuts served with a Sweet Soy Sauce.
The dumplings were beautifully presented on a banana leaf atop a tree trunk platform. Their textures were tender and melted in my mouth.
The flavors of their fillings came through beautifully. The sweetness of the soy dipping sauce was nicely subdued. This was a winner. My Rating: 5 Stars.
BLUE THAI TEA: This was a new one to me. It sparkled with a beautiful blue hue and delivered a cool refreshing taste with a level of sweetness that was just right.
Its blue color comes from Butterfly Pea Flowers, a plant that is native to Asia and known for its healthy antioxidant properties. My Rating: 5 Stars.
DRUNKEN NOODLES: Flat Wide Rice Noodles with Onions, Scallions, Bell Peppers, Fresh Basil, Chili, and Garlic. The Thai name of this dish is Pad Kee Mao.
Its Thai hot spice level was satisfactory. Some of the noodles were overcooked and delivered an oily aftertaste with a preparation I found to be overly sauced.
I would have also liked a greater dominance of basil with fewer bell peppers. Otherwise, I found it passable for an Americanized version. My Rating: 3 Stars.
PAD THAI WITH CHICKEN: Rice Noodles with Chicken, Bean Sprouts, Scallions, Egg, and Crushed Peanuts in a Sweet and Tangy Tamarind Sauce.
The noodles were cooked satisfactorily. Overall, I found this to be a typical Americanized version of this classic Thai dish. There were no preserved radishes or salty dried shrimp for a more authentic version.
The tamarind sauce delivered a syrupy texture and overly sweet flavor that should have leaned more toward the sour side. I was able to balance the flavors a bit more from their spice tray. My Rating: 3 Stars.
KAPAO SPECIAL WITH EGG: Minced Chicken, Bell Peppers, Basil, Chili, and Garlic served with Jasmine Rice. Topped with a Fried Egg.
This is how this dish is served in Thailand, and I was glad to see it offered here. I have ordered it twice so far--once from their lunch menu and once from their dinner menu.
The lunch version was the more satisfactory version. Basil is the dominant flavor in this dish, and it came through nicely. I would have liked to have seen a few less bell peppers. My Rating: 4 Stars.
The dinner menu version actually came with a smaller portion and a higher price tag. Its basil flavor was not as nearly as dominant, which was a disappointment. My Rating: 2 Stars.
MANGO & STICKY RICE DESSERT: Their version of this classic Thai dessert was beautifully presented on a banana leaf. The mango was sweet and tender.
Underneath was a layer of coconut milk and a beautiful mound of warm purple sticky rice that was profoundly delicious.
Thai Purple Rice is also known as Riceberry Rice, a hybrid of two varieties of Jasmine Rice that was developed in Thailand by the Rice Science Institute at Kasetsart University in 2002.
This might be the best version of this dessert I have ever tasted. My Rating: 5-Plus Stars.
When I crunch the food numbers, they average out to 3.75 stars, which is enough to round up to a soft 4-star rating. Service was friendly in spite of being understaffed.
I would gladly make a return visit for their Blue Thai Tea, Steamed Dumplings, Mango Sticky Rice Dessert, and another dish I have yet to try, such as their Salmon Kapao or Duck Curry. read more