TravelValue: Restaurants Across The U.S.: Thai

Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Long Beach, WA: A Mild "Disappointment", But A Decent Value Overall

Malai Thai Restaurant

509 Pacific Avenue South
Long Beach, WA 98631
Phone number (360) 642-2275
Prices: $$$$

Having spent a few days at Cape Disappointment State Park just 15 minutes up the road, this was one of the few modern, semi-upscale (not a dive) restaurants on the peninsula as far as I could tell and the highest rated of two on Yelp. We arrived at the front door on Wednesday night, but, oddly enough, they were “Closed”, so we had to find somewhere else to eat in a town with few dining options, even fewer in early spring before the summer throngs arrive.

The Chicken Pot Stickers with Ginger Soy Sauce ($7) were pretty good, coming with seven at exactly a buck a piece. The accompanying sauce was one of two “disappointments” of the evening, a small cup half filled with soy sauce and a little ginger which I could not taste. The other disappointment and a pet peeve was when our entrees both arrived before we were even half-way finished with our appetizer. No excuse.

I ordered my Thai go-to, Massaman Curry, with beef, potatoes, onion and peanuts ($11). It was good, not the best I have had by far, coming with a fair amount of thinly sliced beef in a Massaman sauce that was also “thinner” than most. The flavor was still pretty good.

My wife had Malai Noodles Special (D1 - $9.95), coming with stir fried yakisoba noodles with cabbage, carrot, onion, celery and beansprouts topped with crispy chicken strips and a sweet and sour sauce. The veggies were fresh and the chicken crispy and abundant, a good value at less than $10.

Again, not the best Thai I have had and I love Thai food, but a relative bargain in a tourist town with few decent dining options and even fewer TravelValues.

CombatCritic Gives Malai Thai 6 Bombs Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Portland, OR: This Peacock Has A "Plume" Of Flavor

Thai Peacock
219 SW 9th Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
Phone number (503) 228-2310
Website: thaipeacockpdx.com
Prices: $$$$

After going to a matinee play at the Armory a few blocks away, we were feeling a bit peckish and the menu in the window looked interesting, so we decided to give them a try. The place is small on the inside with 6 or 7 tables (one big family table) downstairs and a few more in the small loft above the kitchen. The service was efficient, a little too efficient actually, and friendly, and the prices reasonable, particularly for downtown Portland.

Not overly hungry, hence the term "peckish", we ordered the Chicken Teriyaki Balls (#2 - $6) as a starter and for entrees, my wife the Pad Ruam Mit (#37 - $10) stir fry and I the Kaeng Matsaman (#28 - $10.50) curry. I also had a Ninkasi IPA ($5) that was very cold and tasty.

The teriyaki balls came out post haste. They looked burnt, but it must have been the teriyaki sauce because they were delish, having been drizzled with a creamy garlic sauce and served with fresh, sliced cucumber and zesty sriracha pineapple chili sauce ... YUM!

Then we experienced the sole downer of the meal and one of my primary pet peaves. We had barely started eating our appetizer when our entrees arrived. Fast is usually good, but there is nothing I hate worse in a restaurant than the main course coming before the appetizer has been finished and the plates cleared away. BUMMER!

My wife's meal had broccoli, carrot, baby corn, cabbage, onion, bell pepper, shitake and white mushrooms, bean sprouts and scallions stir fried with garlic and tofu. A little bland by my standards, she thought it was wonderful and that is all that counts. My "matsaman" (spelled "massaman" at every other Thai restaurant I have ever been to) curry was rich, creamy, delicious and just the way I like it with slices of beef, potato, onion carrot and peanuts, both meals accompanied by a side of steamed rice.

Overall, the food, service and prices were excellent, but I have to deduct 2 Bombs (1 Star) for bringing the entrees WAY too soon. Otherwise, this was a "top notch" meal worthy of my highest rating. So, if downtown enjoying a play at the Armory, perusing the books at Powell's (just a block away), or whatever else you may be doing, Thai Peacock is worth a visit.

CombatCritic Gives Thai Peacock 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Lawrence, KS: No "Tie" Here, Thai Diner Is The Clear Winner As Best Value In Town

Thai Diner
2223 Louisiana Street, Suite E
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone number: (785) 551-7528
Website: thaidinerks.com
Prices: $$$$

On this, our second visit, the food was just as good and the prices fair, but the service left something to be desired.

We were not greeted when we arrived, only told to find our own table. It took quite a while for our server to welcome us and bring our water even though the place was virtually empty on a Sunday night with two servers working. We ordered the Mini Steamed Buns ($5.95) with sweet pork sausage and dried shredded pork on wheat flour buns and the Crispy Spring Rolls ($4.25 - Regular/chicken). The server asked me if we wanted the chicken spring rolls even though I ordered the "regular" variety which, according to the menu, come with chicken. I said. "yes, of course".

After taking our order, our server indicated that "everything" would be out shortly, but if you know me, you know I detest entrees arriving before the appetisers have been finished. I asked her to please hold the entrees until we had finished our starters, to which she readily agreed. The steamed buns (3) were OK even though the steamed whole wheat buns were not even baked. They had an odd look and texture (like eating raw bread dough) and were too big for the tiny dipping cups, but the flavor was decent. Not something we would order again. The spring rolls were good and a decent value at $4.25. The dipping sauces came in teeny weeny cups, too small even for the fried spring rolls which were not that big to begin with.

As I mentioned, the entrees did not arrive until we had finished our appetisers, so once we were done with the starters we waited and waited and waited, and more than 10 minutes later our entrees were finally in front of us.

My wife had the Yum-Tum Phad Thai ($9.95) which she raved about, a stir fry of rice noodles, egg, bean sprouts, cabbage and lemon grass with tofu. She cleaned her plate and would have likely licked it clean (I'm joking of course) if we were not in public, stating "that was absolutely delicious". I decided to try the Yellow Curry with beef ($9.25), a good size portion of potato pieces, yellow onion, sliced carrots and thinly sliced beef in a deliciously sweet, savory and spicy curry that dazzled the senses. It was an excellent curry.

The decor is simple and basic, but tasteful, but I would recommend not sitting anywhere near the double front doors on a cold and/or windy night because our napkins flew and the chill was breathtaking every time someone entered or left, some several times, including one couple who did not know the difference between Thai and sushi, having missed their mark by several hundred feet and leaving as quickly as they had entered.

Even though the service was suspect on this occasion, a plus was that I found out that you can "BYOB" (meaning wine I believe), because they advertise "no cork (corkage) fee". The minuses, they insist on "tipping your server appropriately" (better left unsaid as common sense tells you that if they provide the glasses and uncork the wine, then you should tip accordingly) and that you must leave any unconsumed alcohol behind (which is likely state law).

CombatCritic Gives Thai Diner 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Thai Diner on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: No "Tie" Here, Thai Diner Is The Clear Winner As Best Value In Town

Key Words: Thai Diner, Thai, diner, Lawrence, Kansas, KS, 23rd, curry, Phad, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: WTFO! = "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Monday, November 7, 2016

Lawrence, KS: Black "Thai" Food And Service At T-Shirt Prices Equates To An "Excellent Value"

Thai Diner

2223 Louisiana Street, Suite E

Lawrence, KS 66046

Phone number: (785) 551-7528

Website: ThaiDinerLawrence.com

Prices: $$$$

As you know, I love Thai food and I love Thai Diner ... OOH-RAH!

My Yelp friend Cimmy told me about this place with a nondescript storefront in a stripmall behind Panera at 23rd and Louisiana. The first time I saw it, they had a hand painted sign out front, now replaced with a much nicer blue neon sign.

The inside is modern, not my thing, but tastefully decorated. There are no four-top tables, only two-tops pushed together to form whatever size table they need I assume, so you have to deal with the crevice between you and your neighbor. No biggy.

They have an extensive chalkboard full of monthly specials (can't call them "blackboards" anymore I recently found out ... aren't we becoming a bit excessively PC? ... they still call whiteboards "whiteboards" and I am not offended) as well as a nice selection of appetizers, curries, stir fries, noodle/rice dishes and more on the menu. Oh, and you can get a cup of the "soup of the day" for just 95¢, in this case a Curry Powder Vegetable that was one of the best vegetable soups I have ever had.

We started with two of our favorite Thai appetizers, Crispy Spring Rolls ($4.25) and Grilled Chicken Skewers (chicken satay - $6.25). The spring rolls were three, filled with minced chicken, noodles, vegetables - cut into six halves - and served with a sweet and sour sauce. They were crispy and tasty, not too greasy, and of reasonable size for the price. The chicken satay, marinated in a garlic, cilantro, and sweet chili sauce were four and large, grilled on wooden skewers and served with a savory brown sauce as well as the traditional peanut sauce (upon request). They were tender, well seasoned, and delicious as were the accompanying sauces, peanut being my favorite. I would have to say that they were a tad overpriced compared to the other three items we ordered, likely being a better value in the $4.95 to $5.25 range.

For main courses, my lovely wife had the Dark Soy Noodles with tofu ($8.25) and I the Massaman Curry Bowl with beef ($9.95), both accompanied by the "appetizer of the day", a crispy egg roll in our case. They call it "dark soy noodles", but the menu said that they were actually "flat rice noodles" with broccoli, green onion, and egg stir fried in a mildly sweet, dark soy and garlic sauce. The serving was decent in size, not too much nor too little, and my wife absolutely loved it. I had a taste and agreed, it was much better than the Pad Thai she normally orders. I ordered the curry "medium" hot (spicy), coming with chunks of white potato, carrots, and roasted peanuts in a massaman curry sauce cooked with coconut milk. The curry was accompanied by a large serving of white rice, the bowl of curry was plentiful, and the curry sauce exquisite. It was one of the best Massaman curries i have had and I have had quite a few at many different Thai restaurants all over the country.

The bill came to a little over $31 including tax, an extremely reasonable price for two appetizers and two entrees, particularly considering the quality of the food. The service was friendly and outstanding, efficient and timely. All in all, we enjoyed our meal very much and will return again soon as it is one of the best restaurants and best values in Lawrence or Kansas for that matter.

CombatCritic Gives Thai Diner A Near Perfect 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better ... HOO-RAH!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie

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Read Chris S.'s review of Thai Diner on Yelp

Thai Diner

Title: Lawrence, KS: Black "Thai" Food And Service At T-Shirt Prices Equates To An "Excellent Value"

Key Words: Thai Diner, Thai, diner, curry, pad, Lawrence, Kansas, 23rd, Louisiana, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: OOH-RAH = "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

A published author, combat veteran and retired Air Force officer, he studied psychology for 30 years, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a National Certified Counselor.

He served in four combat zones, spending 25% of his career supporting Operations JOINT ENDEAVOR, ALLIED FORCE, SOUTHERN WATCH, and ENDURING FREEDOM, retiring from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.

CombatCritic has lived in five countries and visited over 43 countries in the past 18 years. He is a well know chef, having been trained professionally in Italy from 1998 to 2001. His specialties are Italian (obviously), German, French, Thai and Mexican. Having dined in the finest restaurants in Paris, Rome, London, Brussells, Tokyo, Dubai, and many other cities around the globe, his palate is varied, well-defined, and discriminating. If CombatCritic tells you "It's the bomb", you will know he can be trusted.

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