Lawrence, Kansas: A Pleasant Surprise - Good Indian, Decent Prices

Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar

947 New Hampshire Street, Ste 120

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number: (785) 840-0855

Website: bayleaflawrence.com

Prices: $$$$

We have been wanting to try Bayleaf since they opened, but had not until tonight. The food was ready as promised, 20 minutes exactly after I ordered on Eat Street. The place was empty at 5:35 on a Saturday, a bit odd, but the friendly server gathered our order post haste, listing the contents by memory exactly as we ordered them ... meat samosas - check, beef vindaloo - check, palak paneer - check, plain and garlic naan - check. She handed me my bag and I left.

With the $7 Eat Street discount, the tab came to just a tad under $32, not bad. But $39 for one appetizer, two entrees and some bread - no soup or salad, no drinks, no dessert - without the coupon it would not be a great value.

The Meat Samosas ($4.95), savory pastries with a chicken and vegetable filling and two dipping sauces (a red sweet and sour and a mild green) were big and good. The Naan (Plain - $2 and Garlic $3) were large and as fresh and good as any I have eaten.

My wife's Palak Paneer ($10.95) with fresh spinach and homemade curd cheese in a mildly spicy sauce was also as good as any we had during my four months in India. The Beef Vindaloo ($14.95) had plenty of beef and a few potatoes in a tomato and onion curry that was delicious. Both the palak paneer and beef vindaloo came with basmati rice, but $14.95 for a medium size curry and rice is a bit on the pricey side. At $8.95 and $11.95, they would have been a much better value, but the Indian restaurants in Lawrence seem to think they can get away with charging $15 for a curry and rice, so they do. That is why we do not eat at the two Indian restaurants (across the street from each other) in town all that often.

OK, maybe I am spoiled, but having eaten similar, but much better, meals for two in India for $10-$12 max, I find it difficult to shell out nearly 4 times as much stateside. If it were not for the $7 Eat Street discount, we probably would not have bothered, but I am glad we did because the food at Bayleaf was very good. Having lived in England for three years and traveled India for four months, I am used to good Indian food at reasonable prices. The Indian restaurants in Lawrence need to drop their dinner prices if they hope to fill their tables, which they are not doing currently.

I am basing my rating on a dinner for two for $31.50 (7 rating  - with coupon), not $38.50 (5 rating  - without coupon) ...

CombatCritic Gives Bayleaf Indian Restaurant 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Title: Lawrence, Kansas: A Pleasant Surprise - Good Indian, Decent Prices

Key Words: Bayleaf Restaurant, Bayleaf, bay, leaf, bar, Indian, India, curry, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: S&G = "Shits & Grins"

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!

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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!"

Lawrence, KS: Good Pho ... Nothing Bulgogi

Little Saigon Cafe

1524B W. 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone number: (785) 856-8010
Website: littlesaigonlawrence.com
Prices: $$$$

Order at the counter when you go in, pay, and take a seat quickly if a table is open because they do not have many. Not particularly friendly, the folks behind the counter are all business, but they are efficient. Your food arrives at your table shortly thereafter and you may get your appetizer(s) before your entree(s), but don't count on it.

Their eggrolls are not bad, but they are small for Vietnamese eggrolls and have been burnt both times we tried them. You have to ask for lettuce, grated carrots, and cilantro to wrap them in and Nuoc Cham dipping sauce, but they do not have mint leaves which round out the appetizer.

They do pho well. Fresh veggies, aromatic herbs, flavorful broth and tasty noodles, but the two main entrees I have had, a beef curry with egg (?) and noodles and the most recent bulgogi, left much to be desired. Five ounces of stir fried beef, and onion, on a pile of rice with no seasoning and zero taste ... if you love bulgogi, DO NOT order this 'cause it ain't bulgogi girlfriend!

Bottom Line: Good pho, but everything else is not up to par with most other Vietnamese restaurants I have eaten at.

CombatCritic Gives Little Saigon Cafe 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

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Title: Lawrence, KS: Good Pho ... Nothing Bulgogi

Key Words: Little Saigon Cafe, little, Saigon, cafe, Lawrence, 66046, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, Vietnamese, Vietnam, pho, curry, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

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!

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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"

Lawrence, Kansas: Middle Of The Road Thai On Mass

Baan Thai

741 Massachusetts Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: (785) 856-8424
Website: baanthaikansas.com/lawrence

With a love for Thai food, I had high expectations after reading the rave reviews, particularly by my friend Scott T. on Yelp who (normally) has very similar opinions as mine when it comes to food.

In the middle of downtown Mass Street (as residents of LFK call it), I had stopped by Baan Thai for a look once before and the menu seemed appetizing and reasonable, but the decor put me off as it did on this our first visit. With cement floors, orange plastic-backed chairs (which, by the way, possibly acrylic and not cheap), and little decor, the inside is not warm and inviting, at least to my taste.

Josh, our server, was very nice, efficient and professional, but the dishes came out one at a time. Josh said it was because they are "made to order", but are most decent restaurants making food to order, bringing appetizers out together and entrees all at the same time?

First, the Pot Stickers (6 for $4.95) came out. The pork, cabbage, and onion dumplings were deep-fried and served with a soy-based dipping sauce. They were good, but were more dumpling than filling. We waited for 10-15 minutes for our Chicken Satay (4 for $6.95) to arrive, so when Josh asked me a question about my entree, I inquired about our second appetizer. He scurried to the kitchen with little explanation and after another ten minutes, our satay finally arrived. The marinated skewers of charbroiled chicken were accompanied by the traditional peanut sauce and cucumber salad, and were also pretty good, but both were overpriced by about a buck and would have been much better together as I like to dip my pot stickers in the soy AND peanut sauce.

My wife's Pad See-Ew ($9.95) was next to arrive. The rice noodles were stir fried with egg and broccoli with enough spices to make the dish tasty without being too hot as my spouse cannot tolerate food that is too spicy, a pitfall of most Italians. She loved it and it was plentiful, but eggs, noodles, and broccoli are not a good combination in my book.

My Gang Massaman Curry ($11.75) arrived 5-7 minutes later. Massaman curry is one of my favorites and I have had it at many Thai restaurants. This was far from the best I have had although the curry was flavorful. The coconut milk based curry, traditionally simmered with beef, was not nearly as thick (a bit on the watery side) as any other I have had and the potatoes were not cooked quite enough. When Josh had come out to ask me about my entree earlier, he had asked if I minded having "sliced" beef rather than "boiled" beef, assuming that he meant that the beef had not been simmering for 60-90 minutes in the curry sauce as should be the case. Even though I agreed, the sliced beef was plentiful enough, but was a tad on the chewy side, not tough or grisly, but not as tender as it should have been. The yellow onions were tender, but the boiled peanuts were a also bit too raw.

My wife and I were both excessively thirsty later that evening and I had stomach cramps, a potential sign of MSG being used. I later checked their website and menu and there was not a claim of "No MSG" that I could find, so it you have a sensitivity to it, I would definitely ask in advance of ordering. I am not saying that they use MSG, but our symptoms were consistent with ingestion of the additive/flavor enhancer, so if they do not use it, they should say so on the menu.

Our meal was good, not great, the prices fair, the servings generous, and the service efficient, but compared to other Thai/Asian Fusion restaurants, including Zen Zero just up the street, this one was very "middle of the road".

CombatCritic Gives Baan Thai A Very Average 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Title: Lawrence, Kansas: Middle Of The Road Thai On Mass

Key Words: Baan Thai, baan, Thai, Thailand, curry, Lawrence, Kansas, Mass, Massachusetts, street, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike = "Continue Mission"