Thai Idea Vegetarian

Location: San Francisco, Little Siam
Website: www.thaiideaveggie.com
Cuisine type: Thai vegetarian
Atmosphere: modern cafe, authentic decor
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.4

Nina

After a good experience at a vegetarian restaurant in Mountain View, we were intrigued when we ran across this little place in Little Siam. This restaurant went even further with an almost completely vegan menu and a only a handful of vegetarian selections (which could be ordered in their vegan version, that is to say egg free). The restaurant was very small, with the typical cafe style seating we are used to for Thai places, but with tasteful decor and comfortable benches along the walls. Then again, for the real estate prices in San Francisco it’s not surprising that businesses have to do more with less - these guys did it well.
The water they brought us tasted a little off, at first we suspected soap. Turns out they actually have sliced cucumbers in their water before they pour out in glasses, which does add a fresh touch (which we enjoyed once we realized it was intentional). They also brought us more water in a green glass bottle, which actually went well with their color scheme. The tea we ordered came in a cool looking teapot, though the actual tea was a Trader Joe’s packet of jasmine green tea - tasty nonetheless.

I ordered the yellow lamb curry (medium spicy), which came out in an artsy bowl adorned with a beautiful fresh lettuce leaf. The onions maintained some of their crunch, but unfortunately so did the potatoes, which were a little bit undercooked. The curry liquid was creamy and rich, with a small kick and the mild and smooth flavor characteristic of yellow curry. The “lamb” was just ok, the texture and density were pretty close to the real thing, and the flavor was rich and savory, though not quite lamb-like. Overall, the dish was pretty tasty and the menu was comprehensive and reasonably priced, so Thai Idea was a good find for a quick and satisfying lunch close to the Civic Center.

Food 7
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 9
Service 9
Value 8

Ben

A vegetarian thai place with all the classics except the meats (standard entrees of beef, pork, chicken, shrimp) were all artificial and vegetarian. I was a little disappointed to hear the standard meats were all soy based. I had the “beef” Pad woonsen. The noodles were delicious, the “beef” was not so great. The presentation was gorgeous (see pictures) - topped with stringed beet noodles over the dish. The dish was a pretty good portion and the mushrooms, egg, onion and tomatoes were all fantastic as well. The beef had a rubbery tofu texture and a bitter tofu taste. The drink menu was very small, and the Jasmine tea was a bagged Trader Joe’s.

It is a cozy, tame and pleasant atmosphere, an easy place for conversation. I really enjoyed Nina’s yellow curry (a thick, heavily flavored slightly spicy broth), though the lamb meat was also pretty bitter - though better tasting than the beef. I found the prices a little higher than expected(~12-15$ / entree), though they do an excellent job on presentation and preparation, aside from the meats. Overall a decent place if you are of the vegetarian persuasion … I might advise just ordering a dish and tell them to omit the “meats” altogether - as in my opinion it only detracts from what otherwise were great dishes.

Food 7
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 7