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

Bistro Siam

Location: Santa Clara, CA
Website: bistrosiam.com
Cuisine type: Thai
Atmosphere: chic cafe
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.6

Nina

Even though this is an unassuming looking restaurant (from the outside) in a row of small restaurants in a small strip mall, the inside it quite charming. The dining room is adorned with modern chic panels with an authentic feel. It felt like the staff was a bit overwhelmed, as they were really only cleaning tables as they needed them freed up for new customers (and towards the end of our meal, as the dinner crowd was dwindling and closing time was nearing they started catching up). We were first thinking of taking out, but the cozy cafe atmosphere enticed it to sit down and enjoy dinner there.

Drinks were pretty standard - hot tea, sodas and water, didn’t seem like they had a liquor license. I was a little disappointed that they were actually out of duck, but instead I ordered a medium hot seafood green curry with eggplant, carrots and green beans. I mentioned that I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the bell peppers that were listed on the menu and the server volunteered to place in a special order to keep out the peppers. Unfortunately, that didn’t actually happen, there were peppers sprinkled throughout my dish. The curry was very creamy and rich, with a mild flavor and slight spicy kick. The crunch of the vegetables contrasted really well with the luscious curry, and I ate every last bite.
This restaurant is a hidden neighborhood jewel, with a solid menu, good food and very reasonable prices.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9

Ben

A strip mall restaurant of one large open room. The walls are covered with assorted and colorful ornamentation, and is actually pretty interesting collection. There were two servers and a decent crowd. The menu is a pretty typical thai place, though the drink selection is tiny (no wines, sodas available in cans). The service was a little slow but friendly. They did mistake our order in two ways; the first they gave us both mixed seafood instead of one with shrimp, and after an extended dialogue about how Nina didn’t want bell peppers they were shockingly served in her plate. I ordered a Pad Krapow stir fried seafood with bamboo shoots, bell pepper, onion, carrot and basil leaves. The seafood was all pretty well cooked and a good variety as well - definitely worth the upgrade versus beef or pork. The portion was pretty small, but extremely spicy (I asked for the hottest option and was not disappointed). Nothing remarkable to say about the restaurant, but the food was overall flavorful and it is a solid option for some authentic and pretty low-priced Thai food if you find yourself in the area.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 7
Value 8

Osha Thai Noodle Cafe

Location: San Francisco, CA
Cuisine type: Thai
Atmosphere: casual bar/lounge
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 6.75

Nina

As part of showing my brother around the Bay Area we decided to stop through the city to show him the famous Lombard Street and possibly scout out a hookah lounge. Turns out that the city passed an ordinance that forbids any place serving food or drinks from allowing any form of smoking (West Lafayette, IN passed something similar, though it allowed for exceptions for places making their money primarily from the sale of tobacco related products like hookahs), so the only places still open were the ones with BYOB policies and with odd open hours. We also learned our lesson about trying to approach the winding part of Lombard St by driving along Lombard street - we stayed in a long line of cars for a good half an hour, with people coming from side streets waiting close to no time since each intersection had a four-way stop sign.
While we were walking around the city along streets west of Union Square (where some of the advertised hookah lounges were supposed to be), we realized we were growing hungry. It was already 2 pm and we had only eaten breakfast, so it was no surprise, but we had lost track of time driving around Marin County. We stopped at the first place that looked like it had some potential - Osha Thai Noodle Cafe.
The place was decorated fairly cheaply, though it tried to convey an air of chic bar / lounge with dark benches in the table seating area and cozy cushioned sofas / armchairs in the bar area. A real deal breaker in terms of atmosphere inside was a persistent, loud pounding sound that resonated throughout the restaurant the whole time we were there from someone doing renovation work to the only bathroom in the establishment. I don’t really understand why they couldn’t schedule this work to take place outside business hours and allow their bathroom to be available to patrons.
The menu featured a section for the health-conscious, with “green” Moroheiya noodles (buckwheat flour, whole grain etc instead of wheat) and lighter protein. I opted for the green noodles with salmon and creamy garlic sauce. While I question the healthiness of that creamy sauce, I can’t complain about the flavor. The dish was well composed, with a good amount of salmon chunks and just enough sauce to make it rich, yet not too heavy. I was worried that the salmon would fall apart and wouldn’t hold up to a creamy noodle dish, but they did something really smart to make it work - the salmon cubes were lightly coated in flour and fried to a perfect crisp without being greasy or overdone. That added a perfect textural contrast to the creamy sauce and smooth noodles and locked in the flavor of the fish at a perfect level of tenderness.
Since I assume the repair work incident is isolated (how often can they be renovating), this is definitely a place I’ll keep in mind for a quick and flavorful meal in the area between downtown and Little Saigon in San Francisco.

Food 9
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 5
Service 8
Value 7

Ben

A Thai place a little south of Nob Hill in SF. We went at around 4-5 PM for a late lunch meal. The place looks overall very hip, with a dark interior, 270 degree bar on the ground level and an offset floor with dining tables. We had a pretty unpleasant experience - to be fair it was not a peak meal time (~4-5 PM), and possibly a singular experience. We walked in and got a table, and then started to hear this tremendously loud drilling. It turned out the bathroom was being worked on (so we couldn't use it), and there were construction workers ~20 feet from the table pounding / drilling away to install a sink. My green curry was fatty with a pretty mild flavor and a pretty small portion, and the service was a little distracted / impatient. Nina's brother did seem to really enjoy his dish, a chicken fried rice. Overall, I can see the potential of the place in its prime condition, but my one experience was not a great one.

Food 5
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 5
Service 5
Value 7

Sala Thai

Location: Fremont, CA
Cuisine type: Thai
Atmosphere: family-friendly, cozy atmosphere
Meal: dinner
Overall grade: 7.67

Ben

A vibrant environment filled with conversation, a lively and popular locale. The service was pretty good, though it could be a little difficult to get their attention. I was in the mood for something a little more intense than the green curry I was served - a little weak despite being warned it was spicy. The house wine was decent and had a fair price, and the mango ice cream is a real winner for a dessert. Overall a pretty solid Thai place, though I have definitely had more amped up flavors.

Food 7

Drinks 8

Atmosphere 9

Service 7

Value 8

Nina

The week between Christmas and New Years Day was not exactly a busy work week - between work holidays and vacation days, we were left with exactly one work day, a lonely Wednesday. Since that was all the time we had at home, it seemed impractical to go grocery shopping and try to cook dinner at home between unpacking from our trip out to the Midwest for Christmas and our impending drive to Disneyland for New Years Day, so we were planning on eating out. Conveniently, a friend was visiting the area so we took the opportunity to meet with her for dinner in Fremont. We found this small(ish) Thai restaurant conveniently close, located in one of the many strip-mall style parking lots so ubiquitous around the Bay Area.

The three of us shared a Thai samosa-looking appetizer, which had a spicy veggie filling, not unlike its Indian cuisine counterpart. In keeping with the Thai flavor profile, this was served with a small cucumber, carrots and cabbage salad topped with crunchy peanuts.

For the entree, I opted for a classic with a twist - Pad Thai with crab meat. The dish was not completely out of the ordinary - fairly plain in flavor, with a pile of saucy rice noodles served along finely shredded veggies and crunchy peanuts. The crab meat addition was the unique component, which I feel enhanced the flavor above and beyond the usual vegetarian or chicken varieties I’ve tried in other restaurants. I also appreciated that the peanuts were minced, which is not always the case, and served on the side with the dish, so I could control if and how much of this ingredient I would add to my plate. The glass of house chardonnay I picked to accompany my meal was merely a pleasant addition, though its role would have been more fitting had my entree been spicy (note to self - ask for more spice next time :) )

Finally, since it was a festive occasion (in the midst of winter holidays, dinner with a friend) we also went for dessert - in our case, we picked sticky rice and mango ice cream. The rice tasted almost too savory and the coconut syrup used to create the sticky effect had a strange, plastic-like aftertaste. The ice cream was tasty, creamy and satisfying, though nothing mind blowing either. Unfortunately (and contrary to my habit) the dessert course actually negatively affected my impression of the meal, which up to this point had been delicious and well executed.

Food 7

Drinks 7
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9

Amarin Thai

Location: Mountain View, CA
Cuisine type: Thai
Atmosphere: authentic decor, lively
Meal: late dinner
Price range: $9 - $15 / entree
Overall grade: 7.3

Ben

It is a difficult decision choosing a restaurant when on Castro Street in Mountain View, but this place looked lively and I was in the mood for Thai, so we tried it out. We started out with a curry shrimp soup served in a fresh coconut shell - what could be more Thai than that? I generally do love these flavors, but I found this dish fantastic. Combining the taste of the creamy soup and shrimp with fresh coconut scraped from the walls is a delicious way to start a meal.. I recommend it (you pay a slight premium for the coconut but I think it's definitely worth the flavor and experience). I ordered a green curry and went with the highest spiciness level - which I was very satisfied with. The dish was rich with flavor and the chicken and vegetables were very well cooked, I really enjoyed it. Our fried mango ice cream dessert was a perfect ending to the meal. The drink selection was decent, a few beers but better wine selection. The atmosphere is lively, chatty, and busy, in a pleasant way. Our only problem was the service was incredibly slow and inconsistent. We had to wait about 30 minutes from when we were finished with our food to wave someone down to order a dessert, then had to chase someone else down 15 minutes later to get the bill. We ended up taking the bill to the register and paying there so we wouldn't have to chase anyone else down to move on with our night. We generally didn't see the same service people twice and they seemed severely understaffed or just slow. The overall food experience was great, but was severely marred by the atrocious service (we were so surprised we looked at other reviews, and found this is a common experience). 

Food         9

Drinks        7
Atmosphere 8
Service       3
Value         7

Nina

Friday night is a good opportunity to take a break from coking dinner at home and try out something new. Going to Castro in Mountain View is an easy decision because of all the amazing choices it hosts within a couple of blocks. Choosing a restaurant, however, is the farthest thing from easy - so many choices! After walking up and down the street a few times, we stopped at Amarin, the first Thai place we've tried in a long time. The restaurant was very busy, with small tables close together and very few open seats.  The food was great, but unfortunately the service suffers from a staff shortage - or at the very least low level of efficiency in service.


It took a while for us to place our order, it seemed like they were quite a bit short on servers for how many customers they had for dinner. I ordered a Castro Cosmo, which was a classic cocktail with an exotic twist - lychee juice. The appetizer was also exotic in flavor, and even more so in its presentation - coconut curry prawn soup in a young coconut. The seafood was tender and perfectly cooked, the broth was mild a creamy, and the mushrooms, corn and young coconut pulp were perfect complements to complete the dish.


My entree was also something I had never tried before - whole soft shell crab, deep fried in panko bread crumbs and served on a bed of lettuce with a cucumber hoisin salad and crumbled peanuts on the side. The breading on the crab was just a tad too greasy, but otherwise the inside was tender and juicy, overall a positive first experience with this type of dish.


To finish such an interesting meal, we just had to order a unique dessert - the fried mango ice cream. The breading was similar to that of the soft shell crab, almost too similar, but the creamy ice-cream inside was delicious.

Food         8

Drinks        9
Atmosphere 8
Service       5
Value         7