Marnee Thai - San Francisco

2225 Irving Street
San Francisco CA 94122
(415) 665-9500
Parking: street parking
http://www.marneethaisf.com/

Last Visited: July 2010

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Chef Chai and his wife, May, opened Marnee Thai in 1986. Although we have walked by their restaurant on a regular basis, a recent episode of Check Please was compelling enough to finally draw us into their establishment. All three guests on Check Please said positive things about the food and experience they had there, and since they rarely all agree, that was enough to seal the deal.

Inside Marnee Thai, you feel a bit like you’re transported away from the neighborhood of Irving Street into an exotic land – the aromas that permeate the air and the bamboo decorations that line the wall and ceilings definitely add to the atmosphere. However, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit cramped in the small space between our table and the wall and the narrow aisles between tables.

Once seated, glasses of water and menus came right away. There is certainly a sense of efficiency about the service as dishes came and left the table throughout the evening and their great level of anticipation of what the customer wants next makes it happen very quickly.

The specials featured on Check Please were available this evening and I ordered a few based on the recommendation of the tv show’s guests.

- Spicy Angel Wings – To start our meal, we choose the angel wings. About eight or nine chicken wings are deep fried and then stir-fried in a sweet and spicy chili garlic sauce with more basil. I was surprised at the generous portion, and this dish was one of my favorite parts of the meal. The wings are crispy and yet the sauce adds so much flavor – you’re not sure if it’s spicy or sweet next, and it makes you want to eat more of this incredible dish. $7.50

- Pad Thai with Prawns– I always order pad thai (pan fried rice noodles, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, and fresh cilantro) when I go to a Thai restaurant for the first time because it tells me a lot. Here, the sauce is on the sweeter side and the noodles were a more moist than usual, causing them to break apart. Two to three stars on this dish because although the portion was good and the shrimp was cooked right, the noodles falling apart was a bit disappointing. $8.95

- Hor Mok – This was one of the specials, only available on weekends, that was also featured on the show. Banana leaves are shaped into a somewhat square container/tray, and the inside is filled with fish, shredded cabbage, and Thai basil. It’s topped with a curry mousse and an egg white, then steamed. The presentation is definitely unique and as you scoop out the contents, you’ll see that the fish is nice and flaky. It tasted fresh with very strong aromas of basil. For me, I found the basil to be a bit overwhelming, and I wasn’t quite accustomed to the soft textures. I would have preferred it without the cabbage since that seemed to take away from the fish a bit, but it may also be a way of extending the dish. The mousse is definitely delicate in texture, but it’s definitely new and different. If you want to be adventurous, this might be a good route. Now that I’ve had it once, I would probably order some of the other dishes available on the menu. $11.50

- Simmered Panang Pork Curry – Another dish that was listed as a special was this pork curry. It’s slow cooked and simmered in a curry and coconut sauce. Fresh Thai basil is cut and placed on top of the pork. Broccoli flowerettes accompany the dish. If you like carnitas, you’ll love this dish – the meat is super tender and comes apart easily. The flavor profile, color of the sauce, and the consistency of the sauce definitely reminded me of eating Mexican food. $10.95

- Steamed Rice - Good rice. $1.50

Once the tables filled up, the place was really bustling. The staff was yelling in Thai to one another – although I couldn’t understand the language, the gist of message had to do with tables and moving people. This constant yelling, while I’m accustomed to it in Chinese restaurants, seems to go against the ambiance that Marnee Thai is trying to display.

While the table next to us was asked if things were okay repeatedly by several different people (which seemed a bit too attentive in my opinion), probably the most disruptive event I witnessed was the staff’s execution of bringing in another table into the dining room. With the additional publicity from the tv show, there was quite a large group of people waiting outside the door this evening. The staff promptly minimized the waiting area and added another table in its place. This would have been fine in itself, except that the staff then proceeded to have all the patrons seated along that wall whom were in the process of enjoying their meal adjust their seat accordingly so that more room could be made for the new table. There is nothing like having someone motion to you while you’re eating to move your seat and table to accommodate more people that can really change how you’re feeling about dining in that establishment. Mind you, I have no problems with this when food hasn’t shown up at the table, but mid-meal, well, this act lacks professionalism.

Marnee Thai offers food with great flavor, but the densely packed tables, loud conversations and directions from the staff, and hustle and bustle reduced the ratings I gave for atmosphere and service by one star each. However, I would certainly consider going back to Marnee Thai to check out some of their other dishes, and try to leave room for dessert too (there is a great fried banana with coconut ice cream dish available).