(510) 525-7000
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am -3pm, Mon - Sun 5pm-10pm
http://thep-naaree.com/
Last Visited: October 28, 2006
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$
I was planning a small dinner get together in the East Bay, and Mike recommended Thep Naree Thai to me. Although it's not much to look at from the outside, the interior is decorated quite nicely and includes a hand painted mural of Thai goddesses and the like. Some of the cushioned seats and tables are the type where you step onto a platform and put your legs into the well, although they also have normal tables and chairs too. You'll find cloth napkins amidst mellow dark green colors along with maple finishes.
If you're the type that enjoys planning and checking out the menu ahead of time, their website is really nice and offers a link to a photo of each dish next to its name on the menu. That way, you'll really know what you're getting into. The photos are pretty accurate too, as you can see from my Pineappled Fried Rice. Their serving plates are really nice and this would be a great place to take guests to try some Thai dishes.
Since it's been a while since my visit, I'll list some of what I tried (there was so much food) and share overall impressions.
- Pineapple Fried Rice - Rice is fried with, diced chicken, prawns, diced pineapple, green pea and raisins and served in pineapple boat. I like how the raisins balanced out the flavor and again, very nice presentation. $9.95
- Pla Nung Ma Nao - Basa is steamed and served with lime juice, Thai chili and fresh garlic, served with steamed cabbage. Broccoli and carrots are served on the side and also used as a garnish. $11.95- Cashew Chicken - Chunks of chicken are stir fried with cashews, red onions, scallions, and mushrooms in a chili sauce. $8.50
- Yellow Curry - Chicken is braised and cooked with potato in a
creamy yellow curry containing coconut milk. It's served in a cute light green bowl that has edges that make it look like a flower. $8.50- Stir Fried Eggplant - Eggplant is stir fired with red and green bell peppers and sweet basil in a soybean paste sauce. This dish is available with your choice of chicken, beef, or pork. It's served on a pretty flower plate. $8.50
Our group of over ten people also tried at least one of the savory appetizer cakes and more vegetable dishes. If I recall correctly, we had the Spicy Crispy Catfish too which is served in a chili paste. The majority of the dishes were excellent - beautifully presented and very fresh. The catfish tasted like it had been frozen previously with a bit of that freezer taste, so I'm sure if I went back, I wouldn't order that again.Going to Thep Naree Thai in a small group would probably be very
satisfactory, but when ordering so many dishes, I found that a lot of the sauces started to taste the same - many dishes come with a sweet chili paste as a serving sauce, and although you probably won't notice it with a small party, the sauces - oyster sauce, sweet and sour sauce, and chili sauce - seem to repeat again and again.Service was attentive throughout the evening. If you have a craving for Thai or want to get a small group together, I think you'll enjoy most of the dishes that Thep Naree has to offer as well as its setting. The prices are also reasonable. If you're seeking a variety of flavors, then you'll need to really piece together your selection to avoid duplication.
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