Saap Thai Kitchen - South San Francisco

 427 Linden Ave, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 989-8220
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:30am-2:30pm; 4:30pm-8:30pm; Sat 10:30am-7pm, 10:30am-7pm

Last Visited: June 3, 2023

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

Saap Thai Kitchen opened two weeks ago and took the spot of the former Siam Spoon location.  They have refreshed the decor a bit and a couple wall-sized mural decorate the large walls - freshly painted, you can see they're dated May 2023 and done by hand, giving the place a unique look that you won't find elsewhere in town.  

We arrived early in the evening and were promptly greeted by the friendly hostess.  

- Pad See Ew- This wide rice noodle dish has a lot of great flavor and comes with your choice of chicken, pork, or beef.  For three dollars more, you can have your choice of squid or shrimp instead.  We chose beef, and found it a bit on the tough side - this was likely due to the meat not being marinated with some tenderizer, but the flavor was definitely there.  It's a touch on the sweet side. Also, the rice noodles were a bit more broken down than I would have liked, but nothing was burnt which is good; getting the noodles hot enough and staying whole can be a challenge with these noodles depending if they're super fresh or day old. Mixed in are a few crowns of broccoli and carrot slices.  Some minor improvements to the meat would make this dish better, but still good. $12.95

- Panang Curry - Similar to the above dish, you can choose your protein and we selected beef again.  The beef in this dish was a bit more tender than that in the pad see ew - maybe due to a shorter cooking time? It could still stand to have a little bit of tenderizer, but the cut of meat itself was ok and fresh.  The flavor of this curry is terrific with a bit of heat, and you can see the lemongrass slices and bay leaf along with sauteed onions.  The curry is served with a side of fresh steamed vegetables - cabbage, broccoli, and sliced carrots.  The vegetables are drained well so it doesn't water down the sauce.  I would recommend this curry.  Note that it's not the super thick kind - it's a different style, but still delicious nonetheless. $13.95

- Jasmine Rice - Standard stuff.  Good portion. $3

- Thai Iced Tea - One free tea for purchases over $25. Good and not watered down. 

Three stars for this overall experience since the food tasted good and they likely still need to dial in their cooking.  Prices are very reasonable for the portions, food is fresh, and service is friendly as the host checked on us during the start and middle of the meal and had a great attitude.  Lunch specials are available for about $15.  Check out this small family-owned business and get a Panang curry.

Champa Garden - Thai, San Francisco

613 Faxon Ave, San Francisco CA 94112
(415) 349-4186
Parking: street parking
Hours: 11am-3pm, 5-9pm

Last Visited: May 31, 2014

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3-4 stars
Service: 3-4 stars
Price: $$

Champa Garden is fairly new to the West Portal area.  The Tams brought us to this popular lunch spot. Champa has a nice bar and modern atmosphere.  Service is friendly and presentation of the dishes is clean. Even for weekend lunch, the place was packed.

- Champa Sampler - This is a great way to try three of their appetizers.  Lao sausages are made with pork, lemongrass, herbs, and peppers.  This is served sliced and I found it to be a little on the fatty side - the fat could be blended in more finely.  The peppers make it mildly spicy, and the ends are a little dry. The fried rice ball salad is unique.  Crispy fried rice is mixed with preserved pork, sliced green onions, and lime juice. This is served with fresh green leaf lettuce, mint, and cilantro.  It's a Thai version of a lettuce wrap. It's a bit on the crumbly side, and hard to keep in the wrap.  Eat it quickly so you can enjoy the crunch of the crispy rice. The last item that comes with the sampler is two fried wrapped spring rolls that are filled with noodles and a little mushroom.  It's like a fried Vietnamese spring roll, but I found it to be a little bland since there wasn't much in it.  At least it was fried well.  Okay as a whole.  The wraps are fun, but I would prefer to order the fried chicken wings. $11.95

- Pumpkin curry with pork - The pumpkin curry is a good standard.  Creamy from the coconut milk and sweet from the curry, this blend is delicious.  Of all of the meats we selected, the pork was cooked right and not overdone.  This is a great dish to try and presented in a petal shaped bowl. $8.95

- Pad Mah Kuer - Spicy eggplant is pan fried with That basil, garlic, bell pepper with choice of meat - we selected beef.  The dish wasn't particularly spicy, but it tasted as it should.  The eggplant was delicious, but the bad thing was the meat, although plentiful, was overcooked and chewy.  Get this one without meat.  $8.95

- Pad Thai with chicken - Pad Thai noodles are pan fried with dry shrimp, eggs, tofu, and green onions.  This is topped with raw bean sprouts and crushed peanuts.  Another standard, this pad thai tasted as expected, but the temperature could have been hotter.  Leaving the temperature on the cooler side allowed the noodles to stay al dente, but I prefer it to be steaming hot instead of close to room temperature.  Once again, you have your choice of meat.  The tofu was a little dense and chewy.  The chicken breast slices were overdone also and hard to eat. On the plus side, the bean sprouts had been cleaned with the roots removed for better presentation. $8.95

- Rice-  Fairly standard - it had a little of the browned edge from the cooking pot; it would have been better without that.  $1.50

Champa Garden has very good prices, but most of the meat in our dishes was overcooked.  The servers were friendly and accommodating. One of my dining companions did find something in one of the dishes - we're not sure if it was part of an herb or something else - pretty hard to decipher, but aside from that, the food had good flavor overall.  If you're in the area, and looking for a good value, Champa is worth a stop, but you might consider going vegetarian.

Chang Puak (White Elephant) - Thai, Noodles, South San Francisco

146 Hazelwood Drive, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 873-8341
Parking: limited street parking
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11-3pm, 5-9pm, Sun: 5-9pm
http://www.whiteelephantssf.com

Last Visited: April 6, 2013

Food: 4 stars (if not for the contaminant)
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

Chang (Thai for elephant) Puak (white) is located in a small strip mall across the street from Smart and Final.  While it's a pretty small place, they have really tried to load it with character in terms of decor and in flavors.  This family-owned business shows a lot of care in explaining food to its patrons - for those who might find the yellow curry to be too yellow, or the sauce to be different from what they expect, the wait staff takes the time to come and explain that the food is from the Northern region, which is atypical of what is found at many Bay Area Thai restaurants. 

- Beef Tendon Stew - One of the specials for the evening - the beef was tender and there was a nice peanut flavor throughout the broth.  It's a little reminscent of five spice beef stew noodles.  However, when I was dividing the egg noodles, I found a hair.  I have to give them a hand for how they handled it though - they immediately apologized, took the dish away, brought me a new bowl, and didn't charge me a thing.  I've found hair in a number of my dishes, and this was by far handled in a way that tops the list in terms of customer service (way better than my experience at Morimoto Napa and John Ash in Santa Rosa).  Good job Chuang Puak!  The noodle soup/stew was also really good - perfect for cold weather. $9.25


- Green Curry with Pork - One thing I noticed is that Chuang Puak's prices might be a dollar more than other Thai places, but the portions are also slightly larger. This curry was a bit different than some of the other green curry that I've tried - it doesn't seem to have coconut milk in it.  The pork was tender and the sauce goes well over rice.  I also liked the eggplant and how it soaked up the sauce.  Good. $8.25

- Pad Thai with Prawns - One of my primary complaints when eating Thai is that places often skimp on the shrimp.  Here, they give you eight prawns which is often double of what you find at other places.  Standard ingredients like egg, bean sprouts, and green onions make are served with the al dente noodles.   $9.25

- Rice $2

A little different flavors than the typical Thai restaurant, Chang Puak is worth trying out.  Since they handled the contaminant incident so well, and the flavors were good, I would be willing to return to see how their other dishes fare.  Note that the restaurant is a bit small and tends to get packed on weekend evenings, so eat early or eat late to avoid the crowds. 

Thai House - Santa Rosa

525 Fourth St, Santa Rosa CA 95401
(707) 526-3939
Parking: street parking or nearby parking lots
Last Visited: February 1, 2007

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Thai House is located on the second floor, so when you are walking on the street, look for a staircase and a sign – both are a bit obstructed from view by the other nearby restaurants, but be on the lookout and you’ll see it.

Thai House has been in downtown Santa Rosa for quite some time. They’re especially known for their seating and regulars also receive special treatment. The seats are interesting. The main dining area has regular tables and chairs. In the rear, there is a raised area with short tables, creating floor seating. They provide thick cushions, both flat (for you to sit on) and triangular ones (for leaning) that are covered in gold fabric. It definitely creates an authentic feel. The area with the raised seating is decorated with dark walls, dark carpet, and outlines of Thai figures. Guests are required to take off their shoes before entering this section. The tables are situated such that two long tables are on the sides of the room and smaller tables are located at the very rear just behind the small set of stairs.

It’s been about six or seven years since my last visit. Having visited many of the Thai restaurants in Sonoma County, when I compare Thai House with the rest, I found the ambience at Thai House nice, but better food can be found in the area. This recent visit confirmed my previous observations.

This evening, we had a large party of over ten people. The Christmas decorations were still present with Christmas lights on the railing along with a garland of green synthetic material. Upon my arrival, the staff pointed out where to go (my view of the table was blocked by the wall dividing the room with regular tables and chairs and the room with the raised floor. It would have been better service for the waitstaff to actually walk us to the location considering it wasn’t very far away and would have added a personal touch. When we ordered, the waitress stayed at the corner of the table and looked at us as we each stated what we wanted. Surprisingly, the acoustics aren’t bad when everyone is quiet. The wait staff typically wear authentic Thai clothing too.

- Satay – Five skewers of grilled chicken (beef also an available choice) are served with a small cucumber salad and a small dish of peanut sauce. The chicken had noticeable grill marks and were placed on a bed of lettuce. Presentation was nice. The cucumber salad had a nice flavor and there were small pieces of red onion. The peanut sauce was thick and had good flavor also. The chicken was dense and lacked flavor. It took a bit of effort to remove the chicken from the skewer which seemed to indicate that the meat was overcooked. Fair. $6.95

- Yellow Curry – You can select chicken, beef, or tofu curry. I selected chicken. The curry made with coconut milk is smooth and creamy. Chicken breast is cut in pieces and cooked with potatoes, red and green bell peppers, and the curry sauce. All is served in a shallow oval dish. Good flavor, though the portions are small. The curry is served medium, so if you like spicy, be sure to ask for increased heat. I liked how there weren’t too many vegetables stuffed in as filler, but it wasn’t outstanding. $9.95

- Pad Thai – Rice noodles are cooked with your choice of chicken or tofu. I selected tofu. The tofu comes in small cubes and along with the rice noodles, there are bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, and on the side, you’ll see shredded lettuce topped with a wedge of tomato. These side vegetables aren’t particularly traditional, but you often see it as decoration. I found this dish to be okay. The noodles were a little too al dente for me – not quite the way rice noodles should be, so just okay as a dish overall. Flavor was good, although there was also an excess of chopped peanuts. $7.95

- Rice – The quantity of rice was good since the bowl tended to be bigger, but not perfect rice quality and texture. Okay. $1

- Thai Iced Tea – This was a large tea and the flavor was good, but the complaint I have is that at bottom of my cup, there was a small pile of tea leaves, and unfortunately, it wasn’t leaves, but very fine powder which basically ruined the overall drink when I was finishing it off. Good tea, but presentation with fine tea at the bottom isn’t acceptable for a sweet drink. $2

When our fellow dining companion asked for peanut sauce, he was not told he would be charged extra for it, which seems like something you should inform the customer of or just provide it for free. They also add 18% gratuity for large parties.

I felt most dishes could have been served hotter in temperature, and the curry could be hotter in flavor, but considering the large group, it may have cooled down during transport. The food was placed on carts and brought into the room. The seats are not comfortable, especially if you sit on the railing side (as opposed to the wall side) since there is no place to lean. Sitting across from someone at the table also ends up in either very uncomfortable Indian style seating with legs asleep at the end of the meal or a friendly get to know the person across from you all out footsie war. Worse yet, it could be feet in your lap for dinner. Check out the Thai House for atmosphere, but food and service are fair to okay.

Noodle Palace - Vietnamese, Thai, Santa Rosa

1310 Petaluma Hill Road, Santa Rosa CA 95404

(707)  528-1548

Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Mon - Sat 10:30am - 9:30pm, Sun 10:30am - 8:30pm

Last Visited: July 2, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $ to $$

My aunt and uncle recommended we try out Noodle Palace.  If ever the phrase 'looks can be deceiving' were appropriate to talk about a restaurant, Noodle Palace is certainly the place where if you were looking only at the outside, you might run in the opposite direction fast.  However, I've now been there twice, and both times, I was pleased with the food.  If you can look past the white building with red roof and homemade white sign with red letters, you might enjoy what Noodle Palace has to offer.

My guess is that location once housed a Mexican restaurant.  With a white brick wall and metal fencing above the wall surrounding their own parking lot and more metal bars covering up the windows of the restaurant, the outside decor doesn't seem to fit Southeast Asian or Vietnamese food.  When you see the arches inside the restaurant, you might also be surprised, but inside, you'll find a simple and clean environment with large wall murals depicting Thai or Laotian women dancing and of course, the giant flat screen television (very common for restaurants of this style in the Bay Area).   A white board at the front shows that Noodle Palace has added a number of specials to its Vietnamese menu and the specials are typically Thai curries and other Thai dishes.  The restaurant has morphed into offering Southeast Asian food.  I talked to the owner and found out that they're of Cambodian descent, so they pretty much feel comfortable cooking everything from that region.  In the cooler up front, you'll see the selection of beer available and get a look at the tri-colored drinks/desserts (rainbow drink) unique to Southeast Asian cuisine.

During our first visit for dinner, we had bowls of pho.

- Pho -  The hot soup came with with well done flank, brisket, tendon, and tripe.  As is typical with these bowls, the noodles are formed into a ball at the bottom with hot broth poured on top along with the selection of meat you have chosen.  Accompanying the soup is a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, jalapenos, and a wedge of lime.  I liked how the broth was lighter than some of the other places in town, but still very flavorful and delicious.  Good. Four stars.  XLarge $7.95, Large $6.95, Small $5.95

- Pad Thai  - The pad thai came with a choice of meat.  When we asked the server about the chicken and whether it was breast or dark meat, she responded breast meat.  One of my fellow diners ordered this dish with chicken and the other with pork.  The chicken turned out to be dark meat.  The pork tasted like it had been boiled and then stir fried, so it wasn't very flavorful and a little dry.  The noodles were good - softer than some other preparations we had tried, but not falling apart yet.  The flavors also weren't as sweet which we appreciated.  Bean sprouts, shredded carrots, and lime wedges accompanied the noodles.  Presentation looks a little messier than some others that I've seen, but the taste was good.  The carrots were a bit on the dry side - however they're storing it, it should be covered with saran wrap to maintain moisture better.  Aside from that, I found it alright.  Three stars.  $8.95

- Rice Plate with BBQ Pork, prawns, and egg rolls - The BBQ Pork is marinated and sliced thin, then grilled.  After it comes off the grill, it's sliced into small squares.  The meat is served with a skewer containing three grilled shrimp, an egg roll, pickled vegetables, white rice, dipping sauce, and a bowl of clear broth.  There is a lot of food on this plate!  The BBQ pork tasted super fresh and with the dipping sauce, it's a great balance of sweet, salty, and grill flavoring.  The shrimp was cooked just right - tender and succulent.  The egg roll was crispy and very fresh.  The pickled cabbage and carrots added texture and balance to the dish.  I was delighted with the plate that came and enjoyed it thoroughly.  Four stars!  I would definitely get this again.  $7.95

Service is friendly and when it comes to pho, it's fast.  For stir-fried dishes, the wait time is longer. I was disappointed that our server didn't know that the chicken meat for the pad thai was actually dark meat.  Also, when you're waiting for your check, you might want to flag down the server because they don't normally bring it until you ask.  Payment is made at the front counter. 

Overall, the food is reasonably priced and the value is great.  From what I've tried so far, I would stick to the Vietnamese dishes for more authentic flavors, but I would be willing to try a Thai curry dish or two to see how it goes. 

If I were to give Noodle Palace some advice, I would suggest they work on their servers' knowledge of the food more and also consider upgrading the exterior.  A little paint in bright Southeast Asian colors (maybe chartreuse or orange) or at the least, a change of their signage, would guarantee attracting more customers, and once inside, the food will keep them coming back.

Thai Mekong - Santa Rosa

52 Mission Plaza, Suite #111, Santa Rosa CA 95409
(707) 538-8382
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: Mon through Sat 11am to 8:30pm, Closed Sundays

Last Visited: May 26, 2005

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

Enter Thai Melong and see the shape of a T. The front area is the top of the T with a lot of tables for two and a few smaller tables that seat four. The entrance directly leads to the hallway, the bottom of the T. The textured creamy colored walls are decorated with large painted fans in this hall on one side, and no decorations on the other wall. The windows are decorated with wood carvings in each corner. In the rear of the restaurant is a wine rack and photos of Thai officials and small altars dedicated to them. The restaurant opened in December 2004.

The dark wood tables are covered with white paper placemats, a napkin, fork, and spoon. They bring glasses of water after seating you. The menus are simple - one side of the paper features Thai cuisine. The other side features teriyaki dishes and other dishes typically seen on Chinese menus.

The items shown on the menu are available with steamed rice. Add $1 to the price shown on the menu for the dinner price.

- Yellow Curry: Choice of meat (chicken, beef, or pork) is cooked in yellow curry and served in a large bowl. Carefully quartered half inch slices of potato and cut carrots accompany the meat. Steamed rice is served on the side. The curry was flavored with creamy coconut milk and with just a touch of heat. I selected chicken. Very good, especially if you like creamy sauce with your rice. $6.75

The first item listed on the menu was green curry. The interesting I found was that our server cautioned us that it wasn’t typical green curry, so we may or may not like it. My fellow tablemates had some spicy sautéed dishes. They weren’t quite as satisfied by theirs explaining that it was too salty for their tastes or not quite what they expected.

I would go back again to try the red curry. I’m a bit cautious about the other dishes though, but there are many on the list and I didn’t even mention that they have Cajun dishes too. I’m a bit curious to find out what those are like.

Sea Modern Thai Cuisine - Petaluma

600 Petaluma Blvd South, Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 766-6633
Sea Thai Bistro, Santa Rosa and Corte Madera
Parking: street parking
http://seathaibistro.com/

Last Visited: April 1, 2006

Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 2 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

SEA has a modern décor that matches its name. From the street, the windows show the high tables and chairs with people enjoying the food. It’s got a trendy feel with warm rich colors and wall hangings. Walk up the steps and see the giant Buddha surrounded by tropical faux flowers and plants including birds of paradise and orchids. On the left side is the kitchen and large stainless steel hoods above it. Just below, large orange flames burst up as Chef Tony cooks. On the right side is bench seating covered with small cushions. A large mirror gives the room a more open feel. The place has a posh atmosphere and would be ideal for date night. The tile floor is reddish orange with cobalt blue small tiles inset between the large ones. The room is painted a muted red with blues and browns around. Colorful table runners hang from the wall. Tapestries show elephants on them and there are bamboo stalks in vases around the room. Also on the walls are plates, wine glasses, and bottles.

Above the open kitchen is a chalkboard that lists the desserts and specials of the day. The servers all wear black long sleeve colored shirts with bright reddish/orange ties. The tables are covered with table cloths and lined in white paper. On each table are wine glasses, a tea light candle, two forks and a knife per seating. The room is noisy as the music is overpowered by people’s conversation. As the evening progresses, the restaurant gets packed. Reservations are not accepted, and the waiting area is small, so prepare yourself for a wait if you come during rush hour.

- Savory Lamb Satay – Lamb is marinated in coconut milk and curry, then skewered and grilled. The satay is served with cucumber vinaigrette and peanut sauce. The skewered meat was a little too sweet and slightly overdone. They would have been better if they had been cooked to medium rather than well-done. Nice presentation on a long rectangular white dish. The cucumber vinaigrette (cucumber slices with red onions in a light, sweet vinegar dressing) was refreshing. Okay. $8

- Starters Parade – The starters parade includes two spring roles, two Portobello mushroom, two chicken satay, two mummy chicken, and two The Little Basket. It was served with two dipping sauces (peanut sauce for the satay and another sauce for the spring rolls). The menu stated that crispy prawns and fish cakes would be part of the starters parade, but instead, we got the list above (mushrooms in place of one thing, and nothing to replace the second item. This is not noticeable unless you’re like me and go back to the menu. I didn’t ‘try the spring rolls, but the mushroom is cut thick and breaded in a tempura like batter. The menu says it is toped with roasted sesame seeds, but it was not. Good, but not enough quantity(especially not if it was supposed to replace the seafood). The chicken satay are large pieces of chicken breast marinated in coconut milk and curry. I found the chicken on the dry side and only better when accompanied by the peanut sauce. It was difficult to get off the skewer (another sign of too dry). The mummy chicken was wrapped in pandan leaves. I don’t remember seeing a bacon strip, and the piece is very small – about the size of your pinky. It too was dry (probably since it was deep fried and not breaded). The little basket is made of fried egg noodles broken up and tossed with a sweet and sour sauce, mixed nuts, shredded carrots, cilantro, and lots of red onion. I found the red onion to be a bit overpowering since it was in chunks though it had been sliced. The menu describes it as served on fresh spinach leaves, but it was served on romaine leaves. Overall, I’m probably more disappointed by the fact that there aren’t prawns and fish cake anymore, but it’s a good way to try everything. I would suggest ordering spring rolls and Portobello mushroom as starters on their own. $14

- The Famous Pad Thai Noodle with Prawns - About four or five prawns are served with these rice noodles in a sweet tamarind sauce. Egg, ground peanuts, green onions, bean sprouts, and carrots are stir-fried with the noodles. The menu states that it’s served with fresh lettuce and lime. We received a slice of lemon and a lot of fresh spinach and lettuce in what looked like a salad. The salad took up about a quarter of the plate. I would have preferred the pad thai without the salad. Good flavor. $12

- Mother of Pearl with Beef – Served with steamed rice, this dish contains very large florets of broccoli. The dish is described as stir fried with garlicky oyster and wine sauce, served on a bed of lightly steamed broccoli crowns. There was no description of what was being stir fired in the garlicky sauce though. When it came out, it looked like broccoli beef. The florets were huge. Too huge in fact. The beef was only a fair cut and a bit chewy. I think I can cook better broccoli beef at home. $10

- Red Pumpkin Curry with Chicken – Red curry paste and coconut milk are cooked with pumpkin squash, bell peppers, onions, carrots, zucchini, and sweet basil. The chicken in this dish was breast meat. The flavor is delicious and the concoction is served in a large square white bowl. The zucchini wasn’t present, but there was yellow squash. It’s accompanied with a side of steamed rice. You’ll probably need more rice so that you can enjoy the curry. Creamy with great flavor, but a bit too many vegetables. It’s one of the better dishes overall. $11

- Green Curry with Chicken – Green curry paste and coconut milk with the same vegetables as that listed above, and some mushrooms. Again, no zucchini, but yellow squash instead. Great, flavorful curry. And you’ll want more rice to enjoy it. $10

- Sea Fried Rice with Chicken – When you look at the rice, it looks too moist, but when you taste it, it’s okay. The rice is flavored with a bit of fish sauce and has a tan color. There are a lot of vegetables in the fried rice – too many vegetables. The menu states that onion, tomato, corn, and red bell pepper are in the fried rice. I found everything except the corn. There was definitely no corn in this dish. For the chicken, SEA uses chicken breast. Overall, this dish was unimpressive, but the flavor was okay. $10

- Steamed Rice – The rice is served on a small white square plate and topped with sesame. During the first visit, I found the rice a bit too soggy/sticky, but it was better upon my second visit. $1

After two visits, I found the service to be consistently fair, leaving much to be desired. The curries and pad thai noodles are recommended, but other dishes seem overfilled with salad and large vegetables that overpower the meat in portion and presentation. I would have left the higher rating if the vegetables hadn't overtaken the meat in some of the other dishes. Food quality is fresh, but as a whole, there are other places to try. Atmosphere would have received a higher rating, but the noise drops it to a 3 to 4 star range. Great if you enjoy a trendy atmosphere.

Pongo's Kitchen & Tap - Thai/Burgers, Petaluma

701 Sonoma Mountain Parkway #C8, Petaluma CA 94954
(707) 765-9800
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
http://www.pongospetaluma.com/
Last Visited: June 2, 2012
Food: 3 stars

Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars

Service: 2 stars

Price: $ to $$

Sadness.  After visiting Pongo's about a year after my initial visit, I have downgraded the food from 4 stars to 3 stars and service down to 2 stars.  While the flavors are still there for the pumpkin curry, I was thoroughly disappointed by the fact that the steamed rice was not fresh.  I've heard that the food is the highest quality when Pongo is actually in the house, but today, he was off, so the food was also off.  The rice wasn't steaming and was actually a little bit hard.  As I separated the mound of rice, I noticed that it wasn't hot inside. It seemed like it had just been microwaved. 

- Prawn rolls - The menu describes it as fried crispy rolls that are stuffed with prawns and chicken along with red curry and basil.  A ginger chili dipping sauce accompanies the dish. I was pretty disappointed by these rolls.  Five rolls are served on a plate and you pretty much just taste the prawn.  The texture of the other items just blends in and I felt like texture contrast was missing.  The roll lacked a freshness to it and wasn't as crispy as it could have been.  I wouldn't get this again.  $8.50

The service was still amateurish. We had a different server, but when he brought out the plates for our appetizer, he just left them in a pile on the table without distributing them. I was surprised that he left them this way since they weren't busy - there was only one other table of people.  

Pongo's can be really good - they just need to be more disciplined and make sure that the food quality stays as high as possible even when Pongo is away.  If they can do that and perfect the service more, they'll be back on top again.

May 7, 2011 visit

Pongo's opened up about a month ago and has taken over the spot formerly occupied by Julian's.  Located in the same shopping center as G&G Market, it's very accessible and will be a nice addition to this area if it can attract enough clientele.  Fellow foodie James went there a couple of times and recommended it to me highly for Thai food.

After James told me about Pongo's, I tried to find some information about them on the internet, but only found a very sparse Facebook page.  There were some good reviews on yelp, but no visible web presence - no photos, no menu - with a name like Pongo's, I wasn't clear about what kind of restaurant I would be going to try out.   

I was very surprised to find that it was called Pongo's Kitchen and Tap.  That name was still a little confusing, but after I saw the bar with two large screen televisions above it, along with the combination menu of primarily traditional Thai dishes and burgers, I have to admit, I was still a bit confused.  After talking to the owners, it started to make sense.  Pongo had partnered with another family and their two ideas had combined to form this restaurant.  While burgers and sandwiches may serve the bar folks, Thai food with fun comments like "he can cook; he really can" to describe Nick's special pan fried rice noodles, are the highlight of the menu. 

Pongo was formerly the chef at Jhanthong Banbua in Santa Rosa (one of my former favorite lunch places when I worked in the area) and he also owned the Thai fast food station at Northgate Mall.  Knowing he once cooked at Jhanthong, I had a feeling I would enjoy the food.

- Chicken Satay - Marinated, grilled chicken breast skewers served with a peanut dipping sauce and a cucumber salad cup.  The fact that the chicken was marinated made an incredible difference.  The white meat chicken was tender and moist.  The peanut dipping sauce was rich and paired well with the chicken.  While the ingredients of the cucumber salad were standard, I would prefer it to be more tart - the dressing/vinegar was a little too light and almost bland.  Great chicken. $7

Choice of chicken, beef, pork, or tofu are available for most of the dishes.  Add $2 for prawns, $3 for combination or fresh mixed seafood.

- Pad Thai Noodles - The pad thai noodles contain the same ingredients as what you would find at most Thai restaurants, but what I really appreciated was that it wasn't too sweet and the noodles had a terrific texture - slightly al dente, yet still very tender.  he colors also show how nicely it was presented.  I selected beef for this dish and found that the beef was tender and didn't have any hint of being frozen.  The color of the sauce leans more on the brown (versus orange side). Very good. $8.50

- Pumpkin Curry - Kabocha squash, bell pepper, bamboo shoots, and basial in a red curry sauce, served with steamed rice  This pumpkin curry was a little more thin than I prefer, but it had good flavor.  I selected tofu for this dish.  There was a good balance of red peppers, and other vegetables - there were no 'filler' vegetables as I call them (sometimes you find cabbage and other things that don't seem to belong or aren't authentic to curry dishes), but this didn't even have a hint of that issue.  I am curious to know if there would be as much meat as there was tofu if I had selected meat.  I also liked how they had included rice with the dish - at most Thai places, you need to order rice separately.  $8.75

Service was friendly and I saw that a lot of patrons knew the restaurant owners.  However, some of the people assisting with serving tonight weren't familiar with the menu or even what table numbers corresponded with which location.  Also, as the restaurant began to fill up and we were finishing our meal, it took a long time for someone to come back to clear the table and bring the check.

Pongo's has a lot of potential, but they have a few kinks to work out.  They need a more prominent sign outside because the temporary one isn't very eye-catching.  All of the staff need to be familiar with the menu, otherwise, they need to stay behind the counter or assist in some other manner.  They need to build a stronger web presence to attract new clients.  Fortunately, the food is delicious - good enough that I would go back and try more of their menu, but until these other things get worked out, it will be harder to pull in new people and get them to keep coming back.

Thai Taste - Santa Rosa

170 Farmer Lane #8, Santa Rosa CA 95405
(707) 526-3888
Parking: in shopping center parking lot
Hours: Mon through Fri 11am to 3pm, 4:30 to 9pm, Sat 4 to 9pm, Closed Sundays

Last Visited: March 19, 2010

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Thai Taste was a small, but quaint establishment located inside a small shopping center. In 2009, the restaurant expanded into the adjacent store and has become much more spacious and elegant. While the original restaurant (now the main entry) had textured walls that are sponged a light yellow and ivory, and there is a lot of darker wood around the room, the new expanded area looks modern with light boxes displaying unique Thai art and figures, maple dividers to lighten up the room, while the tables are still made with a dark wood and are covered by maroon tablecloths.

Some of the better known dishes (which were also ones I have tried before) include their fresh roll, pumpkin curry, and papaya salad. Although I have been here multiple times, it has certainly been a while since my last visit. During my most recent lunch here (a visit made in November of 2004), a number of specials were offered and served with rice and choice of soup or salad.

- Salad – This salad accompanied the lunch special. A small portion that included a mix of iceberg and romaine lettuce is topped with a peanut dressing. The salad didn’t contain much variety, but the dressing was creamy and light. The salad would have been better topped with some shredded carrots to add color to the dish.

- Pumpkin Curry – Red curry paste is cooked with coconut milk, diced pumpkin, carrot slices, bell pepper slices, peas, bamboo shoots, zucchini, and Thai basil. For the lunch special, this is served with a scoop of rice. The curry is slightly sweet and very mild. The sauce as a whole is creamy and great over rice. The pumpkin is soft and melts in your mouth. Excellent. $7.95 for the lunch special in 2004. Price is dependent on veggie or meat variations for dinner. With beef, chicken, or pork, this dish during dinner is $9.25.

- Thai Iced Tea – Thai Iced Tea is a red/orange colored tea served with ice and evaporated milk giving the tea a sweet taste. Good. $1.95

During lunch in 2004, there were many patrons, and only one server to accommodate all of the tables. This dropped their three star service down to two stars. Although I had ordered my Thai Iced Tea at the beginning of the meal, I didn’t receive it until I had completely finished my meal and my dish was taken away. This was completely disappointing. With only one server for the entire room, it’s understandable that the drink order would be delayed, but being delayed to the end of the meal left a bad impression. Thai Taste serves good food, but try to get there early for lunch to avoid the crowd.

During my March 2010 visit, we were celebrating a friend’s birthday dinner. We were pleasantly surprised by the expansion and delighted by the attentive service. This brought their service back up to 3 to 4 stars. The menu has remained much the same as before, but with a number of new specials featured. Also, they have changed many of the plates and the presentation of each dish was quite lovely.

- Fish cake – To start the meal, we tried the fish cake which we were warned is a bit spicy. Indeed, it is. There is a little bit of chili oil coating each individual cake – there are five in all. A bright orange color, the cakes also contain some green and red – my guess is that they have chilis and green onion. Served with a green salad that has been tossed in a refreshing and light vinaigrette, this was a good dish - not the best fish cake I've had, but a good one. The salad also had purple cabbage, carrots, chopped cucumbers. Sprinkled with sesame, it was very lovely. $6.50

- Pad Thai with Pork – The pad thai noodles had just the right texture and the tamarind sauce, although sweet, was not too sweet. The crushed peanuts are plated on the side to serve as a garnish and also allow folks the option of choosing to combine them with the noodles or not. I really enjoyed the crunchiness from the carrots and bean sprouts, and again, red cabbage garnished the plate. This ranks as one of the best pad thai dishes I’ve had in Sonoma County and probably one of the best anywhere. $8.95

- Eggplants with Vegetables – Eggplant is cooked with tofu, red bell peppers, broccoli, and cabbage. Cooked in a nice sauce with a little bit of natto, the flavors were distinct and delicious. The amount is a little smaller than what I would prefer, but still good. The plate shape was also unique and added to the presentation and made the colorful vegetable combination look even more lovely. $8.50

- Pineapple Fried Rice with Prawns and Chicken – Served on a light green dish textured like pineapple, this fried rice contained a lot of breast meat and two prawns. There was just the right amount of pineapple – not too little and not overwhelming, but it would have been nice to add another prawn or two. They make sure the prawns are featured prominently on top of the dish. $10

- Jasmine rice is served on a plate versus a bowl. This reminds me that I’m not in a Chinese restaurant. The rice was pretty standard.

In combination with the pumpkin curry (photo shown above), we had a wonderfully balanced and delicious meal. The staff checked on us often throughout the meal and readily refilled our water glasses. The staff also gave us appetizer plates to share the fish cake dish and then changed our plates for the main meal. I upgraded their Atmosphere rating from 3 to 4 stars to a solid 4 stars. Thai Taste is a great place for delicious Thai food. With their recent expansion, the room is much more elegant and would be great to have a dinner party or to take a date. I’m glad to see they are doing well and plan to make more return visits.

Five Nine Nine Thai Cafe - Sonoma

599 Broadway, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 938-8477
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: January 12, 2007

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 1 to 2 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

We entered Five Nine Nine Thai Café on a cold Friday evening. This restaurant, formerly La Poste, has been given some good reviews by some friends, so I had to see for myself.

When you walked into La Poste, there was this curtain that wrapped around the door. It was a bit odd, like a magic trick or game show – behind door number 1…. After being seated at the table closest to the door, it becomes quickly apparent how much cold air the doorway lets in. It’s even worse on a busy Friday night as people without reservations try to get a table and those who opted for take out come to get their food.

The white decorated ceiling remains the same as before. Above the mirror runs a ledge in the rear corner where various figurines and pottery is displayed. The art featured are eclectic Thai drawings and some unusual looking objects. The blackboard at the rear of the restaurant is leftover from its La Poste days. In the window hang icicle Christmas lights and snowflake trinkets. The room temperature is fairly cool, especially with the incoming cold, despite the small space heater in the front of the restaurant.

As we walked in, one of the two waitresses/hosts was on the phone and another was in the back. She pointed at the three available tables by the door, and when we asked about the one in the corner, she shook her head. The second waitress then appeared and let us know the one in the rear was reserved. Wearing a polo shirt over a long-sleeved shirt and a long apron over jeans, one waitress looked more professional than the other whom was wearing the same outfit with a hooded sweatshirt on top of the polo shirt. The hooded sweatshirt had a college name listed on the front. When we were seated, one came with the menus and asked us if we wanted anything to drink.

On the table are a tiny salt shaker and a tiny pepper shaker. A small decorated aluminum bowl holds sugar packets. Two forks, a knife, and a spoon are set on a white paper placement along with a napkin.

After ordering, it took quite some time for the food to come, but tonight was rather busy. There appeared to be at least two people working in the kitchen, but it’s hard to tell since you can only see the kitchen from the open doorway. However, our observation of service during our wait period showed that there is great room for improvement. The people who came in wanting a table were asked if they wanted to “chill out” and come back, or if “you guys” would prefer one thing over another. “Do you guys need more time?” was a common question no matter the age of the patrons at each table. The professionalism of one of the waitresses was greater than the other which is how the rating is not just 1 star, but in the range of 1 to 2 stars.

- Chicken Satay – Six skewers containing a piece of chicken each are served in a large white leaf-shaped dish with a small container of peanut sauce and a small container of marinated cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onion. Romaine lettuce tips are used to garnish the plate. The chicken was tender and had been marinated. The pieces of chicken are chunky as opposed to flat, and had a nice mild flavor. The marinated vegetables tasted good – the cucumber had been deseeded and cut into chunks. There was only a small piece of bell pepper. The red onion looked like it had been cut, but the pieces never separated. Four stars. $6.95

One of the reasons for the low service rating was the appetizer course and related service. We were given small white square plates for our appetizer. When the waitress came to remove the plates, she dropped one of the skewers which brushed against my dining companion and then fell to the floor. She took notice of this, but made no apology. Also, she left the skewer on the floor which serves as a trip hazard. This lack of response exhibits the nonchalant attitude of this particular wait staff member and needs to be acknowledged. It’s unacceptable and hinders me from returning. Although the waitstaff were younger in age, this showed a lack of training.

For the main dishes, we were given larger green square plates.

- Eggplant with beef – Served in a green bowl that sat on top of a paper doily on a green plate, eggplant mixed with beef, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, onions, and Thai basil are served in a sauce. This was the worst dish of the evening, and I give it two stars. The beef, cut thin, was overcooked and chewy. There was more meat than eggplant in this dish, and with a dish of this size, there was notably not enough eggplant. The eggplant itself lacked prominence in the dish both in presentation and flavor. The overall flavor of the sauce was okay, but I wouldn’t order this again. Much better eggplant can be had elsewhere. $7.75

- Pad Thai with Chicken and Prawns Served on a square white plate with a wedge of lime, the noodles were al dente and nicely flavored. Red cabbage is cut into fine and toasted peanuts are also placed around the noodles. A few sprigs of cilantro top the dish. There is also some chicken breast in the dish as well as two prawns. You’ll also find some bean sprouts, chopped green onion, and small cubes of tofu. I gave this dish three stars. It would have earned more stars had there been more prawns and if the chicken had been more tender. Also, some of the peanuts had been toasted too much adding a touch of bitterness, but not enough to overpower the dish. $7.50

- Chicken Pumpkin Yellow Curry – Served in a medium sized white bowl on a paper doily on a green plate, the pumpkin pieces are cut into chunks and cooked with chicken, green and red bell peppers, carrots, coconut mil, and Thai basil. The flavoring of this dish was nice, but the chicken was a again slightly overcooked. I would give this item three stars also. The portions are small relative to other Asian cuisine, but the curry is great over rice. $8

- Brown Rice – Served in an aluminum bowl with a rather large spoon, it’s a small portion. It’s cooked like most other brown rice. $1.25

The majority of the dishes are available with chicken, pork, beef, or tofu. For a slightly higher price (about $2 more, they are available with prawns). The menu offers some typical Thai dishes, and the flavoring is nice. The meat is slightly overcooked for the most part, especially the beef, but the satay makes up for a lot.

Overall, I found the room to be a bit crowded. There are only two tables for four, and six other tables for two. You can put some more tables together to get a table for six, but even then, you’ll find the space quite small. The rush of cold air hits almost everyone except the bench seat in the rear.

Service leaves much to be desired. Although the wait staff said goodbye as we left, I found their overall demeanor to be almost disturbing and their level of service was insufficient. Take out was popular this evening, and that might be the better way to try Five Nine Nine.

Arun Thai - Novato

385 Bel Marin Keys Blvd, Novato CA 94949
(415) 883-8017
Parking: parking lot
Hours: Lunch Mon - Fri 11am to 3pm, Dinner Mon - Sun 5pm - 10pm

Last Visited: July 31, 2010

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$

I was reading the Novato Advance and saw the nice write up on Arun Thai. Their description of the pumpkin curry prawns sounded so delicious that I knew exactly what I was going to get when I went for lunch.

Arun Thai is located in a small strip mall if you could call it that. It's a stand alone building that has warehouse spaces in the back. The front has a sign showing the restaurant name clearly, so you won't miss it if you look past the lawn area.

The less impressive exterior is quickly forgotten when you get a glimpse of the modern interior. A combination of dark wood, eggplant and chartreuse walls, colorful napkins, and Thai paintings transport you to an inviting place. I was quite impressed at what they had done so simply and smartly. The large flower bouquet also adds to the ambiance and the windows both in the front and side of the restaurant stream in a lot of natural light. Two entrances, one on the side and one in the front, bring you into the dining area which contains a booths against one wall, regular tables in the middle, and a bank of tables against a cushioned seating area along the other wall.

Owned by a husband and wife team, Arun Thai is named after the husband. The servers are friendly and happy to explain items to you if you have questions. Upon our arrival for lunch, we were given ice water and menus. It seemed to take them a while to come back since it was pretty busy during this lunch time, but the food still came out quickly.

The lunch menu is fairly simple offering a reduced set of items from the main menu, but still providing enough variety that you'll be able go back again and again to try new things.

- Lunch items are accompanied by salad or soup of the day and a choice of jasmine or brown rice. While the menu stated that soup was available as a choice, the server just brought salad to us without asking and since it was our first time, we really didn't pay much attention to this. The fresh salad greens (mixed greens with more lettuce and a wedge of tomato) was dressed in a light vinaigrette with fresh herbs.

- Pumpkin Curry Prawn - Prawns are simmered in a creamy red curry sauce, with seasonal vegetables and Kabucha pumpkin. As you can see from the picture, I ordered this both for lunch and dinner. The lunch plate came with a huge serving of rice - more than I could finish. The dinner curry was nicely presented with fresh Thai basil leaves on top. The seasonal vegetables included red and green bell peppers, carrots, green beans, and zucchini. I really like the balance of sweet and savory in this dish. Another thing that is done well is that they don't let the pumpkin stew too long - it's soft without being mushy and it hasn't broken down to the point of changing the texture of the sauce. It's about as perfect as a pumpkin curry gets. Lunch $8.50, Dinner $12.50

While the lunch visit was a bit slow in terms of ordering and having our check brough to us, the food was very good and well-flavored and we still managed to leave within an hour which is perfect for the business crowd. I was impressed enough to come back for a second visit not long after the first.

For dinner, I opted to try out an appetizer as well as some of their noodle offerings.

- Tod Mun - Ground fish is mixed with Thai curry paste and green beans, then deep fried until brown. The four cakes are served with a sweet and sour cucumber salad. The salad contains red onion and chopped cilantro too. I liked the flavor of the cakes - not too salty which is often the fault found at other locations. The cucumber salad was also very fresh with the cucumbers being super crunchy and marinated just right so that the onion and cucumbers with the dressing was refreshing and paired well with the tod mun. Great. $6.50

- Pad Thai - Rice noodles are fried in a wok with tofu, egg, bean sprouts, and shrimp. While the photo here was taken after we had already started to dig into the dish, you'll notice that for all of the other dishes shown, presentation is attended to and very nice. The pad thai noodles were al dente and the tamarind sauce was a little more sweet than I prefer, but still good. Lunch $7.95, Dinner $9.50

- Drunken Noodle with Beef - Wide flat rice noodles are fried in a wok with a garlic basil sauce, beef, American broccoli, and Chinese broccoli. I liked how there were more noodles in this dish than you find at other restaurants. You can really taste the basil in this dish. Good. $7.95

My overall experience at Arun has been very positive. Go early for dinner for more one-on-one service if you think you'll have a lot of questions. While lunch service could use some refinement, it's a great addition to Novato's lunch and dinner scene; I will definitely visit again.

I've also heard that their BBQ Thai Islamic lamb ($16) which is only listed on the dinner menu is awesome. Several people I know have raved about that quite a bit. I'll have to give it a try next time.

Thep Naaree Thai - Albany

977 San Pablo Ave, Albany CA 94706
(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.

Jhanthong Banbua - Thai, Santa Rosa

2400 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 528-8048
Parking: Lot adjacent to restaurant

Last Visited: August 20, 2010

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 1 to 2 stars
Price: $ to $$$

Jhanthong Banbua (often referred to by the locals as Motel Thai and Mendo Thai) instantly has a feeling of culture and Thai authenticity. The bright colors of the room and decorative vases as well as wall decorations are attractive. The garments worn by the servers complement the décor and give the place that extra Thai atmosphere. The dishes are often served in pretty ceramics and clay pots.

Jhanthong Banbua also got a facelift outside with purple paint. Now you really can't miss it.

Enter Jhanthong Banbua and you’ll see the large bamboo plants in the rear in large vases. The front of the room contains a glass case lighting various trinkets and figurines. The rear contains a bar with much decoration. There is so much in the room, it’s hard to describe it all, but it’s striking and unexpected from the exterior of the restaurant. The setting is beautiful, and there is much to appreciate. The color scheme creates a soothing environment. It also looks like they have new flooring made of dark wood.

- Chicken Satay – Three to four pieces of chicken breast are placed on skewers and grilled. The skewers are served with a sweet satay sauce and a small dish of cucumber, onion, carrot salad marinated in sweetened vinegar. The chicken is juicy and the satay sauce is good. The satay itself would get four stars. $5

- Green chili paste with coconut milk and pork – There is a choice of meat, seafood, or vegetarian available for most dishes. If you select seafood, then there is an extra charge of $1.50. This dish was a full flavored and a little spicy, although the pork is a bit overcooked, so it’s not as tender as it could be. There were also pieces of papaya and bamboo shoots. Of course, it’s also bright green. The sauce is great over rice, but could have been a bit thicker this evening.

- Yellow curry with coconut milk and chicken – This dish is much like the green chili paste with coconut milk, except it’s milder in taste. It’s still a little spicy. The chicken, much like the pork, was overcooked and the sauce could also be thicker in consistency. This dish also contained bamboo shoots. Again, it too is great over rice.

- Pad Makuar – Japanese eggplant with beef with a bean sauce. The bean sauce is nicely paired with the eggplant. The marriage of the two creates an intense flavor in delicate tender pieces of eggplant. The ingredients glisten and have a beautiful presentation with the purple skin of the eggplant shining with the sauce. The beef was cooked well and not tough. You can also order this dish vegetarian style without meat. When in season, yellow bell pepper is included in the dish which brings great color to it.

- Pad Thai (available with your choice of meat) - Rice noodles with Thai seasoning are topped with bean sprouts, shredded carrots, and cilantro. The noodles are soft and nicely colored by the seasoning to be a reddish brown. A wedge of lime accompanies the noodles. The small pieces of breast meat were a little overcooked, but my preference is for dark meat. I found that the second time I tried this dish, I was much less satisfied. Perhaps it’s because the second time it wasn’t shared and as I ate it, I found more wrong with it. The noodles weren’t al dente enough. The sogginess made the noodles short since they broke apart easily. There seemed to be pieces of pork with my shrimp pad thai, and the texture of the pork wasn’t to my taste. The shrimp texture was also not to my liking. In the end, I wouldn’t get it again, but if you don’t know how good authentic well prepared pad thai can be, then you might like it anyway.

- Param - Tofu with spinach – This dish was surprisingly good. Small cubes of tofu over spinach are served with a sweet sauce (same sauce as the chicken satay sauce). Simple and good. Four stars for this dish if the serving size were larger.

- Prawns in a Clay Pot – About eight to ten prawns are served with glass noodles that have absorbed a lot of flavoring. The prawns were a little dry for my taste, but I enjoyed the glass noodles. $12.50

Overall, the dining experience was good for flavor and a little dry for meat. This is a popular lunch spot as well. Jhanthong Banbua offers a three dish combination lunch special for about $9 (I remember how it was less than $7 about five years ago). I enjoy getting the Chicken Satay, Curry of the Day, and Pad Makuar. With this group, you can’t go wrong. Service can vary depending on the day and time you arrive. When the place is packed, service will be slow and sometimes you will feel that all the servers have disappeared, but the food will make up for this. Expect smaller portions and you won’t be disappointed. If you’re so hungry you could eat a horse, this probably isn’t the right place to go. If you’re looking for food with intense flavor, this is a great stop.

During my last few visits, I have been greatly disappointed by the service. Service has been downgraded from three stars to one to two stars. The servers never come back to check on you. It’s just ridiculous. Their interaction with you when they’re present is fine. It’s just that they’re never present, or looking in the direction of the table, so it’s even hard to flag someone down without standing up. Sitting and waving didn’t work. The food is still good though, so just be forewarned.

I had written most of the above several years ago and refreshed some of the information to make sure it's up to date. While pricing may be under what is shown on the menu, the recent downgrading of the service rating occurred because of the length of time it took to have our order taken to the arrival of the wrong food order to the long amount of time it took to have our bill collected. After closing our menus, it was about eight minutes before someone came to take our order. From there, it took half an hour to get our lunch order. Thirty minutes is way too long considering we didn't have any appetizers or soups. When the food arrived, we told them it was not ours and although they were apologetic, they took another few minutes to get our food. When we finished eating and paid our bill, it took more than five minutes for our bill to get picked up despite the staff walking by our table multiple times empty-handed. In the end, while the food remains consistent, I don't think I'll be back for a while - I can't afford the wait.

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).