Thai in Westchester - Rate Your Best

[uberkelly]

What is your favorite Thai restaurant in Westchester?

What do you think of these? Have you found any other good ones?

Bangkok Thai Restaurant, Mamaroneck
Lemon Grass Room, Port Chester
Reka's Thai Restaurant, White Plains
Royal Thai, Scarsdale
Siam Orchid Thai Restaurant, Scarsdale
Swaddee House Of Thai Food, Thornwood
Thai Garden, Sleepy Hollow
Thai House, Ardsley
Tum Raa, Yonkers
Red Lotus, New Rochelle

[streisleit]

I am a Thai food lover who often makes his own (I even have frozen galangal and kefir lime leaves in my freezer as I write this), and went to Thailand some years back as much for the cuisine as anything else! Living in Croton on Hudson I'm pretty starved for nearby Thail food, so I was disappointed to read here the dismal reviews of Bangkok Spice in Shrub Oak. But encouraged to hear about Thai Garden in Sleepy Hollow, Thai Golden in Carmel and Thai Angels in Mt. Kisco. I have eaten many times at Thai House in Ardsley and have found it to be pretty good, albeit a little slow to serve. Ditto for Bangkok in Mamaroneck. FYI, for those of you who cook, I found a good web site for Thai ingerdients, cooking gear and recipes: www.importfood.com. There's also a great Asian market on Central Avenue in Scarsdale (New Golden Village Oriental Supermarket) -- but, can someone let me know if there's anyplace like that in the north end of the county?

[pabboy]

Whatever you get at Golden Village can be found at Kamsen Foods in White Plains. It's in the same shopping center as the DMV.

[JoanieBalonie]

Had lunch recently at Tyrynda Thai (why do they choose such a difficult name to remember/spell?) and was very pleased with the food - wonderful soup, great noodle dish and basil friend rice. Nicely spiced and very generous portions for the $7.95 lunch special during the week. I do a lot of Thai cooking and do get my ingredients at the oriental supermarket in Scarsdale (Hartsdale?). They seem to do a heavy volume so everything is fresh.

[anonymouse1935]

Not knowing if I read here about a Thai place on North Ave. in New Rochelle or where it was exactly, I stopped in at Tana Thai at 134 North Ave.

I was very pleased with the very friendly service and the short wait for the takeout food. There are only a few tables to eat in, but I would go back and recommend them.

My Pad Thai with vegetables was very good, although at medium spicy was not unbearably hot, as I wanted it. I added some crushed red pepper.

I ordered pan fried tilapia for my SO, who cannot eat hot food, and he liked it very much. I also got dumplings and spring rolls, which were good.

Portions are generous, which I like and prices are good.

I recommend Tana Thai.

[Alberta516]

I agree that Tangerine Thai is very good -- and much more authentic than the other Thai restaurants where I've eaten in Westchester. Apparently this is the old location of Garlic and Pepper in Tuckahoe. Cute. Not crowded. I appreciated the fact that when I said I wanted my food 'Thai hot ' it came out TOO hot. I usually stress that I like my food hot, because no matter what you ask for in most Thai restaurants, the results are fairly bland. Anyhow, Pad Thai was excellent. Papaya salad was way too hot and more bothersome, too salty. My friend liked his duck very much, and the wine by the glass was pretty good. Portions were a good size and the prices quite reasonable. The waiter was sweet, but not very knowledgeable about the menu and fairly inattentive unless flagged down. Nevertheless, this was the best Thai food we've found to date in the area and we will definitely return. For the record, I don't mind Bangkok Thai in Mamaroneck for a low key meal. I've tried Red Lotus 1x but found the food oily.

[tc_food2]

Ive tried many of Tangerine Thai's dishes, most just ok, but my favorite there is the Thai noodle soup . Its delicious!! Wish it came in a bigger portion! - It helps satisfy my noodle soup cravings... now if only a vietnamese /pho place would open in westchester or fairfield county.!....

For regular Thai dishes i think Bangkok Thai in mamaroneck is better... still havent found a favorite thai yet....but will keep looking...

[rolise]

For questions about the menu you need to ask one of the owners rather than the waiter. They are usually there at the desk and she also takes orders sometimes. Because we take our 8-1/2 yo son there and he plays with their son on ds she usually comes over to talk to us but they are really nice and you can ask the waiter to send her over if you have alot of questions.

[Alberta516]

Thanks for the tip. I ate there again recently (hadn't seen your post). Same waiter. I ordered my meal hot and my friend wanted hers mild. He managed to reverse the order and so my friend had to pile in the rice to make hers tolerable. He managed a smile and "sorry". Hey, we enjoyed it anyhow. Next time I'll make friends with the owner.

[MisterBill2]

Why didn't you just send it back? Neither of you likely enjoyed your meal nearly as much as you should have.

[WestchesterFoody]

Thai House and Siam Orchid are bland at best...but I guess that is the Westchester rule on Thai or non-Western cuisine. We will try the other places...

[lbook]

I tried Thai Angels in Mt. Kisco and it wasn't very good at all. The beef with thai basil and onions was terrible..the beef tasted like liver. The Panang curry dish was ordinary, not great. Satay was good. Don't waste your money.

[apples]

I agree on their beef dishes leave something to be desirede but we have had some amazing chicken dishes here. Try the chicken with pecans(not on the emenu, but ddelicious) or the cashew chicken. We order in from here a lot and have always been happy.

[oopa]

I vote for Thai Angels.

Also, I just went to Golden Thai in Carmel. They opend 2 weeks ago and the food was good. Not the best in the area, but definately somewhere to return.

[foodamour]

I accidentally found an amazing new Thai discovery on Tuesday night.
THAI GOLDEN is A wonderful Spicy Surprize!!!!

I can’t believe they have a web site, even if it is bare bones: http://www.thaigolden.net
There is no menu on it, but they say it is coming soon.

The owner is a friendly retired woman from Thailand that has lived in Carmel for over 20 years. If she is not too busy, and she is up for chatting, you can really feel her warmth and passion for food. During the summer she says she is really proud of her garden and her thai basil and herb growing ability. ( I can’t wait for summer then

)

So here is what I had and what I thought.

APPS
1) Roti
2) Dumplings
All I can say was WOW. What a surprise for the taste buds, especially for Putnam county. In fact, we ordered a second round of Roti while waiting for dinner.

I strongly believe you can tell a lot of a thai restaurant by it’s pad thai and red curry. My partner and I both love red curry, we can literally drink it. We both love duck and seafood as well, so we decided to get the following:

MAIN COURSE
1) Seafood red curry
Seafood and curry tasted super fresh, calamari was not chewy, dish was nice and spicy as well as very creamy
2) Duck red curry
A crispy duck, with a red curry loaded with bamboos on top.
3) Crispy pad thai
This was a surprise, I don’t remember ever having crispy pad thai, very flavorful and crunchy.

DESSERT
Mango sticky rice
Fried Banana

Both awesome, I don’t know how they did it, but fresh mangos during the cold season. Really refreshing and amazing.

I recently moved to Peeksill from the city, and it is a bit far for me to travel, almost in the city for the same amt of car time. Although Bangkok Spice in Shrub Oak is much closer to me, Thai golden is well worth the car travel, almost an hour depending on route 6 traffic. In fact, I can’t wait to go there again, but my cash poor budget doesn’t allow me to eat out 3 nights in a row. Gotta wait unitl next week.

As for the cost, it is very reasonable, in fact, less expensive than Bangkok Spice, with larger portions. We left stuffed with some leftovers, as well as very happy.

My only complaint was that service was a bit slow, but then again, I’m use to the quick rush in and out of “city” eating. It is obvious they are working out the kinks. This is definitely a “mom’s” place, no pressure, really laid back, with a water view of one of Carmel's lakes.

It is the first thai place I have ever been to with a water front view. The décor is orange and blue, really different, bold, colorful from what I usually see. At first a bit shocking, but then pleasing.
If you eat there, please post here what you had. I’m dying to try more.

I wish them well and hope they stay for a long long time. I am looking forward to eating good thai food by the water again, very soon…

[applesauce23]

wow...thai in carmel! thanks for sharing, foodamour! this is definitely on my to-try list. do you happen to know if they're open 7 days a week? thanks!

[nuetella]

Yes, I'm really excited, this is in my neighborhood and so close to Putnam hospital where there is really nothing in the area.

I was looking for a thai place to go for dinner this weekend.
Thanks to your post, which I saw this morning I went there for lunch. We had the pad thai and pad kee mo (very hot, spicy and light.) We both really enjoyed. It is also really nice to have lunch overlooking the lake. The place is very spacious and has a bohemian feeling with the bright orange and blue as you describe.

I want to try dinner there, basically your recommendation. It sounds wonderful.
Be ware, they close early. Dinner is from 5-9, even Friday and Saturday?

Thanks for posting!!!! We were very happy and will make it a lunch hang out.
Anyone try tea time there? What is it?

N

[MisterBill2]

Wow, this is great news! I'm going to try to check it out this weekend! Thanks! It seems like it's where an Italian restaurant was (and which has been empty for a while). I love what they say on their website "We can serve any degree of spice according to your preference and love of tongue torture"!

PS how much is their lunch menu and does it come with something better than bland soup or plain Thai salad?

[MisterBill2]

They've updated their website and menus are posted. Duck dishes are $19 which does not seem cheaper than Bangcock Spice. Lunch does not indicate what it comes with; I got a response to my email with the menu info.

[MisterBill2]

A co-worker got take out from there tonight. Her comments:

1) Cash only (this is apparently just temporary)
2) Slow service (this has already been mentioned)
3) They had the Massaman Curry (excellent) and Pad Thai (not the crispy one, just ok she said).
4) They got an order of sticky rice and she said it was "tiny"
5) Portion sizes were ok but not huge

We're eating there tomorrow, will report back afterwards.

Oh and their lunches do not include soup/salad.

[winston1]

I ate there this week. I thought the food was good. Pad thai was good. The spring rolls were very good. The service was non existent. They really need to get some help in there. I will try some take out this weekend.

[nuetella]

Which spring rolls did you have? The fried ones? or the white ones?

I tried the Duck Red curry, which was recommended earlier on the list. I liked it very much, the duck crispy, the sauce very flavorful, but have to agree, my order of sticky rice was small. I could have had 2. It was nice to see it wrapped in a banana leaf, I have not seen that before. My friend had the Massaman Curry (tofu) I hate tofu I am a meat eater, but really liked the curry sauce.

We got there at 5:15pm for dinner, so the place was still pretty empty. Service was ok, but I have heard from others that it is insane on Saturday night. I really hope they get their act together, cause I really like eating with a view of the water and I love having Thai food in the neighborhood. I will put up with the service.

Best part of the meal was the
Mango Sticky Rice dessert

[winston1]

I had the fried spring rolls. About the size of my pinkie. Very nice. I would love to see them succeed, but the service has to get a lot better!

[nagrath]

Went to Thai Golden on April 12; I was quite impressed. Entrees were nicely prepared, portions decent, ingredients fresh. Not terribly spicy, but as I was sharing with non-heat-tolerant people, I did not ask for any extra spice. I was actually surprised at how GOOD the service was--there was one waitress and she did a great job, though I know some people did have a wait for food. But the waitress was very attentive. Deserts were quite good, too--coconut pudding and thai custard. We will definitely return. Previously liked Swaddee in Thornwood and Bangkok in Danbury CT., which is also very good (if it still exist-it's been a couple of years). I yearn for more choices! But Thai Golden is a nice addition.

[MisterBill2]

We drove past Thai Golden at 5:45pm on Saturday and it looked pretty empty. I guess the novelty has worn off.

[PBB]

Since there are no above average Thai restaurants in Westchester, we drive to Queens or make our own. There are a number of places in Westchester to buy Thai ingredients including fresh ingredients like holy basil, green papaya, lemon grass, thai chilis, etc. We have an excellent cookbook called True Thai by Victor Sodsook.

-PBB

[nuetella]

Can you give me some names and locations of places to buy Thai ingredients including fresh ingredients like holy basil and green papaya. I bought a million books, they all have beautiful photos, but I don't know where to get the ingredients. The only place I know of is on Central Ave in Lower Westchester, next to Trader Joes? I would love to know of any in upper westchester? Love to hear your suggestions.

Thanks in advanced.
M

[PBB]

I don't know of any up north. I go to a fairly large asian market called Golden Village on Central Avenue around Hartsdale and a small Thai Grocery in Yonkers on the service road of 87 going north from Yonkers racetrack. The large chinese grocery in White Plains in the same building as the DMV may have Thai ingredients also.

[jeanki]

Yes, the Kam Sen market in the White Plains Mall does have a lot of Thai ingredients like holy basil and bird chilies and sauces.

[oopa]

I cook Asian often and get my ingredients from Mt. Kisco Farm or online at Penzys Spices or Adrianna's Caravan.

[gutreactions]

Spring Asian Cuisine in Mt. Vernon offers a variety of Asian cuisines and some very good Thai...

[applesauce23]

I just ordered takeout from Bangkok Spice in Shrub Oak yesterday. The pad thai was OK...nothing to rave about, but decent enough to satisfy. The noodles were a little too greasy, but the texture was good, not mushy like some other substandard Thai restaurants. It was topped with shredded carrots and some fresh bean sprouts. It was a little bland. The deep fried tofu was terrible. When I opened the container, the tofu looked dry and overcooked. The dipping sauce was good, but I gave up on the appetizer after a couple of bites. I enjoyed my Thai iced tea. My friends (who live only ten minutes away from the restaurant) liked their beef with red curry and chicken with green curry. I didn't get a chance to taste their dishes, but they looked a little on the watery side. All in all, I think it's a good place to go for an emergency Thai food craving, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there. It's fine for takeout.

[MisterBill2]

Yes when my wife and I had lunch their our dishes were very soupy, with too many veggies (and cheap stuff like carrots and celery as I recall) and not enough meat.

Maybe the secret is to get the noodle dishes there.

[nuetella]

I have had both lunch and dinner there, and have to say Bangkok Spice is HORRIBLE. Noodles are greasy and bland, and I agree the curries are very watery. I love pad thai and pad see ew, and both were pretty bland and pretty bad, with very little meat and veggies. I wouldn't even go there again for an emergency Thai food craving.

[bdavies]

I've recently moved to upper Westchester. I haven't been able to find Thai anywhere. Can anyone suggest anything in this area. I live next to Yorktown Heights. My favorite Thai is Sripraphai & I tend to be picky but I'll try anything at this point. All of the places listed above tend to be in lower Westchester. I'm even close to Putnam if you know of any places there? Thanks!

[MisterBill2]

There is a new Thai place in Shrub Oak, which is right off Route 6 in Yorktown, Bangkok Spice, http://www.bangkokspicekitchen.com. I would love to hear your comments on it. I ate there once for lunch with my wife and neither of us was impressed. A co-worker says he has been there several times and really likes it (and claims to be gourmet but I don't always trust his taste in food). My son claims that his friends at school who have eaten there have not liked it, for whatever that is worth.

I would love to hear the opinion from someone who claims to know good Thai food.

Your other option for Thai is probably Thai Angels in Mt. Kisco. Personally, I really like Tengda in Katonah, but it's fusion not really Thai (although there is some Thai stuff on the menu) There is also a new place by the name of Okinawa in downtown Yorktown which is mainly Japanese hibachi but also has fusion.

[bdavies]

Great, thanks, I'll definitely check it out. I've eaten at the Tengda in Greenwich, very good, but dfinitely more fusion then thai. I like their rock shrimp appetizer.

[foodamour]

I just moved up here from the city to Peekskill and was so excited that there was a Thai Restaurant in upper Westchester, but Bangkok Spice is awful. I am use to good fresh Thai food in the city and have lived in Thailand for 3 months. So believe me, I have eaten a lot of Thai in Queens (love Sripraphai), Manhattan and Thai street noodles in Bangkok. I went twice to Bangkok Spice, trying to give it another chance, thinking the first time was an off day for them. Both times, the food was awful and tasted old, reheated too many times. When I mean awful, I mean soups were watery (lacking lime and the spice taste), pad thai was bland, greasy, and served luke warm, with soggy old bean sprouts topping it. The curry, I had to return, over cooked meat and veggies, besides it didn't taste right. I am not sure what they were thinking. I was beyond disappointed.

I hate giving Bangkok Spice a bad review, but more than anything I also hate wasting money and disappointing my taste buds.

[oopa]

Try Thai Angels in Mt. Kisco. The food was really wonderful and the women who own the place are warm and hospitable. We've enjoyed ourselves every time we've gone.

[tanya111]

My favorite Thai food for me is in Queen. but for Westchester area, Swaddee is the best thai. I always asked for more spicy and I get it everytime. Sometime, they willing to do something out off the menu for me. I went there many time and never diappointed. But I think sometime the service is slow on the weekend. Now I go on weekdays, so I don't have to fight the crowd on the weekend. And it is cheaper than some other thai in westchester.

[pobo]

We went to Thai Kitchen last night with a large group (we had a reservation). The food was good, but not worth the problems with service (they only had 2 servers, we were a table of 11 and they were busy besides. It took 3 hours for dinner)! We live on the other side of the county, I certainly don't think Thai Kitchen is worth the drive. We do like Red Lotus, but agree it is overpriced. I've never been a big fan of Bangkok Thai, I thought the only reason they have survived so long is because they were the only Thai in the area.

[Westjanie]

Bangkok Thai seems to change hands every few years, and the quality bounces around a bit as a result,

[mrgaga]

I tried Little Thai Kitchen in Greenwich based on a recommendation on chowhound (that I can't seem to find now!)

It was awesome!! I had the crispy fish was was HUGE and had the best flavors of any curry dish I have ever had. I tried the spicy shrimp salad which was perfect for an appetizer as well.

I hate to say this but I think it is much better than Bangkok thai in Mamaroneck. Definitely gets my vote for best in the area :) Keep in mind it is BYOB (which I personally see as an advantage because I can bring in my big cans of Sapporo which I get from a japanese market :) )

[southlake]

where is there a lemon grass room in port chester???

[juweee]

Thai in Westchester is nothing to rave about. It is so overpriced, for small portions.
My fave from the ones I tried above is Red Lotus.

[tully711]

I always enjoyed the food at Thai House in Ardsley. However, the service during my last three visits was horrendous, and I vowed never to return. I highly recommend Thai Garden in Sleepy Hollow. Great food/drinks, service and atmosphere.

[crappydeli]

There is a new entry in Mount Kisco called Thai Angels. Anyone try it yet?

[Skykitty88]

I got the Thai Angels menu (Mt. Kisco) in my mailbox, and also from our neighbors -- who by the way tried the restaurant and were not very happy with the service.
As avid panang fans, my husband and I (who have a 3-month-old baby at home and were delighted to see a new restaurant delivering in town) called last night to put in an order and were turned down when our bill did not amount to the 'required' US$ 30 for delivery. The menu does not indicate anywhere that there is a minimum and, of course, I was only told as much after a painful 10 minutes on the phone of trying to spell out addresses, our order of one dish, one apetizer and a Thai iced tea to someone who clearly spoke very little English and was herself not sure of how to take down orders...
In the end I was told I could instead go pick it up. What was that? A bait and switch? Or whatever it is that goes on in the used carsales world?!?
After that, the menu went straight into the garbage bin.

[noal]

Tried Thai Angels the other day. Went in with low expectation based on location but was very pleasantly surprised. Nice decor, friendly service and very good food. Best Thai in the area... great addition to Mount Kisco.

[chocolate chick]

We've been to Thai Angels twice. They have been extremely gracious. There are 2 owners. A woman from Thailand and a woman from Hong Kong. All 4 chefs are Thai. We liked the food very much. The pad thai tasted extremely fresh. I also had a choo chee duck curry that was delicious with a great balance of spice and sweetness and large tender pieces of duck. We did not care for the mango with sticky rice. It was dry and without much flavor.

Overall, it is a nice addition to Mount Kisco.

[amirtirosh]

Best Thai food we've had in a long time, certainly in Westchester. Best Tom Yum soup since 1981 and East Broadway. Red Curry, Spicy Basil Chicken and Pad See You were all done perfectly. Service was good for a Thai restuarant.

I hgihly recommend it, and we'll be back.

Also tried them for lunch. At $8.95 it beats any other deals around and the quality is as good as dinner.

[MisterBill2]

I assume you are talking abouit Thai Angels. Do you have a menu you can scan and post here? Thanks.

[Wendyd.]

I knouw you're taling Westchester, but I really enjoy Little Thai Kitchen in Greenwich, (Byram, really) and it's only like 4 minutes from Port Chester! The yellow curry was amazing!

Wendy
http://wendydelmo.typepad.com/one_day...

[Dim Sum Diva]

Finally gave Red Lotus a try. The food was okay, not the best Thai food I ever had. I thought the atmosphere was downright depressing. They sat us by the window where we had a deluxe view of the owners of the Italian pizzeria next door dragging in mops and other cleaning equipment from their van parked right in front of us. On a Saturday night, the place was barely half full.

We had 2 specials, the summer rolls (themselves just okay, with the sauce, good), shrimp in a pot (very generous serving of shrimp, lots and lots of it), larb-- very tasty, and one of the soups.

Considering the lack of atmosphere and pricey menu (close to $60 for 2, no beverages or dessert), unlikely to return any time soon.

How come so few Thai places around here serve mee krob, the sweet & crunchy Thai noodle dish? Last time I had it was at the place on Central Ave.

[gsun]

I posted recently about the delicious meals we had at Garlic and Pepper in Tuckahoe. I found the prices reasonable, less than you describe at Red Lotus. In addition to Thai beer, they know hour to serve beer from the tap-- alive and in a chilled pint glass. The weekend waitress is friendly and helpful with suggestions from the specials.

[rolise]

I have eaten at Garlic and Pepper. It was okay first two times, last time I did not like the curry at all. I think it may depend on what day you go whether there is someone there who can actually make good thai food. Do you only go on the weekends? What do you order?

[mrgaga]

I love Bangkok thai, it isn't "the best" thai food I have ever had but I walk out satisfied.. I think the prices of the other restaraunts are purely ludicrous so I am glad to see others agree..

[Avalondaughter]

Red Lotus is quite good, but really is horribly overpriced. I love their appetizers, but I don't think their regular curry dishes are that much better than anyone else's, especially considering the price.

I have always loved Bangkok, despite the lack of atmosphere. I don't eat there to look at the walls. I like that it has all of my favorite dishes ata decent price.

I tried Swadee once. I liked it a lot, but I didn't think the food was any better than Bangkok.

[harrisonmom]

you left out Garlic & Pepper in Tuckahoe. yummy!!

[Nancy C]

Have only gotten to Swadee, and it's ok, not inspired. Sounds like, from the comments below, the good Chowhounds of Westchester should come together to sponsor a restaurant entrepreneur from Thailand to open several worthy restaurants... Sigh - it's my favorite kind of food, but we sure are deprived up here in Northern Westchester...

Nancy C

[Food Addict]

I come from SE Asia. And I agree with the other posters.
Sripraphai is the way to go. Drive to Queens. None of the Westchester restaurants even come close if you want authentic Thai food.

[RawTunaFan]

I agree with many on this board about the state of Thai food in Westchester County. Perhaps there isnt a large enough Thai community in the area to justify authentic, fairly priced Thai food. I say "fairly priced" because for someone who normally eats out and averages a dinner for two at about $80 to $100, the last time we ventured to Siam Orchid in Scarsdale, we walked away HUNGRY with a a $75 tab. You would need TWO servings of their Pad Thai, for instance, and even thats not a lot. Now thats not fair. But suprisingly, they were busy on a Thursday night.

[bot]

Thai House in Ardsley- Hot soup served cold, steamed rolls were gummy mush. almost flavorless sauces were the texture of gravy out a can. Asked for the check after the first course so I couldn't tell you much more. Apparently citzens of Ardsley can be duped into thinking anything is good.

[bananafish]

Red Lotus -- by far. Just order 'Thai spicy' and you'll get as close to the real deal as possible without heading to Queens.

[scharffenberger]

The Bangkok Thai Restaurant is not great, but the people who run it are very sweet. Some of the food can be overly greasy. It is not a destination restaurant but it is fine for takeout.

[dhammer53]

Ever since I was introduced to Sripraphai Thai Restaurant 6413 39th Ave
Flushing, NY 11377 [phone], I haven't been to any of the above Thai places.

It's 35 minutes from White Plains, and 10x's better.

[dolores]

I know I already posted here about Red Lotus, which I enjoyed -- aren't all good restaurants overpriced now? -- but I don't see the posts about Reka's here.

So, uberkelly, if you want the lowdown on Reka, do a search and prepare to be amazed.

The place SHOULD be shuttered and the owner run out of White Plains on a rail, but she continues to dupe people, apparently. Bottom line, the owner (this blows my mind) may deign to sit at your table, order food/drink and then expect YOU to pay for it. Can you IMAGINE???????? One enterprising diner threatened to call the police and the crooked owner retracted her bill.

I first had Thai food a hundred years ago in Tribeca. I loved it then and I love it now. For sure, White Plains needs a down and dirty Thai place like that one I experienced all those years ago.

[MotherBucker]

I agree - Reka's is awful - I don't understand why we don't have better Thai food in Westchester -I would welcome a Lemongrass Grill - the chain from the city - I used to live up the block from one in Park Slope - the smells were delectable - and the food tasty and reasonable priced -

[crappydeli]

Years ago, Reka's was good (around 1992?). From more recent trips there I would agree that it is no longer worth spending any amount of money at.

I have never heard the story about charging patrons for her own meals. That is gutsy for bad food.

[MisterBill2]

There is another thread here with a couple of stories of Reka telling customers that she would bring them an extra dish, and ending up charging them for it. I think she did the same with wine. A local writer told me that she interested in looking into this but I couldn't figure out how to email either of the people who had reported it.

There is a new Thai place in Shrub Oak (Yorktown), Bangkok Spice Kitchen. I had lunch there with my wife shortly after they opened and we thought it was awful. It did not start well when the only soup choice with the lunch specials was some watery vegetable soup. I had the Chicken with Thai Basil and it was watery with very little basil. My wife's food was just as bad. Very disappointing. I have a co-worker who has been there a fe times and really enjoyed it, so maybe I need to go back and try something else.

Personally, I like Tengda in Katonah. I know it's not real Thai (they also have sushi and the Thai is actually fusion) but I have never had anything there that I did not enjoy. And their chicken with Thai basil entree is excellent.

[pobo]

We just went to Red Lotus for the first time this weekend and much preferred it over Bangkok Thai. We also had a delicious thai meal in Tarrytown, but I can't remember the name.

[KarenNYC]

REd Lotus - Hands down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REka's is awful and Swadee's is pretty good. there is also a decent Thai place in Greenwich if you are interested.

[scooty]

I agree that Reka's is really bland, although I still go there every once in a while because it's a block from my office and it's the only Thai place in White Plains. The Thai House in Nyack is very good by suburban standards, so if their location in Ardsley is similar, it's worth checking out. Further north, Sukkothai in Beacon is also very good.

[JMF]

I was going to go to Red Lotus today and looked them up on the net. Their prices are ridiculous! $17-$19 for a curry? I'll just go to Queens and pay much less than 1/2 the price for super authentic food.

http://www.redlotusthairestaurant.com...

[swept]

Actually the Thai Garden in Sleepy Hollow is really good, and while I've eaten there only twice, both times it was wonderful. Sadly, though the place was pretty much empty both times.. Go check it out.. the parking in the area is lousy, but just drive around a little, you'll find a place!

Loved the little hole in the wall place in Nyack, not the place in the old red diner, but another that is on a side road off main street.. I don't remember the name of it, but it was really good! And King of Siam in Nyack == I'm not sure if its even there anymore, but it was very good...

[IkeFromNY]

The place you are referring to on the side street is Thai House. It's not Chiang Mai, but it is very good and much better than anything I've had in Westchester. Still waiting to try their other restaurant in Ardley

[miguel2]

Agree with Swept. The Thai Garden in Sleepy Hollow is a winner. I've been there 3 times and the food has always been fresh and delicious.

[pabboy]

Don't forget to add Garlic & Pepper in Tuckahoe to your list!!

[arylinth]

I second that, Garlic & Pepper is quite nice, though the lack of patrons worries me for its future.
I would remove Reka's from your list, I have not enjoyed their food.

[Striver]

I know this is about Lower Westchester, but just below that, off the Kappock St. exit of the Henry Hudson in Riverdale, is Siam Square, which I consider a very good local Thai restaurant. The chef tends towards fusion in the specials (sometimes very successful, sometimes just good); the standard dishes I think they do well include duck in penang curry, a tempura-like watercress salad, drunken noodles, and mango sticky rice in season. They are responsive to spicing requests, the setting is pleasant, and the service gently accomodating.

If you're on the west side of Lower Westchester, it's certainly worth a try.

[burgerdeluxe]

Swaddee is not good at all.I've tried dinner takeout from there twice -- pad thai was greasy (something I've never run into before with that dish) and chicken masaman curry had no heat and very little chicken. The pad see ew was ok but nothing special.

Only tried Thai House in Ardsley once, and it was nothing memorable. I've given up on Thai in Westchester (Red Lotus is a little out of the way) and just get it at a couple of places in NYC when I'm there.

[uberkelly]

I agree that Reka's is not good. It's crazy that there isn't more Thai in White Plains, isn't it?

I've eaten at Red Lotus several times because it's nearby. We always like the food, but I've ordered a yellow curry with potatoes and carrots twice and there were no carrots. Last time I actually asked the waiter about the carrots. He didn't seem to know what I was asking at first, then said he'd go find out. And he ignored me the rest of the time as if my problem would just go away. That didn't make me too happy. Unfortunately they are the only Thai place near me other than Bangkok Thai.

I like Bangkok Thai, but feel they are a tad overpriced. I think Red Lotus is better.

The place in Ardsley is pretty darn good - just a little out of the way for me.

[dolores]

I was quite pleased with the food, service and ambience at Red Lotus in New Rochelle, but I am afraid I am not an expert on Thai food.

[JMF]

Reka's, to put it bluntly, sucks. So does Tum Raa, Siam Orchid, and Royal Thai. Every now and then I give them another chance but after the last times I said no more.

I have heard really good things about Red Lotus but haven't made it there yet.

I go to Queens for real Thai, Sripraphi of course, but lately I like Zabb and Chao Thai.

[JMF]

Oh, and my basis for saying they are horrible comes from two things. Taste in general, does the food taste good, if not necessarily authentic. And their food tastes louisy.

As well as authenticity, I studied at several culinary schools in Thailand and the only places on the East Coast that I've tried that have been authentic tasting and used authentic ingredients are those three in Queens.

[RawTunaFan]

I LOVE Chao Thai. Sripahai is great, but the last time I went there it seems as if things have changed. Maybe it was just my imagination.

[IkeFromNY]

Thumbs down on Rotal Thai. Not bad, but not very interesting so I never went back to it.

I've been to Thai House in Nyack which is excellent but haven't been to the one in Ardley. One of these days.

Still looking for a gem. One of my benchmarks is a green curry that doesn't taste like green chile paste mixed with cocunut milk.