A GOOD THAI RESTAURANT ?????????

[Babs16]

Are there any good Thai recs in Central Jersey? Looking to go between Red Bank and AC..

[RGR]

There's Siam Garden, in Red Bank. I've never been but have heard good things about it. Perhaps Hounds who have eaten there will chime in.

http://www.siamgardenrestaurant.com/

[RobertinRedBank]

Have been there probably 5 times over the last 4 years or so. The first four were great, the last (about a year ago) not up to par. Could have been an off night. Most folks I know have enjoyed it. The restaurant is nicely decorated and is housed in a great old brick building called The Galleria which has numerous shops and a couple of restaurants.

[ambrose]

I too have had some good meals at Siam Garden.

The owners of this restaurant claim that they serve only authentic Thai food but I'm not sure this is true. Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed my meals there but I've been to a couple of places with Thai food mavens and they say the dishes at Siam Garden have been adjusted to suit American tastes. That said, I would still go there for a great meal.

I do find the prices are high at Siam Garden but hey, you're in a high rent district in Red Bank!

Surely this cannot be the only good Thai place between Red Bank and AC?

[gwh912]

Have to be honest - was recently (about a month ago) served RAW (no, not rare - absolutely never-touched-heat-still-quacking duck in my curry.

While I will admit the waitstaff was sweet and extremely apologetic, the whole experience left a pretty bad taste in my mouth, so to speak.

My fiance's pad thai (No, not authentic, but still....) was pretty terrible as well.

[Herm]

Far East Taste, not traditional Thai, but the best Asian in the area. Rt. 35 in Eatontown.

[MDM]

Second that, Herm.

[Barbarella]

I was disappointed in that restaurant last night. We got food to go and the General Tsos chicken was not the way I remember it. It was loaded with carrotts, broccoli, water chestnuts, and more vegetables. The pieces of chicken were small and the dish on a whole was not very tasty. What happened??

[jsfein]

I've only been to Far East Taste a handful of times, but in my experience the Thai oriented offerings are a better choice than the Chinese American offerings like General Tsos. That being said, if you've had better renditions of General Tsos at Far East Taste than the version last night, I have no explanation.

[Heidi61]

New ownership at Far East Taste. Richard (the former owner) sold the restaurant about six-eight months ago, and this is a breaking in period for the new staff. My first visit under the new regime was less than impressive, but the second time I went back (about one month ago), it was much better. Furthermore, the service was very gracious and attentive (and we had a big lunch group).

Interestingly enough, I had the opposite experience at Siam Garden in Red Bank. First visit was NOT impressive at all, but it came just after the place opened in the Galleria. I went again this past Sunday, and it was fantastic. My husband and I split the 'One Night in Bangkok" special, and every dish was excellent (including a noodle/chicken dish that looked dull initially, but each bite was outstanding). It is a bit pricey, though. Much higher price for meals than at Far East Taste (which also serves Malaysian and Chinese dishes). The Chinese dishes at Far East Taste have always been dull, IMHO. I tend to order Thai or Malaysian whenever I go there.

As I recommended here earlier, there is a Thai/Japanese/Chinese eat in/take out in Tinton Falls, Asia Star. They don't have a huge number of Thai dishes, but they have a nice variety. Food is good, services is kind, and the place has been empty when I've been there. Eat in is better than take out, in my experience.

[bjsimmons]

My wife and I have eaten at Siam Garden in Red Bank and at their now closed location in Manasquan at least 30 times over the years. It is always good food, friendly service and nice atmosphere at a reasonable price but not cheap.

But I suggest to you a new Thai place in Sea Girt on Rt 35 called Basil Thai with really good and more creative dishs, very friendly service and a better price value than Siam Garden.

[emilyb27]

I recently have been going to Aligado on 35 in Hazlet. I like a spicy yellow curry and they will always adjust the heat for me. They also have Japanese, and my husband really thinks the sushi is amazing. The prices are a little less than Siam Garden.

[briellefoodie]

I was never a fan of Siam Garden but Basil Thai is very good. We had it once about a month ago we weren't impressed with the chicken with fried rice, the glass noodles were good. We tried again last week and we were much happier with our dishes, one red curry and one pad thai.

[Passadumkeg]

Just off the Parkway on Main St. in Woodbridge is the excellent My Thai Restaurant(just past the train station & brew pub on your left. It's our first stop when we visit. Google the fine reviews. The Polish Restaurant ain't half bad either.

[RGR]

We went to Mi Thai once and were not at all impressed with the food. Besides that, the o.p.'s request was for places between Red Bank and A.C., and Woodbridge does not fit geographically.

There are lots of recs on this board for other excellent Thai restaurants in Central NJ, superior, in my view, to Mi Thai. A search will bring those threads up.

[Passadumkeg]

Hey if one goes up rt35 to Woodbridge than jumps on the Parkway to Atlantic City, it is then on the way! Sorry missed the AC note. Where do you go for Thai?

[RGR]

Thai Chili, in Spotswood, and Thai Thai, in Old Bridge, are our two favs.

http://www.thai-chili-net
http://www.thaithaicuisine.com

And we just went to Cafe de Thai, in Matawan, for the first time last week and liked it a lot. Though we stuck almost entirely to the French side of the menu, we did order one Thai dish, the curry puffs, which were fabulous.

[Passadumkeg]

Thanks! My mom used to teach in Spotswood. It's a much more leisurely drive than to Woodbridge. She's 92 and loves Thai food!

[bjsimmons]

HOT - off the press. The original owners of Far East Tast have opened a new place, which is located at Kennnedy Plaza on Brick Blvd in Brick. Yep and you already know the name "Far East Taste." I'm sure the wife and I will try it this week and I'll
post the results.

[Heidi61]

That's odd. I heard Richard (of Far East Taste) already opened up a new place, but I think it was North of Eatontown (maybe South Brunswick? Somerset?), not South (as in Brick). I first came across his Manalapan restaurant many years ago--it was primarily Chinese at that time, I think--so I wasn't surprised by his decision to move back to that area. However, he does love to fish, and Brick would definitely be closer to the Shore.

Please keep me posted, BJ! I would love to try out this new place.

[chinachow]

Far East Taste I is on Main Street in East Brunswick (or it might be considered Spotswood). I went there upon reading all the rave reviews about the Eatontown location and was hoping for a wonderful experience, but unfortunately I wasn't in love :-( Perhaps I didn't order the right menu items...chicken pad thai, chicken chow mein; both were pretty bland and flavorless. I was really hoping to find a hidden gem, but probably won't be back there any time soon.

[RGR]

Googling around a bit, I found indications that the owner of the East Brunswick Far East Taste might be Richard, who formerly owned the Eatontown location.

Far East Taste
98 Main St., East Brunswick, NJ 08816
[phone]

[cantkick]

You are correct. But the Eatontown location is run by some of his relatives. It is still excellent. From reports by those who have been there before and after the change, it has not lost a step at all.

[RGR]

Thanks for the confirmation, cantkick. As far as the Eatontown location is concerned, I knew Richard was no longer there but didn't know it was his relatives who are now running things. In any case, the E. Brunswick location is much closer to our house, so I may check it out.

[Barbarella]

The food may still be good at Far East but the smell!! I got an order to go last month and could not wait to get out of there. It was an awful, not plesant one, smelled like millions of moth balls in the place. Disgusting! Do not know how anyone could eat in there. Not going back.!!!

[JerzeyShore]

Try Basil Thai on Route 35 south in Sea Girt. Excellent food, nice people, lovely decor and fair prices. I've been there a half dozen times since their opening a few months ago and I recommend it highly.

[JerzeyShore]

Sorry - correction the name of this Thai restaurant is Siam Basil...

[Tapas52]

Wang Sushi ....Asian Fusion Restaurant off RT37 Toms River NJ serves many really good
Thai Dishes very authentic....& very good!

http://www.wangsushi.com/

[Farang730]

I lived in Thailand for 2 years, so I believe that I know Thai food pretty well. Any place that has Japanese and Thai could never be authentic Thai food. Siam Basil is owned by Thais and the cook is Thai. I have spoken to them and they are great. The food is pretty authentic, but havent tried everything yet.

[lomlfoml]

Pad Thai in Highland Park is the best Thai restaurant in the US. (Not to overstate a point :) :) :) ) Rte 27. Complex, even if you ask them to reduce the heat. A huge menu - that is, the menu is not 6 dishes, separated for if you want shrimp or beef or pork etc. There are over 120 items at last count. The only thing they do which is in conflict with Thailand is use green peppers, but that, you can't get away from in this country. Especially try: Pad Mi Ga Ti (nowhere else; try asking for it; they laugh), Guay Tao Na Pad Thai, Guay Tao Kua Guy (sorry about my spelling), Moo Tod Gratiem and ask for it extra crispy with no vegetables, and they will ask if you know me, appetizer Kinnaree Lui Fi. They have 3 kinds of Pad Thai. The salad chef is crazy, so if you order medium everything else, get mild salad. Their medium, however, if they believe you and actually do it, is equivalent to hot or very hot at other places, if THEY believe you. We order mild-to-medium.

And of course, the owners, entire cook and wait staff are Thai except one of the kids, Alan, who is from Mexico.

[jolivore]

Not my experience, which was disappointing enough when I went six years ago that I never returned. Crude and heavy-handed, I'd say. There's more to Thai than heat.

[eleeper]

And when four of us went a few weeks ago, the service was *very* slow. Basically, a dish would come out, then there would be a long wait (ten minutes or more), then another dish, etc. Not sure if that was a one-time problem or not, but we have the Matawan/Old Bridge Thai restaurants much closer, so we probably won't be returning soon to find out.

[chemkreation]

I have been going to Siam Garden for years. I have NEVER had an issue with any of the food or service. Traditional or not, it has always been very tasty. Take a lot of these reviews with a gain of salt. It can be the best restaurant in the world and someone will find something wrong with it. Its best to experience it for your self. The place wouldnt be a top Zagat vote if the food/service was terrible. I have heard a lot of people complain about the price, but when asked what they got, they reply 'appetizer, soup, entree and dessert' of course the price is going to go up. My GF and I eat here about twice a month and we average $42 (that includes tax+tip) for two entrees, which for Red bank is about average.

All in all, the place is very good and I definitely recommend it.

[MGZ]

I'm glad that you like the place. Personally, have thought the food was passable but lacked the freshness and the, if you will, zing that really good Thai cuisine exhibits. That is what makes this site work, we can share our experiences, thoughts, reflections, etc. in the hopes that others may derive some value from it.

As to Zagat's, be careful. The system is based upon the "appeal to popularity" fallacy. Just because a lot of people think something, it doesn't prove its truth.

[equal_Mark]

I still take issue with the prices. $10 appetizers and $20 entrees may be fine in Manhattan, but not Red Bank. Also, I can't seem to get Siam Garden to ratchet the spice level to Thai Hot. For my money, I'd rather park next to Siam Garden and use the extra cash to buy a round trip train ticket to Woodbridge and have dinner at Mie Thai.