Thai food in Denton?
Hi...i know there aren't too many users who are up in the Denton area, but i was wondering if anyone could offer up a review of any of the following places?
Andaman Thai
http://www.andamanthairestaurant.com/
Sukothai II
Sweet Basil Thai Bistro
Thai Ocha
Do any of these do good Thai food? Any particular items that are good at any of these places? Thanks!
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Okay, I just wrote a long drawn-out reply to this only to have my cat step on my keyboard and kill it...so here's a quick summary on Thai-focused (vs. Pan-Asian) restaurants in Denton.
Andaman Thai--French-cuisine-trained chef whose culinary past is the lens through which his food is focused. Has all of the typical staples but I've never been impressed with that. Go there when you want to try one of his more original dishes using his training for technique but with Thai flavor profiles.
Sukothai II--People keep calling this Thai food. It's a cheapity-cheap-cheap scoop place that is the place to go if you're broke and have a really good imagination. Well, okay, I once had a passable Massaman curry from there.
Sweet Basil Thai Bistro--It's okay. It's not great. It's fine. It's just overpriced for fine. Priced high because they took care in how they decorated the place, I guess. I've just never been impressed with the place. It's always just been...fine.
Thai Ocha--It's nice, but more than a bit on the sweet side. I don't think they believe me when I say I want my food hot. It just never is. It's probably the place that I would take most non-Thais asking for Thai food in Denton.
Oriental Garden--It's not too sweet. It's okay. They don't have all of the typical things on the menu. I sometimes forget they exist, but go there when I remember them. I hope they haven't gone more to the Chinese side. Oh, and it's a little cheaper than the other places. I think that's why they get more of a pass.
Siam House--I haven't been there in years. Mainly because I recall the following things about the place: 1) shrimp in a Tom Yum Goong that I got there was heinously rubbery-yet-fishy-and-just-obviously-reheated-from-its-first-overcooking, 2) the husband part of the owner-team was a hoverer who made a point of telling me that he married a Thai woman (no, I have no problem with this. My father married a Thai woman. I call her mother. She gave birth to me. It was just somehow indescribably off-putting.) I think I also recall that the prices were a little on the higher side.
So which place should you go to? Good question. There's lots of Thai food in Denton. It's just none of it is really, really good. Most of it is okay, some of it is a little off-cuisine, and there are a couple that are just bad. I wouldn't take my mother to any of these places (I have in the past when allowing friends to choose our venue, and Mom still makes fun of me for being willing to eat at those places) but I would take most in-from-out-of-town friends.
Couldn't we just trade one or two of these in for a decent pho, dim sum, or Ethiopian place?
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re: mahlookma
LewisvilleHounder
Sep 27, 2008 07:31 AM
That is if Plano or Richardson is willing to part with one! That is why Lewisville you get the best of both Plano and Denton!! I am just waiting for something besides G Burger Den and Corinnes Catfish. I am sad to say but Mi Patio closed within the last two weeks. It was my favorite Salvadoran place in the Metroplex. We can all hope for something better than chains!
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re: LewisvilleHounder
Interestingly enough, I stopped by Corinne's Catfish & Pies for the first time yesterday. Have you had good experiences there? Mine was a bit...erm...frightening. We ordered a couple of pies to try but quickly had to ditch them because, on closer inspection, there were tiny specks of colorful furry things on the sweet potato pie.
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re: mahlookma
LewisvilleHounder
Sep 28, 2008 05:23 AM
I never ordered any desserts at Corrine's. I have had a good experience with their catfish dinners. I rarely get dessert as my wife makes the best desserts I have ever had. I will note that on my return visit soon. That is unacceptable and I would have taken it back and confronted them....but you were proly on your way back to Denton by then
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i live in denton and have been to all of these places except sukothai II because i have been told it is not very good, like fast food chinese. personally i prefer thai ocha to all of them. i like all of their dishes that i've tried so far, great tom ka guy and also i like thier duck dishes. curries are quite good as well as the pad thai and some other noodle dishes. i can't think of anything i didn't really like.
andaman thai is alright. i didn't dislike it when i went but i have only been there once and keep going back to thai ocha.
i agree with the last person though...my boyfriends definition of good thai is when they put so many chilis in it that i can't taste anything. my definition is much different (-:
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LewisvilleHounder
Sep 3, 2008 10:34 AM
iluv,
First off what is your definition of good Thai food?
Sukothai II....I believ that is the one close to the campus....terrible...avoid it!!
Sweet Basil there is a location in Lewisville and it is okay....not my favorite. Typical dishes
Thai Ocha also a location in Lewisville that I have yet to try.
I have not heard of Andaman must have come after gradutating in 02. From the pics it used to be a Chinese place when I was in school that was actually decent for Denton(which is not a good sign unless you see people of Thai origin in the kithcen). That shopping center only survivies by the bar next door IMO.
I would say go for the Sweet Basil or Andaman as those menus are probably the best....also check out your mailbox because Sweet Basil is in just about every week's AdPages for both Lewisville and Denton locations. Sweet Basil is going to be more Americanized than Andaman just from the glance at the menu.
If you do go to any of them ask if there is a Thai menu (doubt there is at Sweet Basil). There is one at Jasmine Thai in Plano (you have to ask for it, written in Thai, but awesome dishes). Also ask if you can explore the boundaries of the chef (i.e. start mixing things up - if there is only fried crispy whole fish ask for it steamed). If they can't ask if they would do a special menu if you invited some friends for a party....we can help you out on that one!
I might have to make a trip to Denton to check out Andaman very soon!
›1 Reply-
re: LewisvilleHounder
LewisvilleHounder
Sep 7, 2008 06:46 AM
I made the trek to Andaman. I have to disagree with the poster below. Andaman was I believe the second best place I have had in the Metroplex. There were a Thai husband and wife (I believe on the husband and wife) team in the kitchen and the food was excellent. I was expecting similar to SukhoThai....which I woulnd't make a trip down the street for even if I lived in Denton. Andaman was well worth the trip from Lewisville. I never have the usual items on the menu though, never get pad thai, never get soup, unless it is cold and it is justified, and never get anthing that sounds like Chinese stir fry. With those strict guidelines that leaves me open to the salads and the mains that no one ventures to. My wife and I both came out with two great meals and a thai iced tea for under $30 on a Friday, weren't rushed. It was just a great meal. Would I go back? Yes. Would I order the sames dishes again? Yes. Did they provide the heat that lacks in so many Thai places? Yes. Service was slow and the diners here eat at a blazing pace that I never seen before.
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