asian options in Copper Square (PHX)

[lotuseedpaste]

Next week I will be at a conference in the Copper Square/downtown Phoenix area - 4 days, no car. I've found some older threads about places in the Copper Square area, and the interactive downtown area map, etc.

I have a preference for asian (anything but sushi), and am not interested in beer, wine, steak, burgers, or Mexican. Pizza (Pizzeria Bianco?) or bbq would also be good. It looks like Thai Elephant might be a good choice, but should I avoid the Chop Suey House and China Inn? I've seen extremely mixed reviews for Fate...

I'd like to stick to low to mid priced places. Now that the light rail is running, I'm wondering if more options have opened up (prefer to avoid taxis)?

[hzp]

I hit Sens on monday night. I took the light rail, got off at Roosevelt and walked about 2 blocks. It was worth the walk.

We tried four different options, and learned that Monday was a GREAT night to go, not hard to get in at all. The fried quail, the hot and sour soup with fish, the lemongrass beef in grape leaves and the sweet shrimp.

I thought the sweet shrimp and the beef were really just ok.

The soup was a standout. it was hot, but its wasn't simply hot.. the flavor was amazing, and the fish really stood out in its quality and delicacy.

The quail was perfectly cooked, and had just the right crispiness.

The price was certainly right, the cocktails were great, and the host and the chef were both lovely. I'd suggest it.

[silverbear]

Keep in mind that "Coppper Square" is an artificial marketing name that most Phoenicians don't use. We usually just say "Downtown."

These are the Asain choices within Downtown:

Echoing hzp's post, I'd say Sens is a good choice. It's an Asian tapas place with lots of sake and shochu drinks. I've been very pleased by the food on each visit.

Thai Elephant is solid Thai as far as I'm concerned. Nothing remarkable that one would travel miles for, but perfectly good for a Downtown meal.

Sing High Chop Suey house has some appeal due to its kitsch and its status as just about the only surviving remnant of Phoenix's Chinatown. Nevertheless, the food is generally not very good. If you go, order the namesake dish. It's probably the one thing done well consistently.

China Inn -- Trying to visualize this. I think it might be a place in the Collier Center. I haven't visited.

Fate -- Currently in transition due to dispute between business partners. Status uncertain.

These places are to the north in Midtown and Uptown and are a short ride via train:

China Chili
The Prime
Wild Thaiger
Thai Basil (Park Central location -- essentially the same menu as Thai Elephant)
Thai Hut

-----
Wild Thaiger
2631 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004

China Chili
302 E Flower St, Phoenix, AZ 85012

Fate
905 N 4th St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Thai Hut
101 East McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85004

Sing High Cafe
27 W Madison St, Phoenix, AZ 85003

Thai Elephant Downtown Phoenix
20 W Adams St, Phoenix, AZ

Thai Basil
3110 N Central Ave 181, Phoenix, AZ 85012

Sens
705 N 1st Street 120, Phoenix, AZ 85004

China Inn
3 S 2nd St Ste 107, Phoenix, AZ 85004

[lotuseedpaste]

Thanks! I'll definitely try to check out Sens. Are the mid/uptown Thai places significantly better than Thai Elephant and worth the extra effort?

[silverbear]

Thai Basil is essentially the same as Thai Elephant, so no, it's not worth a two-mile train ride unless you need to go up to Midtown for some other purpose (e.g. a drugstore)

Thai Hut and Wild Thaiger -- That's hard to say. I wouldn't say they're demonstrably better or worse than Thai Elephant, just different. You may want to review menus online just to see if there are dishes that appeal to you particularly at once place over another.

Wild Thaiger menu: http://www.wildthaiger.com/
Thai Elephant menu: http://www.thaielephantaz.com/
Thai Hut menu not available online

When it comes to Chinese (primarily Cantonese) food, however, I do think a short train ride to the north is in order. China Chili and the Prime seem much better than any of the Chinese options in the heart of Downtown.

[avandelay]

China Inn is awful. In fact, you can write off the Collier Center altogether. There is a new asian place in the convention center (North building) that opened yesterday. I have no idea if its more akin to a Panda Express or if its better than that.

[brutusln]

I was disappointed in The Wild Thaiger last night. I was served a glass of cabernet that was sour, opened days earlier. To open 15 fresh bottles every night merely to satisfy one or two orders by the glass really bites into a restaurant's bottom line, I know. But to me, serving two day old corked wine by the glass is the maginot line that separates a great restaurant from the others. If you don't have volume to justify opening a new bottle, limit your wines by the glass or recommend the house red. The charge was graciously removed, and I didn't say a thing.

There was also a bone chip in the first bite of my crab/pork dumpling. My wild boar dish was flavorful, but the meat was a bit dry, likely overcooked in its broth. On the plus side, veggies here get the spotlight -- they're al dente and playfully combined. The eggplant was succulent and deserved top billing.

Also, when a cabernet is served, shouldn't it be slightly cool to the touch, around sixty degrees? (Room temp in Phoenix is like 75, and that's way too warm for red wine.)

The service was warm and gracious, and the presentation was fun. Am I being too grumpy about a wine blip, a warm sip and a bone chip?

[silverbear]

I don't think you're being too grumpy about the wine. I usually skip wine-by-the-glass unless the place has a serious wine program and sells enough volume to be opening a new bottle of each wine offered on most days. I often scan the bar in a restaurant I am visiting for the first time. If the wine selection is mostly dusty bottles that have been recorked, I'll pass. Usually, I'll choose a bottle of Singha beer in a Thai restaurant, anyway. That option has never disappointed me.

[themis]

Just a quibble -- wine that has oxidized is completely different than corked wine.

[brutusln]

Oops.

[lotuseedpaste]

Oops, I never followed up on my trip, my bad. Here is my rundown from the conference:

1. Wow, is the food in the food court at the conference center terrible. And overpriced. I ate at the chinese place one day, and Panda Express would have been 100 times better. Also, when there is a large conference there, the lines at all the places were at least 30 minutes long.

2. Thai Elephant - had drunken noodles there one night, and it was ok but nothing stellar.

3. Got lost looking for Sens for lunch the second day and ended up wandering around in a neighborhood full of demolished buildings. Managed to work back around toward the conference center and got mediocre pizza from Cafe Roma in the Arizona Center. I was surprised at how few food options were available in the Arizona Center, which seemed like it should have lots of quick takeout venues given the location.

4. Was rescued by a friend who lives in the area, and went to Swaddee Thai in Chandler one night - definitely the best meal of the trip. IIRC, we had the Chicken Noodle, Curry Shrimp, and a third entree that I am blanking on.

5. Takeout lunch at Yasda Bento - better and cheaper than anything in the conference center food court, and only a few minutes walk away.

I had one dinner at the airport, and another dinner at a soireé held by one of the conference sponsors, so I didn't end up trying as many downtown dinner options as I had expected.

[silverbear]

Thanks for the report. The food court, known as Metro Marche, is brand new. It opened in January as part of the new north building of the Phoenix Convention Center. I actually think it's much better than most convention center food, although I realize that's not saying much. At least they're trying to offer multiple options and not just generic Aramark food.

Nevertheless, as you experienced with Yasda Bento, better and cheaper is usually just a few blocks away. Most convention center food service operators are betting that their customers will not walk a few blocks. By the way, of all the options in Metro Marche, I agree that the Chinese place, Urban Wok, is terrible (A word I seldom use). It offers very few choices; everything is just grisly beef or chewy chicken -- no seafood, no veggies, no pork. What a missed opportunity. The Italian place, Crust, is slightly better.

Arizona Center has a sorry history of underwhelming performance. It used to have a second-floor food court, but that was converted to office space long ago.

I'm sorry you didn't make it to Sens; that probably would have been your best meal of the trip. The best Downtown restaurants are generally not in highly visible venues like the Arizona Center, but instead in converted houses and storefronts on side streets.

[silverbear]

By the way, as long as we're talking about Asian food Downtown, I'll note that it looks like Moira, the sushi restaurant that has been in "coming soon" mode for at least a year, is finally on the verge of opening its doors. The location is the ground floor of a residential building at 2nd St. & McKinley.

[ipsedixit]

I believe Moira is targeting an early April opening.