61808 Mon Jul 26 22:30:35 -0700 2004 4 2 Los Angeles Area 0 328694 Every day 4 to closing in bar including nice patio area for al fresco nibbling, one drink minimum, but if you're not boozing club soda is $2, other soft drinks $2.50. Limited $1 appetizer menu & definitely not gourmet, but all are huge & overall pretty tasty if not authentic in the slightest. The chicken satay is juicy white meat in a tasty if not very Thai marinade, the Thai & veggie spring rolls are plump & adequate albeit a bit greasy for our tastes. We didn't have the ribs but they looked large & meaty. Quite a feed for a few bucks. Comfortable digs but lotsa kiddies chowing down too, so don't look for much atmosphere until after dinner hour at the earliest. Mon Jul 26 22:30:35 -0700 2004 0 bernardo 1 328716 Last time I was there it was FREE! Food so bad the Manager Comped everything!! We will never return! Tue Jul 27 00:02:06 -0700 2004 328694 0 russkar 2 328732 Sorry to hear that. IOHO, the appetizers are generous & decent, no more no less. OTOH, those expecting to get fine gourmet or authentic Thai appetizers at a buck a pop will be very sorely disappointed to find out there is no Santa Claus. Never had a full meal in Spectrum branch, but one in Fashion seems to prepare decent although far from authentic chow. Granted, despite some good quality ingredients they don't always get the prepration right, so you may have to send stuff back when they miss, maybe even more than once. We find it's helpful to specify exactly how you like the food prepared. But the fact that they bend backwards to try to satisfy customers is probably one reason the Fashion branch is often pretty full. A more cynical view would be that the masses are asses. But overall, we think the chow in the Fashion branch is pleasant if unspectacular. Anyhow, perhaps we'll just have to agree to disagree. Tue Jul 27 02:10:36 -0700 2004 328716 0 bernardo 2 328793 Sounds similar to my experience at the Pasadena branch of Pei Wei - food so bad that you wonder what the original concept was! Tue Jul 27 14:46:39 -0700 2004 328716 0 Suvro 3 328932 Variations in branches of chains can be surprising. We like PF Chang's for simple but tasty chow in Fashion, but we found the chow in the La Jolla branch garbaceous despite the crush of humanity hanging from the rafters waiting to get in & suffer. Chains seem to be most reliable when you & they keep it simple, like Sammy's Woodfired for basic pizza, Bluewater & Fish Market for unadorned seafood, and Maggiano's for lamb chops & filet. But deviate too far from the basics & anything (good or bad) can happen. Tue Jul 27 23:01:14 -0700 2004 328793 0 bernardo