I took my good friend, Charles Albright (Milhouse, Knightmares, Sunshine Smile, Megacools, Rock the Light, the Frenchmen, and many more)** out to a birthday dinner last night. He's a vegetarian, so we tried to go to Andy Nguyens, but it was closed for a private event. Bummer. Charles suggested Thai Basil. I had never been there and had heard mixed reviews, but it was Charles' night, so I said OK.
The decor is pretty fancy and they have their SN&R best of signs posted all over, including the one from this year. They have a big selection of wine and beer in a refrigerated case (well, big for a Thai restaurant), which is nice. They have Phuket beer (heh heh) and Tiger and some Japanese, Chinese and Americanese beers, too. The wine list is OK, but overpriced. I don't see why a glass of Mondavi Cab should be 6.25. Overpriced was the theme of the evening. Thai Basil has a limited menu compared to Amarin and it only has one price for everything (except at lunch, when you can get "small plates" for 7.95, not sure how small they are). The price is 10.95 for dishes in which there is (I think) chicken, beef, or tofu, and 12.95 for shrimp or maybe something else. I think this is a stupid system. We wanted a veggie dish and there were only a couple to choose from, including prig king, a spicy green bean dish, but why should green beans be eleven bucks! We started with veggie rolls (the starters are lower priced). These were bland and mostly lettuce filled. The sauce was pretty good, but very fishy. Luckily Charles is not that stict of a vegetarian. Then we split a spicy red curry with tofu. It came with rice at least, but was not spicy at all and pretty bland. Then we got a wide noodle dish with a black bean sauce. The sauce had a good smoky, salty flavor and I love fat, soft noodles (heh heh), but it still did not excite my palate. Just OK. Not enough basil, not enough spice. For dessert we all split the fried banana with honey and ice cream. I rarely order dessert so it's been years since I ordered this at Amarin, but I recall it being fucking delicious. At Thai Basil the banana came out wrapped in eggroll wrapper and the grease it was fried in tasted a little old. It wasn't that tasty. However, the company was wonderful and we had a great time. Sorry Thai Basil, you are somewhat weak in my opinion. I really want to get out to Pattaya Thai again and review that. It's this total yuppie hole-in-the-wall out on Watt in that yuppie neighborhood North Highlands.
**Charles thought it would be funny that I namedropped him as part of the "indie elite"
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Happy Birthday Charles!!! 27 is a great age. It's gotten me to thinking about my 27th year. Allow me to take a trip down memory lane. The year was 1997, the Rolling Stones had just rushed the charts with the classic Bridges To Babylon, Tara Lipinsky was the world's youngest women's world figure skating champion, Chris Farley finally ate his way to heaven, Harry Potter introduced the world to magic, and I was doing something or other. Have a good one dude.
miller
I tried Thai Basil once and thought it was pretty weak (as well as not being not vegetarian friendly and pricey!). Thai Cottage on Fulton is my fave so far, but I haven't tried all the places downtown.
Happy Birfday Charles!
Happy Bday Charles! Thanks for always being so nice to me even though you're part of the indie elite. It really means a lot to me that you remember my name and stuff. Hope this coming year is fantastic!
Thai Basil will put fish sauce in their vegetarian dishes and then swear that they don't. I think that's gross, but some people are more forgiving. Phuket them.
Thai Cottage is cool. They have the best dessert of warm mango, sticky rice and cream.
Niki
man...
what I meant to say was:
"not being not not vegetarian friendly"
How dare you accuse them of not not being not not vegetarian friendly! You hipsters & your gossip!
miller
I don't think that Thai Basil has sticky rice either. Sometimes I drive by there and I'm surprised that they're still around cuz their food is so mediocre and there are so many better Thai restaurants around.
Speaking of curries Marletta and I went to East West Market and then SF market in South Sac and THEN I made the best curry ever! Cutting the coconut milk with soy milk is key. Not as rich but just as delicious.
Now to the reason I'm posting at all which is to wish Charles a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
welcome back heckasac,
Liv
who the hell is Charles? Would you people please stop referring to things? Christ!
That's a good idea about the curry. I am scared to cook with coconut milk because of the fat. I pretend it's OK at restaurants but I get freaked out when my Thai leftovers congeal to a solid mass in the fridge. Then I think about that happening in my arteries.
Never been to Thai Basil. Amarin has so far been my fave in Sac.
Last night Anna and I ate at the recently-reopened Harry's Cafe on 16th. Menu has changed a bit, seems to be more Vietnamese stuff on the menu now. Glad to see Harry back in business.
-Erik
i just came across a vegetable curry recipe that, to avoid the saturated fat, calls for 1/4 teaspoon of coconut extract per cup of soymilk as a substitute for coconut milk. haven't tried it yet, though.
I've heard that there is a good Thai restaurant next to the Raven. But, I've never been there, I'm just gossiping.
Thai Palace is the one next to The Raven. That's the Thai place that I've heard the most conflicting reports of - from excellent to terrible. Seeing as how I've been there twice & once was great & once was just OK, I'm guessing it's mainly just inconsistent. Both times it took forever though - so they've got that part down.
miller
Happy Birthday Charles!
Love,
Charles
ps. thanks guys for being so thoughtful. did I spell that right?
CHARLES IS NOT A THING! I believe he would be a people, or a person, or possible an it, but not a thing.
Sheesh!
and yes Charles you did spell that right.
Happy Birthday to someone who is really, really good looking.
gbomb
Happybirthday Cahrels. I did too spell that shit right. Fuck yeah! Amarin, fuckers!
Eagle Fight!
Ed
PS: 27 is when Jimi Hendrix died choking on his cud, so be careful, you damned beardo.
not just jimi, but janis joplin, brian jones, jim morrison, and kurt cobain all died at 27. -ez
Anonymous said...
Thai Palace is the one next to The Raven. That's the Thai place that I've heard the most conflicting reports of - from excellent to terrible. Seeing as how I've been there twice & once was great & once was just OK, I'm guessing it's mainly just inconsistent. Both times it took forever though - so they've got that part down.
Wow, I'm truly surprised to hear that the reviews are so varied and middling for Thai Palace. That's the only place we go for Thai now, having tried all the other places around us, and found it far and away the best. Their panang curry is phenomenal, as are their fresh spring rolls. We usually get take-out, but on the few occasions we've eaten there the service has always been excellent. And I swear this is a true story: my wife was well into labor with our second daughter last August, and I was driving her to Sutter up on F Street. We turned right off of Alhambra onto J, and though she was wincing in pain every few minutes or so, my wife suddenly said, "Who knows when we'll get a chance to have dinner? Maybe we should stop at Thai Palace." My jaw dropped...but I did as she asked, and we had a great meal! Our daughter was born five hours later.
J. @ Kabinet
I;m not that into the 2 adjoining Thai spots on Broadway. Siam, on Franklin south of Sutterville Rd.(?) is pooty good. Tom Yum soup has a very addictive taste, and you can get curries w/ tofu for semi-reasonable prices.
The new siam on folsom is good and they serve prik Khing. The Siam on franklin is a standby since I work so close, but they dont seem to want to actually have thai peppers and instead use a deliscious, but not hot enough, homemade chile oil. The cooks are a husband wife team and the husband cooks at the new one on folsom. He makes things hot if you tell them thai hot.
funny how the most famous (not that it's saying much) independent rock artist in town is calling other people the indie elite. perfect.
reminds me of bush senior crying elitist "well, i'm sorry i didn't go to harvard" in his debate with dukakis in 1988. (bush went to yale)
next time yr in town, check out siam orchid on metropolitan. the place is the size of a postage stamp, it's BYO (yes!), and the food is as good or better than the other w'burg thai huts. totally un-hip and magical!
http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/restaurants/archives/2005/03/siam_orchid.html
Charles,
Happy birthday you fucker.
Love Al
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