Once upon a time, I thought I didn’t like Thai food. Then one day, I went to a good Thai restaurant, Thai Sa Mai in Airport Park. I had really fabulous Thai food and completely changed my mind. They’re called Thai House now. These past couple of months, I’ve (re)tried a few other places including Amina Thai, Bangkok Gardens, and Ruan Thai. Before last night, I thought none of them could hold a candle to Thai House. Last night, I went to Thai House and it’s left me wondering if they’re that good anymore. Maybe it’s just inconsistent. I mean, there was that one time my friend and I showed up and they couldn’t open for business cuz “mom” (the chef) was mad at “pop” about a fight they had the night before, so she went on strike.

Here’s a couple of her dishes:

Pad Thai

Fried Tofu Appetizer

Anyway, below is a quick rundown of the four restaurants. To be fair, I’ll discuss some facets of the dining experience separately and you can judge based on what’s more important to you. My overall rankings: 1. Thai House 2. Amina Thai 3. Ruan Thai 4. Bangkok Gardens. This is based on food being the most important, followed closely by ease of getting there and parking, then service, ambiance, and finally price is so similar, it doesn’t much matter.

Food:

• Thai House – Authentic. According to a Thai couple who introduced us to this place, this is real Thai food. They go about three times a week. Last night, I was not as impressed though. Not sure why, but it just wasn’t as spectacular. They grow their own lemon grass, chili peppers, and some unknown herb. When they’re on though, they serve up some pretty impressive food.

<– that’s lemon grass

• Amina Thai – I’ve only tried their beef curry and it was good. I wouldn’t mind going back to try their Pad Thai to get a better gauge. I tend to judge Thai restaurants based on Pad Thai because I like it.
• Ruan Thai – Great food but the chicken on the Pad Thai was a bit dry. I liked their Pad See Ew. Their papaya salad was very deliciously memorable, even better than Thai House’s. I couldn’t stop eating it even after I was full.


Ruan Thai’s Pad Thai on the left and Pad See Ew

• Bangkok Gardens – Large selection, good food, but not impressive. Probably better than Amina Thai, but not as good as Ruan Thai or Thai House.

Service:

• Thai House – Wonderful and awful. These two owners who run the show are the nicest folks, so friendly and warm. But I mean, there’s two people running an entire business. The “pop” mans the carry-out, waits the tables, and busses. Poor guy gets frazzled. I don’t recommend showing up voraciously hungry during peak eating hours. Well, maybe that’s just me, cuz I get grumpy when I’m hungry and react poorly. 1. I swear they’re trying to starve me to death. 2. when is the food coming?! and 3. I’m about to gnaw on the lemon grass growing in the corner. The “mom” cooks and boy can she cook (usually, anyway…). They recently hired one helper in the the kitchen, so the food comes out pretty quickly.
• Amina Thai – Friendly waitress, decently fast service. I went with my friend during lunch just a little before the lunch rush so there wasn’t any strain on resources at that time.
• Ruan Thai – There’s somewhat of a wait but they have attentive enough wait staff and a quick peek in the kitchen revealed at least three people mucking about. They could probably use more waiters but space is limited (see the ambiance section below).
• Bangkok Gardens – This restaurant has enough employees so service is good. You can tell it’s still a small family run establishment though because they had their 6 or 7 year old daughter wandering around the place, just hanging out with everyone and no one. Kinda’ odd, but then, it was sorta’ cute too.

Ambience:

• Thai House – Good amount of space. Table cloths. Clean. Tidy. Quiet.
• Amina Thai – Same thing. Both these places are in roomy suburban locations. Quiet.
• Ruan Thai – Crowded and small, but also warm and inviting, hustling and bustling. The ladies’ room is painted HOT PINK. You practically need sunglasses to go in there. The mens’ room, is a bright cerulean blue. It’s a small place. Saw a family leave after reading the menu. They were sitting at a table that was practically out the door. Guess they didn’t appreciate the cramped quarters.
• Bangkok Gardens – Probably the best decorated place of the four, and spacious too. They have a front and back room. The front is decorated with traditional Thai knickknacks and art. The back has a TV and fits larger parties.

Parking:

• Thai House – In the suburbs in a shopping center. Parking is readily available.
• Amina Thai – Same as Thai House.
• Ruan Thai – It’s in a shopping center-ish area but I had to park on a side street nearby because it’s a busier area (by Full Key).
• Bangkok Gardens – I recommend taking the metro. It’s all street parking or garages if you want to drive.

Price:

• All of them are about the same. Ranging from around $9 to $15.