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Foods from Cafe Saffron
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2007 Jun 22
Have eaten here often -- very convenient for a grab and go lunch, and the price is moderate ($7.50 taxes included for a take-away nice re-usable container).
Quality of food-wise, it is okay for Asian food but certainly not incredible. The green curry tofu with bamboo is very yummy as is their tofu salad.
Quality of food-wise, it is okay for Asian food but certainly not incredible. The green curry tofu with bamboo is very yummy as is their tofu salad.
2006 Oct 6
As chance would have it, I had lunch at Saffron today with a co-worker. It may be because we arrived well after the noon surge, but the green curry had more vegetables and tofu in it than usual -- still shy of "generous", but reasonable enough. So, perhaps the quantity given depends on the time, or even the day. As usual, everything was very tasty, and I have another plastic container to use at home....
One more thing, now that it's fresh in my mind: in my initial comment I had forgotten that the $7.50 includes taxes. Still not genuinely cheap, but not as bad as I made it sound.
Finally, I'm not sure I'm the one to do a dissertation on Asian food pricing in Ottawa, but I'd be happy to help with the research. :)
One more thing, now that it's fresh in my mind: in my initial comment I had forgotten that the $7.50 includes taxes. Still not genuinely cheap, but not as bad as I made it sound.
Finally, I'm not sure I'm the one to do a dissertation on Asian food pricing in Ottawa, but I'd be happy to help with the research. :)
2006 Oct 5
Hmmm.. sounds like the staff have gotten more ornery in the last couple of years. I guess doling out food to impatient people every day does that!
As for value, it also sounds like their prices have risen to the limit of what the market may bear. I recall a cheap combo being more around $6.
I think it's strange that despite plenty of Thai restaurants in Ottawa, they've managed to generally price themselves higher than the Vietnamese places. Perhaps it's because there's a cluster of Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown, increasing the impact of competition. Or maybe there's a more complex interaction between cultural differences and management strategy. Who wants to do a dissertation on this?
As for value, it also sounds like their prices have risen to the limit of what the market may bear. I recall a cheap combo being more around $6.
I think it's strange that despite plenty of Thai restaurants in Ottawa, they've managed to generally price themselves higher than the Vietnamese places. Perhaps it's because there's a cluster of Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown, increasing the impact of competition. Or maybe there's a more complex interaction between cultural differences and management strategy. Who wants to do a dissertation on this?
2006 Oct 5
I'd say a good place for a tasty lunch -- their food is delicious -- though perhaps not a great place.
I've often gotten a meal that's heavy on noodles or rice, but light on the other mains. On one occasion, a dining companion counted two small pieces of chicken in the chicken dish, and felt obliged to point this out at the counter -- she received a third small piece, without apology. On another occasion, I had to ask to have vegetables other than the dozen slivers of bamboo included in my green curry tofu and vegetables ("could I please have a piece of pepper?"). These may be extreme cases, but I'm afraid that in my experience, it's the norm rather than the exception that the servers are a bit stingy. Having lived in Toronto where $7.50 for a meal of equivalent tastiness would be expensive (think $5.95 for 50% more food), I can't call it cheap.
For those expecting the vegetarian options that are typical at Thai restaurants, Saffron is underwhelming: most days, other than tofu salad, there's only a mixed vegetable dish among the mains that's vegetarian; on Fridays there's also a vegetable and tofu green curry.
As for the takeout boxes, it's worth noting that they only have takeout boxes: "eating in" won't reduce waste, and though the containers are completely recyclable, there are no appropriate recycling bins provided for them. The only consolation is that I do take them home and wash them for re-use (not for food, but mainly for sorting things in my workshop), something I wouldn't do with white foam containers.
My conclusion: very tasty, but not as cheap as it should be, and disappointing for vegetarians. For an extra buck, I'm happier going up the street to Coriander Thai (which does takeout, too).
I've often gotten a meal that's heavy on noodles or rice, but light on the other mains. On one occasion, a dining companion counted two small pieces of chicken in the chicken dish, and felt obliged to point this out at the counter -- she received a third small piece, without apology. On another occasion, I had to ask to have vegetables other than the dozen slivers of bamboo included in my green curry tofu and vegetables ("could I please have a piece of pepper?"). These may be extreme cases, but I'm afraid that in my experience, it's the norm rather than the exception that the servers are a bit stingy. Having lived in Toronto where $7.50 for a meal of equivalent tastiness would be expensive (think $5.95 for 50% more food), I can't call it cheap.
For those expecting the vegetarian options that are typical at Thai restaurants, Saffron is underwhelming: most days, other than tofu salad, there's only a mixed vegetable dish among the mains that's vegetarian; on Fridays there's also a vegetable and tofu green curry.
As for the takeout boxes, it's worth noting that they only have takeout boxes: "eating in" won't reduce waste, and though the containers are completely recyclable, there are no appropriate recycling bins provided for them. The only consolation is that I do take them home and wash them for re-use (not for food, but mainly for sorting things in my workshop), something I wouldn't do with white foam containers.
My conclusion: very tasty, but not as cheap as it should be, and disappointing for vegetarians. For an extra buck, I'm happier going up the street to Coriander Thai (which does takeout, too).
2006 Sep 25
This is a great place for a quick, cheap and tasty lunch. It's cafeteria-style, just like the franchised, mall foodcourt places; only here the food is better quality and they don't follow some bland menu developed in Philadelphia at franchisor HQ. Friendly staff and excellent pad thai (considering it you stand in a line to get it). Their takeout boxes are made from extremely durable plastic and I always felt bad dumping them, like I should collect them at home as tupperware. :-( Only blemish on an excellent choice for lunch downtown.
Sgt. Yum Yum
silver