Ottawa Foodies

Went for supper last night.

We each had soup:
-Tom Yum Goong $4.50
Hot & sour shrimp soup with lemongrass, chili and mushrooms
-Tom Kha Goong $4.75
Hot & sour shrimp soup with coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, chili and mushrooms

Then we shared the following two dishes with some Thai rice:
-Pad Ped Makua Yao $10.95
Sauteed chicken with eggplant chili & basil
-Panang $12.95
Dry red curry with chicken and coconut milk
With all this we each had a Singha beer.

Total bill with tax and tip: $65

Impressions:
-Food was delicious but portion sizes are way too small for the prices they are charging. My favourite Thai place, Maison Samorn in Hull charges the same prices but your portions are significantly larger so I have no problems paying for it
-Was having a major eggplant craving and this hit the spot
-I bit into a chili by accident (I always do) and almost needed to call in the fire brigade! Singha beer helped alot :)
-Service was pleasant and efficient
-Restaurant is really dark......???
-We were sat at these carved tables for two that are made of very heavy furniture. You can barely move the chair and I finally gave up so because I was sitting back I had to lean over to be able to eat. Chair seat could use a bit more cushion.

All in all we were satisfied but won't be rushing back.

Had dinner Saturday night with some girlfriends. We ordered beef satay, some soups, and an assortment of dishes to share. It was all very good except for one dish, one of the nightly specials Shrimp with asparagus in a ginger curry - didn't really impress. Our meal with a litre of red wine was good value even though portions are not huge. Service was quick. Nice and cosy and expect to return to try some other dishes!

Third Thai joint I went to in my SCIENCE quest. I had to come here three times before I could eat. The first time I arrived a little late and couldn't get a table, the second time it was a Sunday and they weren't open for lunch. The third time I showed up early on a tuesday and waited around until they opened.

The restraunt is fairly nice, but too dark and closed in for my tastes. That seems a theme with all the Thai places I tried, really. Dark and/or claustrophobic. Odd. Anyway, the service was prompt and the lemongrass tea was hot and flavourful.

I had the special platter, with spring rolls, a red and a yellow curry, some vegetables and rice. All were excellent, the best food of all three restraunts without doubt. Creme caramel for desert was also very nice and did a good deal to soothe my tongue after the curries.

The price is my only sticking point here. It's about twice as expensive as the other two places, and while the food is better, I'm not sure it's twice as good. Or at least not enough so to make it a place I'd go for a casual lunch. I'm poor, though, so people with decent jobs could feel more justified.

Corneggs,

I am not sure on that one. There is a place down the street called Sacred Garden which claim to be Vegetarian... I am not sure either how strict they are using meat based sauces or condiments.

Are there any noodle dishes for vegetarians here? Something pad thai-like without the meat base?

I frequently visit as the food is alway solid in quality and tastiness, although the portions are small and over the years the prices have risen. Don't get me wrong I will still regularly frequent (as it was the first place I ever had Thai way back when) and it is still on my top list for Thai but I won't drive from the west end just to go anymore.

I'm typically here for lunch and all of the plates I've tried are really tasty. Some are spicy and others are not, so they appeal to just about anyone.

My one complaint is that the portions are really tiny. I could easily eat two of their lunch plates but that would be super expensive! So instead we go for DQ Blizzards afterwards or I eat the leftover chili that I had originally brought for my lunch. :-)

Here's a picture. The online menu is out of date -- the price is $2.95 now instead of $1.95. A bit steep for a palate cleanser but I still get it so I guess their business model is working. ;-)

Just enough citrus and perfectly sliced mushrooms sounds right for Sweet Basil's tom yum. It's a simple broth with a good balance of salt, hot chilis, lemon grass and lime. They slice up regular white button mushrooms for the soup here instead of the more traditional straw or oyster mushrooms.

A bowl of this soup is the perfect way to wake up your taste buds in anticipation of the meal to come.

I seem to recall this as being damn good with just enough citrus flavour and perfectly sliced little mushrooms. It's been a while though and I may be thinking of Green Papaya.

Here's a picture. Sorry about the quality of these -- I used my cellphone's camera in very dim lighting with no flash. The photos were just brown/grey blobs before extensive photoshopping (crop, levels, shadows, color balance, blur, sharpen, saturation, resize). hehe.. maybe i should have sketched them instead! :P

Sweet Basil has the best Pad Ki Mow that I have ever had and I have tried this dish at almost every Thai restaurant that I have ever been to. The Sweet Basil Pad Ki Mow is made using thin vermicelli type noodles, instead of the wider rice noodles that are typically used for this dish. Very flavourful and spicy - sometimes extremely spicy, depending on who is in the kitchen!

Sweet Basil has *the* most fantastic panaeng beef that I have ever had the pleasure of eating. You owe it to yourself to try this dish there; the flavours are perfectly balanced and the beef is tender and delicate. You'll be licking the bowl if you think you can get away with it.

It's listed as "Bamee Pad Kai" on Sweet Basil's menu, not at all spicy but super delicious. There's lots of saltiness and umami in this dish meaning I love it. :-) Lunch special #4.

Standard Pad Thai with big luscious shrimp and fresh, crisp bean sprouts. Sauce was a tad ketchupy, but still yummy.

It was really pretty to look at and to eat. It totally made my day. My meal was okay but that icecream just made the entire trip such a delight. I would make a return visit just because of that icecream.

I just wish they offered the whole-shrimp ones at lunch! I always love those.

I had the Shrimp Spring Rolls and they came with little tails sticking out one side. Cute! My friend was horrified (she's picky), but we both loved the taste.

I'm not a fan of them here because I find them to be bland and a little greasy, but Adam likes them so much he slurps the sweet sauce off his fingers! ;-)