Marilu F.
Yelp
New year, new experiences, new places.
Baitong Thai & Sushi Bar just recently opened in the Pembroke Pines area per the banner that pops up and reads Hot New Business on Yelp.
I had bookmarked it in the past week, having no idea when I would visit. Turns out I visited on New Year's Day. They were open (thank you bunches for this as not everyone was) and it was relatively close by to where we were at previously.
Coming into the plaza, it is very easy to find the place. It's at the corner of the building. Going in, however, you may be surprised at how small the place actually is. There is a sushi bar, where you can view the chef making your sushi, as well as two or three tables. It seems the majority of people are concentrated at the bar, regardless on whether or not they do indeed order sushi.
In our case, we went for curry. My boyfriend and I happen to be curry enthusiasts. Or at least that was the case on that particular day. Shrugs. He ordered the beef green curry at the Thai hot level. It came in a mini cast iron. First time I have ever seen curry presented this way. My shrimp red curry, medium hot, also came presented this way. I guess it's a thing for them?
I found that the portions themselves were fine except for one minor caveat. Plenty of accompanying rice and not enough of the actual curry itself. I took home leftovers and the following day I saw it. This may be something they can work at.
I took a bite of the beef green curry and found it flavorful, not deathly spicy. I don't think it was Thai hot at all. The shrimp red curry, medium hot, also wasn't the predicted spice level. Ended up asking for more spice. The waitress then brought me chili flakes and two sauces to rectify the problem. It helped loads.
As far as other food goes, we had started with steamed gyoza and Tom kah gai soup. The steamed gyoza was on point, but then again, I keep arguing with people that I don't think this is a dish anyone can mess up. As for the soup, it was Thai hot, or so it claimed to be and I'm surprised I tried it at all. It is heavily coconut-based and I tend to avoid that like the plague.
I now question myself why. They prepared this soup so well. It was a great balance of coconut and spice. Eh, maybe it's because I wasn't feeling adventurous that I had avoided this. That and my fatty ways always make me think of dessert at Thai places. I mean, hello, Thai donuts anyone?
The Thai donuts were obviously ordered at this restaurant and the presentation was unlike anything I've ever seen. They stacked them up one by one on top of each other with the condensed milk on the side. It was creative, and upon further inspection, makes me think of an onion ring tower, but I'm digressing here.
Ultimately I think this made for a lovely dinner after a long day of shopping. I wish this business a lot of success. The staff is genuinely nice and their food is yummy. Whenever I visit again, I'll try their sushi. This restaurant does that and Thai cuisine, and well, at least their Thai cuisine hits the spot. Let's see about the sushi.