Jessica S.
Yelp
It's taken me too long to cross Blue Orchid off my list and overall I was pleased with my meal. I went with a small group of work friends on a weekday afternoon. It wasn't busy at all and I liked the quiet, calm, dimly lit space.
We were seated quickly. The menu isn't too large, which I appreciate and there were plenty of choices but not too many to be overwhelming. I like that they have a smaller portioned lunch option that comes with an appetizer and starts around $10.
A few of us ordered tea while we waited for our meal. I had a cold, sweetened tea. It was very unique. You could taste the bitterness of the tea and it tasted like more of an oolong instead of a black but I'm not entirely sure what kind of leaf it was. Then it's mixed with a sweet cream. The flavors are bizarre but surprisingly delicious. It reminded me of green tea ice cream at a sushi joint. I'm glad I tried it but it's not something I would order regularly.
For appetizers we all ordered the spring rolls (cucumber, bean sprout, egg and marinated tofu rolled in this spring roll paper). I love spring rolls and was very disappointed by these which are steamed (making them very mushy) and drenched in a dark plum sauce. If I were to order them again, I'd ask for the sauce on the side. It's good but there was far too much. I don't think I'd get these again though, I didn't like the mushy texture.
When it came to our entrees, everyone got something different.
One of my friends prefers fairly simple dishes and she ordered the Chicken Tempura (lightly battered chicken tenderloins sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and served with sweet and sour vinaigrette). She said it was really good, the breading was light, the chicken tender. She enjoyed the sauce but said it's strong and has a mint taste. Use sparingly.
Another friend had the Orchid Chicken (sauteed chicken with chopped pineapple, cashew nuts, mushroom, green and yellow onions and garlic tossed in red chili paste). She said it was delicious and there was a nice balance between the sweet pineapple and spicy red pepper and green onions.
A Blue Orchid favorite, Drunken Noodles, was another selection from one of my friends. Drunken Noodles are wide rice noodles with onion, egg, mushroom, tomato, jalapeno and basil leaf in a chili sauce. She said it was very good, spicy, but delicious and she added chicken.
My fourth friends Garlic and Ginger was a hit (sliced fresh peppers, ginger, and garlic with mushroom, onion and preserved soybean). She also added chicken which she said was really moist. The ginger shoots surprised her at first and seemed a bit overpowering but it really made the flavor pop. The ginger balanced nicely with the garlic. She did say the soybeans kind of got lost in the dish.
I ordered the Pad See-ew (wide rice noodles with garlic, egg, collard green and broccoli in dark soy sauce). I also added chicken. I saw it on a neighboring table and the mix of greens and noodles and broccoli looked delightful. And it was, after a little doctoring. The first few bites lacked in flavor. There is absolutely no spice so I added a bit of the red chili (I had to ask for it) and that helped tremendously. I think a little bit of salt would have taken it to the next level. As I continued to mix and eat the dish, the flavors were much better. It did have a hint of a fishy flavor with a sweetness. Next time I'll likely try another dish, I'd like to see what Blue Orchid has to offer. I'd get this again though if I wasn't feeling adventurous.
I'm not sure if the lunch portions are smaller or not but the portion was generous. The service was prompt. The company even better. I liked the decor. I'll be back to explore the menu a little more. Was this the best Thai experience I've ever had? No. There is a place in Omaha that had a delicious meal that I will never forget. I don't know a lot about Thai food but I feel like these dishes weren't necessarily creative or out of the box.
For menu: http://metrodiningdelivery.com/menus/blue_orchid_thai_dinner_menu_lincoln_nebraska.html