Michele R.
Yelp
Newly opened, family owned and operated, small Thai eatery in a remodeled space at a west Boise strip mall. (Location orientation: same strip that has Lindy's steak house on one end and Guido's pizzeria on the other.) Frank and Pisutkan (Pitsi) Adams are the owners, she is from northern Thailand and she and others from Thailand are doing the cooking. It may be that Frank and the nice young woman who was our server are the only people in the mix who are not part of the Thai heritage family.
These are early days (take out started late October, dine in started November 2) for this small business' kitchen and they are still gauging customer demand. One day in October take out times they were literally bought out of food after a Boise newspaper article reported they were open for take out. At peak times the small kitchen needs time to fill orders. As a customer I recommend approaching this with grace and perspective. As in considering a delayed meal or sold out item from a small, newly opened eatery is an inconvenience not a life tragedy.
TAKE OUT - DINE IN: If our lunch time experience on their second day of dine in service was typical for less than a dozen people in the roughly 50 seat eatery but with a good number of people coming in pick up take away, it may be that people are unaware dine in is available. Now you know!
SERVICE: Full table service and server was covering the dining room and bar seating areas and managing take out orders. She was friendly, knowledgeable about menu, efficient and clearly enjoyed working there. Both she and a cook who came out of the kitchen as we left thanked us for our business. Very nice.
MENU / PRICES: The same menu is used lunch and dinner and focuses on:
*noodles (3 kinds $13.50 - $14.50) and noodle soups (4 kinds $14.50),
*curry dishes (5 kinds $16 - $17),
* tom soups (2 kinds $$14.50 - $17.50) and salads (3 kinds $12 - $13),
*specialty rice dishes (4 kinds $13.50 - $17.50), and
*starters like crispy rolls, fresh rolls, chicken wings and... (7 items $9 - $11)
GOOD FOOD FIRST VISIT & PLANNING SECOND: My experience as disappointed consumer of Thai food in the Boise area, after having enjoyed lots of it in other cities, is that many local Thai places over extend their menus to include Chinese and other Asian dishes and do none of them very well. The menu here is smaller which allows focus to create good Thai food in the small kitchen.
Given Noodle in the name of the restaurant we ordered noodle dishes on our first visit; pad thai - because it is for us in a Thai eatery as spaghetti with marinara is in a family Italian place, a benchmark dish - and khao soi - a northern Thai spicy egg noodle curry that is a fav of mine and not often found on Thai restaurant menus locally - in fact Mai Tai may be the only other serving it and they offer it only at dinner.
We enjoyed both dishes, although in my experience with khao soi it is served brothier than was the noodle dense presentation here. But it was good for flavor and presented in the classic style with braised chicken leg included and Chinese style soup spoon and chopsticks for eating it in the traditional way even if it lacked the pickled mustard greens and thin sliced shallots I've had elsewhere. We appreciated the pad thai was well seasoned and not the overly sweet, sticky finish that can be in this dish in some places.
Spice levels offered mild, medium, hot.
Such generous portions that there were leftovers from both dishes to take home.
Next time we'll try Thai basil rice dish and tom yum...or maybe pumpkin curry, another favorite.
VIBE & SEATING: Nice job of remodeling what was a dingy (Chinese food restaurant) space before, it is a little dark inside, in the way of moody not unpleasant, given wall color choices and limited windows. Seating at bar and in bar at two top tables are high seats. Two standard height four top tables also in bar (hooray) and throughout dining room. We also appreciated that it was peacefully quiet. One could hear the buzz of conversation, including appreciation for the food, from other diners and the owner greeting a diner who already was considered a regular as he asked her, "What should I try today?". No piped in music, the tv over the bar was on with no sound. Ahhhhh-some!
ACCESSIBILITY: Accessible parking spaces (2) outside door in lot. All on one floor inside, standard height tables with path of travel to and floor space at some looking ample for diners using wheelchairs as ADA requires for equal access. They even include the ADA required standard height seats in bar which so many Boise dining places ignore. Good for them. Didn't check the loos.
PARKING: Private lot shared with others in this strip mall.
HOURS: Open Mon - Sat for lunch until 3:00 then closed, as many family restaurants are in late afternoons to let staff eat and refresh the kitchen before dinner service, reopening for dinner at 5:00.