Ryan F.
Yelp
Had lunch at East Thai And Noodle House on a Friday afternoon. I ordered the Red Curry With Shrimp and I had a few bites of the Pad Thai With Chicken.
Quality
As picky as I am with Thai food, I found a lot to like about East Thai And Noodle House. Specifically the heat that came with the Red Curry With Shrimp. I personally love spicy foods, I prefer it to be in a range where it is almost too hot to enjoy. Therefore, when I took my first bite of the Red Curry With Shrimp I was overjoyed that they did not hold back. The tasty mixture of bamboo shoot, eggplant, sweet peppers, coconut milk, and chili worked so well. The coconut milk helps keep it in the right realm of spiciness, but I still felt my sinuses start to give in. Poured onto a warm bed of white rice, it was a very tasty dish. Now typically I use Pad Thai as my barometer of Thai food, so I scooped a few bites of my colleagues order. I was less impressed with this dish, which seemed bland, especially compared to the Red Curry. It was not overly sweet like some versions, but it just did not have much boldness. Based on my small sample size, I get the impression that the more complex and unique dishes are given just a bit more love here.
Quantity
The dishes are all a very good size. I was extremely impressed with the Pad Thai With Chicken, which came off the lunch specials menu. It was definitely enough for a meal and a half, if not two. I struggled to finish my Red Curry With Shrimp as well.
Value
The prices are pretty standard for a Thai restaurant, but the massive portions help make it a decent deal. The lunch specials run from $12 to $14 depending on the protein, while dinner entrees are in the $15 to $20 range.
Ambiance
East Thai And Noodle House is hidden away in a little corner of South Miami, that somehow is also directly off US-1. It is on a strange little roadway that I think is set up only for delivery vehicles. They have a small outdoor patio area with a couple of tables and umbrellas overhead. However, this corridor is a popular spot for smokers and it smells like it. The inside is a good size with about a dozen tables. It is very simple and if you were to sit down you may have no idea you are in a Thai restaurant other than from whiffs of the kitchen. A few generic wallhangings and a popular radio station in the background give no hints to the restaurant's style. It is a very casual spot and one that works well for a quick lunch.
Crowd
There was only one other small group in the restaurant during lunch on a Friday. I think the fact that they have been open for nearly a year and I had no idea it was even there is problematic. It is competing with a lot of other nearby restaurants, but it is not very visible based on its actual location. I worry it will fall into the same trap as previous tenants.
Service
It looked like they had two people working, one server and one person in the kitchen. The food came out relatively quickly and our server was around whenever we needed him. The speed makes it a reasonable spot to have lunch on a workday.
Parking
Plenty of street parking is available throughout the South Miami Sunset area. It is very limited directly in front of the restaurant, but easy to find a block or so away. There is also a garage just a block east if you don't want to deal with street parking.
Extra
East Thai And Noodle House comes with a mix of good and bad. I had one dish I really enjoyed and several bites of a classic dish that I believed was off the mark. I also did not love the lack of effort placed on decorating the place or even trying to scrub it of the previous tenant's look. The almost hidden location and the abundance of nearby options is going to require a stepped up game and I did not see that from them.