Sherwin C.
Yelp
A solid choice for Thai food in the Northwest Suburbs. This place can be a bit difficult to find right off of Palatine Rd, in the corner of the shopping center without any real visibility to the restaurant until after you've passed the turn. The lot is also not huge, but it's fortunately next to lots of other stores and restaurants in downtown Palatine.
Prices are fair, a little more than eating Chinese or Vietnamese, but not too much higher (and with the recent inflation in 2022, the prices are very competitive compared with many other local restaurants). Portion sizes are fairly generous and service is very friendly. The decor is one of the standout features of this restaurant as it's decorated from wall to wall with many different elements and the plates, cups, and silverware suggest a more elevated experience. This is also reflected in the above average level of presentation in their food.
The food is enjoyable. Not the most unique or best executed versions of these dishes that I've ever had, but they were consistently good and the flavors are approachable. Here are my thoughts on the items I tried.
Sample platter: A nice, cost effective way to try a bunch of their appetizers at once. The egg rolls were crispy with a nice light filling, which matched well with the dipping sauce. The filling made of pork, crab, onion, egg, and vegetables are quite light in flavor without the sauce. I would've liked an extra element of flavor like herbs to add a little more flavor. The crab rangoon was fairly crispy with a light mix of crab meat and cream cheese. The pot stickers had a slightly crispy skin, with a thin wrapping. Once again, a little light on flavor. The crab in the bag was fried nicely with a lightly seasoned mix of crab and shrimp. The presentation is the standout feature of this dish. Finally the shrimp tempura was deep fried like what you'd expect from butterfly fried shrimp (instead of the Japanese preparation). Overall, good way to start a meal with a variety of items.
Basil duck: The duck was nicely roasted and served in thin strips with basil, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. The skin had a nice soft, fatty texture to it while the meat was tender. The flavors of the pepper and basil came out fairly strong, and the presentaion was lovely. The sauce and onions helped to tie everything together nicely to make it a nice cold weather dish.
Shrimp Pad Thai: A bit different from the preparations I'm used to as the rice noodle, pad thai sauce, and bean sprouts dominated the dish and I didn't get as much egg, crushed peanuts, green onion, cilantro, and lime as I was expecting. With that said, it was still enjoyable with a bit more sweetness than expected but still a solid version.
Overall, this is a good choice if you're looking to eat Thai near Palatine with a large, complete menu in a nicely decorated restaurant with above average food presentation.