Jando S.
Yelp
Judging by all the awards and accolades on the wall, it appears the heydey for Thai Bistro was nearly 2 decades ago (#1). The place is reminiscent of many Asian establishments in this part of town: a diminished authentic experience semi-overpriced, and primed for the palates of folks in this part of town.
On looks alone, Thai Bistro seems to stand out a bit more than the neighboring businesses. It shares the underpass of Summit Square (#2) with a good amount of al fresco dining outdoor seating options. Looks can be somewhat deceiving, as the inside is a little more tight than I would have imagined despite the second level seating. It might not feel super group friendly, but it's definitely got casual date vibes and lunch destination feels.
Given how pricey the a la carte options (#3) are, I'd recommend the lunch special which was $12 and under for an entree, mini app, and drink. The options include items such as the bbq lemongrass tofu, pad thai, panang chicken curry, chicken basil inferno, and yellow curry vermicelli. I didn't find much of anything that exciting but we still ordered a heap of food any way.
The tom yum was probably the highlight. The prawns were fresh, the smell was fragrant, and the broth was flavorful despite being crazy dark. The fish cakes were a bit of a bummer as they were oily and bland. The pad thai was passable but the penang curry was substantially better. Pad see ew felt average and the fried dumplings / spring rolls were a total bust. When it comes to appetizers, I'd probably stick with the satays or none at all.
Minus the food miscues, the real kicker was the service. They were just so slow that it took longer for us to get our check than it did for us to eat our meals. It was hard getting someone's attention for usual things such as water refills or simply ordering more food. There were a lot of uncleaned tables at the end of service but few folks tending to them.
I realize that I'm not the target clientele and that's okay. I think I expected this given everything, but it'll likely be awhile before I'm back.
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(#1) 2006 / 2007.
(#2) Exhibit A: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/thai-bistro-houston?select=U2eYGpP1q29VKf21TNCk7w
(#3) $23 for some crab fried rice? Okay then.