CombatCritic's TravelValue™: Thailand

CombatCritic™ ... World traveler - 42 countries and counting; Military Leader - Four combat operations; Amateur chef; Published author and producer - over 4 million visitors on seven platforms! Yelp "Black" Elite '14/'15/ '16/ '17/ '18/ '19 / '20/ '21/ '22 / '23 / '24; TripAdvisor ¨Local Guide¨, Zomato "VERIFIED CONNOISSEUR"; Booking.com "GENIUS"; and Foursquare "INSIDER". On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocrity - Follow Me To TravelValue™ ... That's A Freakin' Order!

Showing posts with label Thailand. Show all posts

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Portland, OR: Decent Thai, But Where's The Beef?

Cha Ba Thai
3024 NE Alberta Street
Portland, OR 97211
Cuisine: Thai (Obviously)
Phone number: (503) 719-6917
Website: chabathaipdx.com
Prices: $$$$

The Alberta Arts District is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Portland due to its' eclectic, Bohemian feel, great restaurants, and art/music/theatre scene. We deployed to the area of operations to see a Little Shop of Horrors charity extravaganza at the Alberta Rose Theatre just a couple of doors west of Cha Ba Thai.

Not surprisingly, the large dining room was virtually empty at 5pm when we arrived, so we were guided to a four-top next to the window. The room is simple and tastefully decorated with a full bar on one side and tables on the other. There is also a large outdoor seating area with several picnic tables, so feel free to enjoy your meal al fresco if you so desire. We were promptly greeted when we entered and, after being seated, our drink/appetizer orders were promptly taken.

I ordered a Ninkasa IPA ($5.50) for me and the Chicken Satay ($9.50) and Egg Rolls ($6) for the both of us to share. Each of the four satay sticks had a large serving of grilled chicken served with a tasty peanut sauce, my favorite, and some chunks of onion and cucumber in a mildly sweet sauce. The satay was very good, but I am not sure it was worth the extra $3 or $4 when compared to satay prices at most Thai restaurants I have been to. The egg rolls were small and somewhat bland, also being a buck or two more expensive to similar dishes elsewhere.

My wife decided on the Pad See Ew (Tofu - $11.50), wide noodles and broccoli florets stir fried in a mild, slightly sweet soy sauce. She was very happy with the dish although I found it somewhat tasteless as well. I tend to favor the spicier and more savory Thai curry dishes, so I went with the Massaman Curry w/ Jasmine Rice ($13). The curry sauce was delicious, but not quite as thick as many I have had and the vegetables (carrot, potato, and onion) fresh, but there was a paltry amount of sliced beef on top when it arrived. Again, the prices for our entrees were each a few bucks too high in my opinion.

The service was excellent, fast, friendly and efficient, and the food came out post haste. Overall, we were well satiated and happy with our meal, but the prices were a tad high in comparison to other Thai restaurants we have visited and the less than abundant beef content of my curry was disappointing, so "where's the beef?"

CombatCritic Gives Cha Ba Thai 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"

Monday, February 18, 2019

Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii: Plenty Of Bang For The Buck At Bangkok Chef

Bangkok Chef

900 N. Nimitz Highway

Honolulu, HI 96817

Phone number (808) 536-8570

Website: bangkokchefexpress.com

Prices: $$$$

When assigning a rating, I usually start with the cons and start deducting BOMBS, then comparing the quality of the experience to the price. I could not find much wrong here and the value top-notch, especially in comparison to Honolulu's standard high prices.

We started with the Chicken Sate ($12.90), a bit pricey, but you get six hearty chicken skewers instead of the usual four. They were perfectly cooked and the accompanying peanut sauce was delish with a hint of chili. We also ordered the Spring Rolls ($11.70), also a tad high, but again you get six and they are accompanied, Vietnamese style, by lettuce leaves for wrapping and cucumber slices, fresh mint, and a zesty, spicy sauce for dipping.

For our entrees, the four of us decided to go the ala carte route, sharing three family style mains along with an order of Jasmine Chicken Fried Rice ($11.70) instead of white, sticky, or brown rice which would have cost about the same ala carte for four of us. The Pork Panang Curry ($13.25) was one of the biggest and best I have had with loads of sliced pork and potatoes in a delicious medium-spicey curry sauce served in a large bowl. I am not usually a pad thai lover, but their Chicken Pad Thai ($11.90) was mountainous and superb. Finally, the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken ($12.90) had probably about a pound (16 ounces) of sliced, boneless chicken grilled to perfection and accompanied by a sweet and spicy chili sauce.

Panang Curry

Pad Thai

Lemongrass Chicken

There was a lot of food, too much to eat in one sitting, so our friends took enough home for a nice lunch the following day. The service was not overly friendly, but very efficient and our food came out post haste, no screwing around here folks. Eighty bucks plus tip for an abundant and tasty dinner for four in Honolulu was quite a bargain and a definite TravelValue in my humble opinion ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Bangkok Chef 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Portland, OR: This Peacock Has A "Plume" Of Flavor

Thai Peacock
219 SW 9th Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
Phone number (503) 228-2310
Website: thaipeacockpdx.com
Prices: $$$$

After going to a matinee play at the Armory a few blocks away, we were feeling a bit peckish and the menu in the window looked interesting, so we decided to give them a try. The place is small on the inside with 6 or 7 tables (one big family table) downstairs and a few more in the small loft above the kitchen. The service was efficient, a little too efficient actually, and friendly, and the prices reasonable, particularly for downtown Portland.

Not overly hungry, hence the term "peckish", we ordered the Chicken Teriyaki Balls (#2 - $6) as a starter and for entrees, my wife the Pad Ruam Mit (#37 - $10) stir fry and I the Kaeng Matsaman (#28 - $10.50) curry. I also had a Ninkasi IPA ($5) that was very cold and tasty.

The teriyaki balls came out post haste. They looked burnt, but it must have been the teriyaki sauce because they were delish, having been drizzled with a creamy garlic sauce and served with fresh, sliced cucumber and zesty sriracha pineapple chili sauce ... YUM!

Then we experienced the sole downer of the meal and one of my primary pet peaves. We had barely started eating our appetizer when our entrees arrived. Fast is usually good, but there is nothing I hate worse in a restaurant than the main course coming before the appetizer has been finished and the plates cleared away. BUMMER!

My wife's meal had broccoli, carrot, baby corn, cabbage, onion, bell pepper, shitake and white mushrooms, bean sprouts and scallions stir fried with garlic and tofu. A little bland by my standards, she thought it was wonderful and that is all that counts. My "matsaman" (spelled "massaman" at every other Thai restaurant I have ever been to) curry was rich, creamy, delicious and just the way I like it with slices of beef, potato, onion carrot and peanuts, both meals accompanied by a side of steamed rice.

Overall, the food, service and prices were excellent, but I have to deduct 2 Bombs (1 Star) for bringing the entrees WAY too soon. Otherwise, this was a "top notch" meal worthy of my highest rating. So, if downtown enjoying a play at the Armory, perusing the books at Powell's (just a block away), or whatever else you may be doing, Thai Peacock is worth a visit.

CombatCritic Gives Thai Peacock 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Pages - CombatCritic's "TravelValue"

Follow Me To TravelValue!

Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock