A Trip to The Bangkok Oriental
Jan 24th, 2009 by Alex
Last night we went out to The Bangkok Oriental to celebrate my parent’s anniversary. It’s one of our local favorites, known for its savory and spicy Thai dishes. We usually go there for lunch, but tonight we ventured out for dinner.
The restaurant itself is cozy but not cramped, perfectly lit for quiet conversation. There’s custom artwork hanging on the wall and the decorations are subtle and tasteful. Water glasses, silverware, and actual napkins are already set out on the linen tablecloths when you are seated. The menu offers a variety of dishes from Thailand with a few staples from the Szechuan Province thrown in for good (and spicy) measure. Plates are placed after your appetizers (if any) and then the entrees are brought out on separate plates, suitable for family-style sharing. The portions are very large and come with a nice mixture of steamed vegetables and an individual cup of steamed rice. Even after passing our entree plates around to share amongst the six of us, there was still plenty to take home.
The wait was the only downside, which we’d never experienced at lunch time. The kitchen was clearly short-staffed. There were only seven or eight tables seated, but it took about an hour to receive our order of spring rolls and fried candy. One cook on hand, perhaps? We were busy talking for most of the time and we didn’t have anywhere to be afterwards, but it did seem a longer wait than normal. Our food came out shortly after our appetizers. It was well worth the wait.
A few photos, detailed most of what we had for dinner.
Beef with Roasted Chili Paste was an excellent departure from what I might normally order out. "Spicy and hot with a hint of sweetness," as the menu described. The red sauce had a very earthy and natural aroma. That subtle hint of sweetness was definitely there, the heat building gradually the more you eat.
Three is Company is "beef, chicken and shrimp sauteed with vegetables" in a light brown sauce.
Pud Thai is my mother’s favorite. Classic stir fried noodles with shrimp, sprouts, egg, in a warm to the taste peanut-based sauce.
Thai Curry Chicken in a Panang curry sauce, also served with a side of steamed vegetables (just not pictured). Made with a coconut milk, the creamy sauce lit up your tongue with zesty spice.
Fresh Basil and Chili Chicken. A "popular hot dish throughout Thailand" and a pretty tasty dish here in the States as well, I’d say.
Just looking at these photos again makes me hungry. It’s a good thing that there are leftovers in the fridge. I have no doubts I’ll be returning to Bangkok Thai.
