Post by ssmynkint on Apr 8, 2012 8:29:06 GMT -5
Sawasdee ReReview
The time-worn room reeked of old cooking oil. The single server, aside from the owner, was overwhelmed by the number of guests. We were repeatedly interrogated by the owner re: our capacity for hot/sour/spicy and essentially had to defend our selections. During and after ordering we were told that three of our selections were not available. Another table had a fourth dish declared MIA. This on an early Saturday evening.
Service itself consisted of dealing dishes and napkins like cards from the head of the table without identifying dishes. Items were passed over peoples’ heads across table.
Food was unattractively plopped on plates without garnish or care for presentation. Fresh flavors were absent, with no evidence of any cilantro, chilies or lemon grass. Flavors were bland, muddled and muddy with no distinct senses of sweet/sour/spicy/salty/tart. The “green” curry was horribly over-salted and had no distinct flavor. Meats were consistently tough as if they had been previously cooked and merely reheated in a sauce. Irregular chunks of meat -clumps of chicken in the Larb- ( and huge chunks of veggies in the bland Spring Rolls) indicated poor knife skills and lack of attention/concern for detail. Portions were barely adequate for the price.
A case can be made that Sawasdee represents “home style” cooking.
Certainly it is not professional/restaurant quality. But “home style” cooks range from the sublime to the execrable-think of the variation in cooking skills in your extended family. Sawasdee is not a good representation of the qualities that make Thai cuisine so delicious and intriguing. It is mediocre at best.
Ambiance: Poor
Service: Poor
Food: Fair
Value: Poor
ssmynkint
9-Apr, 2012
The time-worn room reeked of old cooking oil. The single server, aside from the owner, was overwhelmed by the number of guests. We were repeatedly interrogated by the owner re: our capacity for hot/sour/spicy and essentially had to defend our selections. During and after ordering we were told that three of our selections were not available. Another table had a fourth dish declared MIA. This on an early Saturday evening.
Service itself consisted of dealing dishes and napkins like cards from the head of the table without identifying dishes. Items were passed over peoples’ heads across table.
Food was unattractively plopped on plates without garnish or care for presentation. Fresh flavors were absent, with no evidence of any cilantro, chilies or lemon grass. Flavors were bland, muddled and muddy with no distinct senses of sweet/sour/spicy/salty/tart. The “green” curry was horribly over-salted and had no distinct flavor. Meats were consistently tough as if they had been previously cooked and merely reheated in a sauce. Irregular chunks of meat -clumps of chicken in the Larb- ( and huge chunks of veggies in the bland Spring Rolls) indicated poor knife skills and lack of attention/concern for detail. Portions were barely adequate for the price.
A case can be made that Sawasdee represents “home style” cooking.
Certainly it is not professional/restaurant quality. But “home style” cooks range from the sublime to the execrable-think of the variation in cooking skills in your extended family. Sawasdee is not a good representation of the qualities that make Thai cuisine so delicious and intriguing. It is mediocre at best.
Ambiance: Poor
Service: Poor
Food: Fair
Value: Poor
ssmynkint
9-Apr, 2012