With so many Thai restaurants in the area, we decided to circle back to Ban Thai for dinner tonight.  They were crowded as usual, but had a few tables open so we didn’t have to wait.  I’m still on my “must have dumplings” kick, so that’s where we started.

I think this is the first time we’ve ordered them here.  They were tasty little bundles of pork and veggies, but very dense.   Loren went for the ginger chicken.

He said it was very good.  I find the flavors here to be on the dark side.  I don’t know if that makes any sense or not, but there’s just something about their sauces that don’t thrill my senses.  Loren likes it though.  For me, it’s all about the lobster roll.

This one sushi roll is a meal in itself.  It’s huge, incredibly sloppy to eat, and oh so good.  Besides the actual rolls, there are also chunks of lobster piled up on the side.  It’s my favorite roll here.  We also shared a Rainbow Roll.

This was very fresh and tasty.  It’s a huge contrast to the sauce drenched lobster roll, but perfectly delightful in its own right.  With sushi, simplicity can be quite awesome.  Total bill with a drink was $45.

Ban Thai Restaurant
2519 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL
727-724-2992

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We eat out a lot and one of the things I’ve noticed is that a lot of places have gone to a very minimal presentation of their food, but that’s not the case with Pacific Thai Cuisine.  Their plating makes the food look that much more appetizing and it’s those little details that can take a meal to that next level.  Loren decided to try the Yum Beef tonight.

He got it medium spicy and he was sniffling a little by the end, but really enjoyed the dish.  He loves entrees with lots of veggies.  I went for the Pad Se-ew tonight.

It’s a very simple dish, but they do it well here.  It has that right mouth-feel, the veggies are crisp, the flavors subtle, and the noodles are cooked perfectly.  It’s just a pleasant dining experience from start to finish.  Must be why we eat here quite often.  Total bill with a drink was $33.

Pacific Thai Cuisine 
4058 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL
813-855-6633

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Pacific Thai in Oldsmar has become one of our go-to places for a quiet, delicious meal.  The food here is always fresh and quick and we both always leave with happy taste buds.  I’m still on my dumpling kick, so we had to start off with some of them as well as some soup.

The dumplings are flavorful and just yummy.  It was a chilly night tonight, so I went for some won ton soup and Loren got the chicken & rice soup.  I did find the soup in need of salt, but otherwise it warmed me up very nicely.  Loren decided on the nam sod tonight.

It’s a salad with pork, veggies, and nuts and he really likes it.  I decided to try the broccoli with oyster sauce with chicken.

The veggies were cooked perfectly and the sauce had a nice flavor to it.  It came with broccoli, carrots and mushrooms and Loren kept stealing mushrooms off my plate.  I even had some leftovers.  Total bill with a drink was $37.

Pacific Thai Cuisine 
4058 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL
813-855-6633

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As I’ve said before, we like dining at quiet restaurants, so tonight we ate dinner at Pacific Thai in Oldsmar.  I’ve become addicted to steamed dumplings to we had to start off with those.

These were really dense, but had lots of flavor.  There’s just something about them that tickles all of my taste buds.  Loren didn’t sway too far from his comfort zone and got some ginger beef tonight.  He loves all the fresh veggies, though he said it wasn’t very spicy tonight even though he ordered it medium.

My massaman curry, on the other hand, was much spicier than I expected.

The thing about this dish is that the spiciness just builds up.  After a while, my lips were tingling.  It’s the sweet and spicy flavors that keep me ordering it though.  Total bill with a drink was $32.

Pacific Thai Cuisine 
4058 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL
813-855-6633

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Our first visit to Sabai Thai was all about sushi, so we decided to try their Thai offerings today.  I really liked the dumplings last time, so we had to get another order of those.

They’re very dense, but full of flavor.  I could eat a plate full of them and be quite contented.  The food comes out really fast here.  I’m not sure if it’s because there weren’t very many customers or the kitchen is just on super speed.  Loren got the ginger chicken.

He said it was very good, but didn’t have any heat to it even though he ordered it medium spicy.   He said the reason he normally orders this dish is because it comes with lots of fresh veggies.   I went for the Pad Lad Na.

The flavors were very mellow, but that’s pretty much what I expect from this dish.  I would have liked the broccoli to have been cooked a little more, but overall, it was tasty.  There was definitely a lot more sauce in this version than what I’ve gotten at other places.  It was almost like eating a noodle soup.  We both ended up with leftovers.  Total bill with a drink was $28.

Sabai Thai Cuisine
2454 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL
(727) 330-7630

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A new Thai restaurant just opened up on the corner of McMullen Booth & Enterprise.  Sabai Thai Cuisine is a cute little restaurant with a variety of Thai dishes and sushi.  We started off with an appetizer platter.

I’m a sucker for a plate of fried appetizers.  The shrimp were really good and my favorite on the plate.  I’d definitely order the dumplings again, they had some nice flavors.  The eggrolls, spring rolls and curry puffs were also tasty.  Since we ordered the appetizer platter, we only ordered four sushi rolls.  Surprising, huh?  We ordered a tuna and avocado, a salmon and avocado, a Mexican roll and a spicy tuna roll.

Their sushi menu is pretty standard without a lot of specialty rolls.  The sushi was a bit on the bland side, except for the sauce on the spicy tuna which was really spicy.  Loren took a lot of it off before eating it.  The shrimp in the Mexican roll wasn’t as warm as I would have liked it.  I’m guessing it was done before we had finished our appetizer platter and they just didn’t bring it to the table soon enough.  I wasn’t a fan of the texture of the tuna roll either.  It was like it was chopped up and as such had a mushy texture.  We’ll probably go back again to try the Thai dishes.  I’m not sure that this was the best location to open up another Thai restaurant though, especially with Ban Thai right across the street and Ocean Blue just across McMullen Booth.  Total bill with a drink was $42.

Sabai Thai Cuisine
2454 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL
(727) 330-7630

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By 1pm, it was sweltering hot in Vegas, so I went back to the Aria and had lunch at Lemongrass.

You would think since I ordered the potstickers for an appetizer that they would have come out first… not so much.  I really expected a much better experience here.  I had ordered the Pad Thai without peanuts or sprouts and it’s plain to see they’re right there on the plate.  Good thing I just don’t like those items and aren’t allergic to them.  The waiter was apologetic about the appetizer coming out after the entree, but then he sort of ignored my table.

Overall, though, the food was pretty tasty.  I really enjoyed the potstickers and the pad thai had some interesting flavors.  A little more spicy than I would have liked, but one of the better meals I ate in Vegas. Total bill was $33.

Lemongrass
3730 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV
702-590-7111

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We usually go to Pacific Thai for lunch, but lately they’ve turned into one of our dinner spots too.  They weren’t busy at all at 7:30pm on a Sunday, so we had a very nice, quiet, tasty dinner.

Dumplings are one of new favorite things, so I just had to have some.

Tasty little bundles of pork and spices.  I could just sit there and eat those all day.  For dinner, we stayed right in our comfort zone,  ginger chicken for Loren and some Pad See Ew for me.

Loren loved all the fresh veggies in his dish.  I just wanted something noodley and tasty and this dish fits the bill for me.  It’s a rather plain dish, just noodles, broccoli, carrots and egg, but there’s something about it that just makes it comfort food for me.   Total bill was $31 with a drink.

Pacific Thai Cuisine
4058 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL
813-855-6633

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We went over to Dunedin tonight for dinner at Tom Yum Thai & Sushi.  They were pretty busy both in the restaurant and with take out orders.  There were at least three waitresses all sharing all the duties throughout the restaurant which made it somewhat chaotic and disorganized.  Multiple people trying to take orders and bring out food and it just didn’t work all that well.  Loren ordered a coke from one of the waitresses and didn’t see it until after the sushi came out and we asked for it again.

We started off with some steamed dumplings.

This is the first time we’d seen open dumplings like this.  They were tasty though.  They had a nice blend of pork and spices.  We ordered three sushi rolls and Loren got an order of ginger chicken.

We wanted the sushi and the chicken to come out at the same time, but this was one of those areas where having multiple waitresses led to miscommunication.   We had to ask for the ginger chicken when someone came by to check on us after the sushi had come out.  I got the Dragon roll and the Lucky roll and Loren got a crunchy spicy tuna.  They were all ok.  The spicy mayo was really spicy and overwhelmed the rolls.  Overall, not the best experience we’ve had here.  Total bill with a drink was $54.

Tom Yum Thai & Sushi
104 Patricia Ave
Dunedin, FL
(727) 953-9898

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We went to Amarit Thai for lunch today.  They’re pretty busy on Fridays at lunch and yet the service never falters here.  Given our experience last night, we were very aware of the service today.  We called it ninja-like.  Orders were taken quickly, food was delivered fast and efficiently, and drinks were filled without notice.  A very pleasant dining experience.

After the soup and spring roll, Loren got the garlic sauce chicken and I got plain Pad Thai.

Loren said the garlic sauce didn’t have enough zing to it compared to the ginger sauce he normally gets, but otherwise it was ok.  I had enough Pad Thai for two meals.  Yeah, I know it’s odd to not get any of the veggies or peanuts on it, but I just like it this way.  Total bill with a drink was $20.

Amarit Thai
328 East Lake Road
Palm Harbor, FL
(727) 789-9186

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Even though we had a spicy lunch we decided to go for a spicy dinner as well at Pacific Thai in Oldsmar.  Nothing out of the ordinary for us tonight, some Nam Sod for Loren and massaman curry for me.

Both dishes were fresh and flavorful.  Loren ate every last bite on his plate, while I ended up having leftovers.   I always think his Nam Sod looks so pretty when it comes to the table.  It’s a light dish, but full of flavor.  My curry dish wasn’t overly spicy tonight, but it’s also a spice that builds as you eat more of it.  Total bill with a drink was $22.

Pacific Thai Cuisine
4058 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL
813-855-6633

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Tasty Thai Cafe just opened up in the Publix Shopping center near Ruth Eckerd.  The space used to be Zeno’s Grill but they definitely made some nice improvements to the decor.  It’s a small restaurant, but it’s very inviting.  We started off with some spring rolls.

Loren didn’t think they had much flavor, but I liked them.  They had pork and veggies in them and had a nice crunch.  For his entree, Loren tried something different and got the Yum Beef.

He ordered it medium spicy and originally said it didn’t taste all that spicy to him, but it did build up after a while.  He said it was ok, but lacked some seasoning.  I ordered the Lad Nar and had the same thought, the seasoning just wasn’t there.

I had to add salt to mine and that’s something I rarely do. It just lacked flavor.  The veggies and chicken were cooked well and the noodles were tender, but it just didn’t have enough seasoning.  I’ve had the same dish at other Thai restaurants and unfortunately, this one just didn’t live up to the others.  They’re a new restaurant and they gave us a promotional coupon for a buy one, get one free dinner, so we may try them again.  Total bill with a drink was $28.

Tasty Thai Cafe
1530 McMullen Booth Rd, Ste D4
Clearwater, FL
(727) 600-8037

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Let’s face it, we have a sushi problem.  Loren tells me we ordered enough rolls and I always think we need one more.  Trust me, tonight, we needed two less rolls because we had enough left over for another entire meal.  Between the different sushi restaurants we frequent, I forget which ones serve large rolls.  The ones here at Ban Thai are 10 pieces each, plus I ordered the Lobster roll, which is huge, and decided to try the Snow Crab roll, which is equally huge.

We got a spicy tuna, rainbow roll, and a salmon roll.  The lobster roll & the snow crab roll were almost identical in taste, so I won’t be ordering both again.  They’re both drenched in sauce too.  All the sushi was tasty and was just as tasty for a late night snack since we had plenty left.

I don’t know if the regular staff was all off tonight or if the restaurant has changed owners.  We come here fairly frequently and I didn’t see any faces that I recognized.  In fact, the waiter that first came to our table had to go get someone else to take our order because he didn’t understand what I was trying to order.  Total bill was $69.

Ban Thai Restaurant
2519 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL
727-724-2992

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I was off work today for MLK Day, so we headed into Dunedin and ate lunch at Tom Yum Thai & Sushi.  This is one of those places that I really like.  The service and food are both very good.

Our lunches started off with a little salad and soup.

I liked the dressing on the salad and the chicken & rice soup had a nice flavor.  They even brought mine out without scallions since I had asked them not to put scallions on my pad thai.  I really like places that make that connection.

Loren got the spicy tuna bowl for lunch.

It was a beautiful color and he liked the dish.  He said it wasn’t killer spicy, which was good and there was plenty of tuna on the plate.  I ordered the Pad Thai bento box.

Besides the Pad Thai, it had an egg roll, California roll, three pieces of sushi & three pieces of sashimi.  The fish, tuna, salmon & escolar, was really fresh and tasty.  Everything on the plate was good and it was definitely too much for me to eat in one sitting.   For $23, definitely one of the tastier lunches we’ve had in a while.

Tom Yum Thai & Sushi
104 Patricia Ave
Dunedin, FL
(727) 953-9898

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We drove into Crystal Beach tonight thinking we’d watch the last sunset of the year only to have a fog bank as thick as pea soup roll in.  Instead, we ended up at Thai Nana for dinner.

The last time we were here, we ordered a combo appetizer and I really enjoyed the Mee Krob.  Since Loren just wanted some soup, he got that for an appetizer & I got the Mee Krob.

I just love the tamarind sauce on this dish.  The noodles are crunchy and the sauce is sweet.  It’s just addictive.  The shrimp on top were good, but the chicken was really tough.

For our entrees, Loren went for the garlic beef & I got chicken with broccoli & carrots.

Both dishes were ok.  I thought mine was a bit on the bland side but the chicken & veggies were cooked well.  Total bill with a drink was $30.

Thai Nana
1462 Alt 19
Palm Harbor, FL
(727) 787-0189

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We headed over to Pacific Thai Cuisine for dinner tonight.  My entree came with soup & salad & we also ordered some crab rangoons.

The crab rangoons had a curry flavor to them.  They were pretty good.  Loren got the same thing he had last time, the Nam Sod.

He likes it because it’s light and tasty.  I went for the massaman curry with chicken.

Spice level of mild is definitely up for interpretation in this dish.  It was a bit spicier than I had anticipated.  Very flavorful, but a bit more heat than I wanted.  I ended up bringing some home for lunch tomorrow.  Total bill with a drink was $29.

Pacific Thai Cuisine
4058 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL
813-855-6633

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Ban Thai on McMullen Booth is a busy little restaurant.  They make some really tasty food and tonight we both started off with some soup.

Loren got the chicken & rice and I warmed up to some of the chicken in cream of coconut soup.  I love the zing of the lime in this soup.  It’s got such a wonderful flavor.  Loren went for ginger chicken while I dove into some sushi tonight.

The lobster roll is definitely my favorite here.  It’s very messy to eat, but it’s worth it.  The kanisu roll was pretty tasty too, krab, avocado and smelt row in a rice vinegar sauce.  We also got a fresh salmon roll.  Total bill was $56.

Ban Thai Restaurant
2519 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL
727-724-2992

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We finally rolled back into town around 8pm, so we stopped at Pacific Thai for a quick dinner.  We started off with some spring rolls.

These were yummy.  They have a pork and veggie filling and were deep fried just perfectly.  Loren ordered the Nam Sod and I have to say it was one of the prettiest dishes I’ve seen in a while.

He liked it.  It’s a rather light dish with spicy pork on top of a salad.  I went for some shrimp fried rice.

It was good.  Really hit the spot after a long day of driving.  For $26, it was a fresh yummy meal and we were glad to be back home.

Pacific Thai Cuisine
4058 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL
813-855-6633

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Ate dinner at Bua Siam Thai in Palm Harbor tonight.   Our friend Bill joined us since Hurricane Irene thwarted his travel plans.  We started out with some sushi, a couple of Mexican rolls and a Christmas roll.

They were both very good.  The Mexican roll had a nice crunch from the fried shrimp and the Christmas roll was very smooth and flavorful.  Bill got the Pad Thai for dinner and really enjoyed it.

He even had some leftovers.  I always tease Loren that he gets the same thing everytime we go to a Thai restaurant, so he decided to be different tonight and ordered the yellow curry with chicken.

It had a bit of spiciness going on, but very flavorful.  The fragrance was amazing when it came to the table.  Along with the other sushi, I also had a Ocean roll.

This is one of my favorites.  It’s just such a burst of freshness with every bite.  It’s a cucumber wrapped tuna roll with no rice and the flavors just dance on your tongue.  Service tonight was very unobtrusive, which is something we really appreciated.  In the past, so many people came to check on us that it got annoying.  Total bill for the three of us was $62.

Bua Siam Thai
35903 US Hwy 19 North
Palm Harbor, FL
727-789-2848

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Eating at Pacific Thai in Oldsmar is one of the most pleasant dining experiences in the area. The food is always good, the service is quick, and the atmosphere is just calming.  They start you off with soup and salad.

The soup today was really good.  Something was different about it and it had such a wonderful burst of flavor.  I like their ginger dressing on the salad, though I could have done without the onions in it.

Loren got the beef with ginger sauce and I decided on the shrimp fried rice.

As always, the food had a nice balance of spice and flavor.  There’s also plenty of food on the plate.  Loren likes all of the veggies and the medium spice level he got was just enough to clear his sinuses.  Now, the best part is when they brought over the complimentary donuts.  Yum!

Warm, soft, and covered in sugar.  Perfect ending to a very pleasant $18 lunch.

Pacific Thai Cuisine
4058 Tampa Road
Oldsmar, FL
813-855-6633

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