We were headed to the Florida Aquarium today, so walked over to Thai Thani in Channelside for lunch.  They weren’t very busy at all during lunch.   A simple salad came with our entrees and we started off with the steamed dumplings.

The dumplings were dense, but had a really nice flavor to them.  There was even a little bit of shrimp in the top of all of them.  Loren went for the ginger beef and I choose the chicken pad se-ew.

Loren said the beef was very tender and the sauce flavorful.  I really enjoyed the flavor of the pad se-ew.  The noodles were thick and tender and the veggies were cooked just right.  The sauce was slightly sweet, which I like.  I thought the chicken could have been a little more tender, but overall it was a good version of the dish.  Total bill with a drink was $22.

Thai Thani
615 Channelside Drive, Ste 204
Tampa, FL
813-228-9200

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We drove over to Dunedin tonight and had dinner at Tom Yum Thai & Sushi.  We got there just before the crowd showed up.  Twenty minutes later and we’d have had to wait for a table.  I can never decide between Thai food and sushi, so tonight we had a little of both.  We started off with two sushi rolls, a California roll and the Green Dragon roll.

The green dragon roll makes such a pretty photo.  It’s a shrimp tempura roll with avocado & eel sauce on top.  Yum!  Loren got the ginger beef and I got some Pad Se-ew for my entree.

Fresh and tasty all around.  The veggies were crisp tender and everything melded well with each other.  I ended up with leftovers.  Total bill with a drink was $39.

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

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We went over to Ban Thai for dinner tonight.  The weather was really bad, so I think that may be why the restaurant wasn’t completely full.  The last few times we’ve been here, it’s been packed.  While Loren went for some Nam Sod, I had to have a lobster roll and we split a Rainbow Roll.

He didn’t remember ever getting the Nam Sod here before, but he really liked it.  The lobster roll is a huge plate of goodness.  After a while the sauce starts to heat up for me, but otherwise, it’s just big chunks of lobster.  The Rainbow roll was also fresh and tasty.  Total bill with a drink was $43.

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

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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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