Cleveland Trip’s Biggest Highlight — Thai Basil Duck 🦆🌿

The best discovery during my trip to Cleveland, Ohio was definitely this Thai meal. My cousin, who’s been living in Pittsburgh and Cleveland for a while, was really craving Asian food. At first, I wasn’t too convinced—since I’m headed back to Flushing, NYC soon, I wanted to try an Eastern European restaurant instead. But it was too far, so we skipped it. So my cousin randomly picked this Thai spot near an ice cream shop—Banana Blossom in Ohio City. Even at 9 PM, an hour before closing, the place was still packed! While waiting, I scanned the menu and noticed something cool: 🦆 duck was a regular protein option here! In NYC Thai spots, you usually see: 🐔 chicken, 🐷 pork, 🐮 beef, 🦐 shrimp, or tofu. Some places might have one or two duck dishes—like duck salad or roasted duck noodles—but it’s not common. Duck is pricier and takes more effort to prepare, plus… many Americans just aren’t into it. I ordered the Duck Basil and Drunken Noodles with Beef — both were seriously good 👌 Especially the basil duck—it’s so hard to find in NYC, and the ones that serve it are always far away! My cousin wanted the Chicken Panang Curry — I tried to talk him out of it 🚫🐔 A lot of Asian restaurants in the U.S. adapt to local tastes, and one change I really don’t like is how chicken—especially breast meat—becomes the default. And sure enough… his curry was made with chicken breast. Not the best choice 😅 When we paid the bill, I chatted with the staff about traditional Thai cooking. They mentioned that in Thailand, dark chicken meat is more common, and duck is also widely used. But here in the U.S., things had to change to suit local preferences. It got me thinking—unless you’re in an immigrant neighborhood, most cuisines here get somewhat Americanized. Kind of like how KFC in China is actually pretty good, but in the U.S…. well, it’s… something else 🍗😬 And American Chinese food? Not really my taste—I’d rather go to Panda Express. #TravelEats #LocalGem #Cleveland #Ohio #ThaiFood #USATravel #FoodieFind #BasilDuck #AsianFoodInAmerica #UnapologeticallyAuthentic