Suwana's Thai Orchid — Restaurant in Asheville

THANKSGIVING - CHRISTMAS MIRACLE MEAL We were traveling through North Carolina on Thanksgiving Day. Driving for about 8 + hours, it was dinner time and the children were hungry. There were no open restaurants to be found, so I decided to drive to the city of Asheville. To our surprise (and my personal relief) we found Suwanas Thai Orchid restaurant open. As we stood on the sidewalk in front of her restaurant, we saw the chef and a woman (Suwana) hailing us to come on in and have a seat. The man explained that they were not serving Thai food today but had a Thanksgiving meal instead. Laid out in the center of the restaurant was a Thanksgiving feast (see pic). As we made our way to a table they continued to say "please eat as much as you want" and the Thanksgiving meal was on the house. I was so moved by these words that tears came to my eyes, it was the answer to my prayer as the night before my daughter knowing that we would be away from home on Thanksgiving said, "we don't need to eat turkey or stuffing for Thanksgiving, as long we are together anything we eat will be good". We truly received a miracle that night at Suwana's restaurant, she welcomed all who were in need of a meal. How can I express my deepest gratitude for this blessing received by my family and friends on Thanksgiving, except to say THANK YOU with all my heart to Suwana and her amazing staff. As we left the restaurant and drove about 4 blocks away we noticed a homeless person in a wheelchair, we stopped the car and gave her Suwana's business card and said to please go to Thai Orchid to receive a Thanksgiving blessing.

Thank you Almighty Creator for touching my heart and showing me that there are still true miracles. Those miracles work through your good Samaritans who express your pure love, true goodness and compassion. God Bless you Suwana (who BTW lost everything during hurricane Katrina and started a new life in Asheville) for your blessing to my friends and family. May God continue to bless you and yours with good health, prosperity and abundance. ...

Homey, Reliable,Tasty Thai in Downtown Asheville: We popped into Suwana's Thai Orchid for a pre-theater dinner and found the same wonderful and quick service that we had found on our Valentine's Eve visit--that time, we peeked in the window about 20 minutes before they opened and, to our surprise, got seated and served. Thai Orchid offers fresh Thai and Asian dishes, skillfully prepared, generous portions, and a level of spice to please all comers. The spring rolls are perfect, light and crunchy, not greasy. The marinated chicken satay skewers, served with a yummy peanut sauce and crisp cucumber dressing, were more like a full entree. We have enjoyed every dish we have ordered. I love their Tom Kha (spicy coconut milk soup with lemongrass, chicken, and fresh mushrooms) and their Pad Woon Sen (glass noodles with stir fried vegetables, choice of protein--we like their fried tofu--in a flavorful but light soy flavored sauce) and, of course, the Pad Thai, stir fried rice noodle in the traditional sweet and pungent sauce with fresh beansprouts, vegetables and choice of protein. It comes with a fresh lime to squeeze over the dish, and crunchy peanuts. Last night we chose a simple Lo Mein with stir fried vegetables and fried tofu--it was lovely, the noodles soft, but just a little toothy, light and spicy. So, the food is good, the service is welcoming and quite special--our server checked twice to be sure our order was right. She brings a large pot of green tea, and small cups so the tea stays hot throughout the meal. My spouse has a peanut allergy and they have never failed us. They generously offer those little jars of spicy condiments, and it includes their house chili oil, which packs a punch of flavor and spice. I like the way they seated us--letting us choose our booth when we did not want to sit near the door. I truly appreciate their friendly, polite, and swift service. We'll definitely be back, and...

"Unprofessional and rude behavior from the restaurant owner/manager"

We are a family of four(2 adults and 2 kids) and dined in this restaurant on Jul 3rd. When the check arrived, 20% gratuity (Total bill= $60, of which $10 gratuity ) was already added. I called the waiter who took our order and asked about the gratuity charges. she did not have any valid answer. So I the waiter that I wanted to talk to the restaurant owner/manager

After a couple of minutes restaurant owner/manager came and I asked the same question on why Gratuity was added. Initially, she said that it's a service fee and other restaurants nearby are also charging it. I then asked what is the service fee for..then she mentioned that it is a tip. I made my point very clear...that tips can't be added automatically to the bill.

By looking at our skin color, she assumed that we were new to the country and started talking about American culture about tipping. I told her that I have been living in the USA for more than 15 years and aware of the norms on tipping. Then, immediately she shifted the topic and started saying that some Europeans eat food worth $100 and leave a tip of $1. Not sure why she said that though...

The Owner/Manager did not like what I said about gratuity and told us "To never come back to this restaurant." She also mentioned that "if you don't want to pay gratuity, then don't pay and went away."

Really, who in the sane mind would go back after having this experience.

I am posting this, only because I want everybody who dines here, to be aware of what might be coming, if they question the so-called...