Blooming Thai — Restaurant in Bloomington

Really liked it! I really chose this place for dinner because I wanted bubble tea, and the bubble tea was good but the food was the highlight. The menu is very vegetarian-friendly since you can choose tofu as a protein for most entrees, and even vegan-friendly since they have nondairy milk options for drinks and some entrees can be easily customized to be vegan (order with tofu/no meat and remove egg). I got a matcha latte with brown sugar crystal boba and the Pattaya pineapple rice. Matcha latte: The matcha was decent - it had the flavour of matcha latte mix rather than pure matcha, but it wasn't unpleasant, and it was strong. I like the brown sugar crystal boba as a topping - the flavour is very similar to brown sugar tapioca boba, but it doesn't sit as heavy. It's a different kind of chewy than tapioca, but it's close enough that it basically gives the same kind of experience as regular tapioca boba in a drink. Pattaya pineapple rice: Really good! The rice was well-seasoned and the pieces of juicy pineapple and raisins added some sweetness that contrasted very nicely with the curry-spiced rice. They have 5 spice levels (mild, medium, hot, extra hot, Thai hot). I usually went for medium heat when I lived on the west coast, but since this is the Midwest, I tried "hot" and found it had a bit of a kick, but the heat was still secondary to the other flavours, so it was the right choice for me. Very good service. The waiter was very friendly and attentive without hovering - he came by at just the right times. My drink and food came out not too long after I ordered. The place is nice. Like the other restaurants in this area, it’s situated in a small house-like building. The atmosphere feels down-to-earth. No tables for groups bigger than 4, but maybe they would move tables together if you have a bigger group and they have capacity. As I mentioned, there are lots of things on the menu that interested me, so I will...

BloomingThai is among the very best restaurants in town and a shining beacon of hope amid a 4th Street scene that, despite its reputation, mostly (BloomingThai and Kimu aside, bless them both) caters to timid Midwestern palates. The dumplings are terrific fried or steamed. The tofu larb is among the best vegetarian dishes in town. The huge bowl of hot and sour soup is among Bloomington's best bargains; order with it as many sides of rice as there are people and you can feed a small army. The other soups and the curries are superb too. The boba teas, smoothies, and italian sodas hit great on a summer's day, with astonishing flavors all around. The desserts are again best in town; the basque cheesecake, coconut sticky rice, mango sticky rice, and fried banana are all superb. Prices are low and portions are generous. And last but not least, Peanut, who typically runs front of house, is a gem. Whatever you order, ask Peanut for a small side...

While the food was good and the place was nice and adjusted for my party of 4 to sit, it was overshadowed by the sheer disrespect of service. Our waitress was so hard to flag down we ended up needing to almost yell to get some water for my friend who was coughing and needed it. We felt as though we were being rushed out the way as the check was brought to us whilst still deciding if we wanted to order dessert. Lastly, and of most note, my friends and I were chatting and my friend put her head in her hands from laughing so hard and we were quickly approached by a waiter telling us to leave and that they would call the cops because we can’t be “drunk” and “put our heads down and sleep here.” We were not drunk nor sleeping and even other customers were appalled by this comment. Wish I could recommend this place but not until the...