Basil And Co — Restaurant in Diamond Bar

Our experience at Basil & Co. in Diamond Bar was extremely disappointing and frustrating, and I feel compelled to share this to warn others. We discovered a small, thin black hair in our dish, which is a major health concern, especially since we were serving this to someone with a low immune system due to a medical condition.

Upon bringing this to the manager's attention, we were met with a shocking lack of professionalism. Instead of acknowledging the problem or offering an apology, the manager outright denied any responsibility. Despite sending a clear photo of the hair as requested, the manager dismissed our concern with phrases like "not our problem" and refused to engage in a constructive dialogue. At no point did we hear any form of apology or acknowledgment of our discomfort. The conversation became even more frustrating as the manager abruptly ended the call, implying that they had no further interest in addressing our concern. When we attempted to call back for closure, we found that our number had been blocked. We confirmed this by calling from another phone, which was answered immediately by the same person. Again, the manager was unprofessional, dismissive, and refused to provide her name despite being the store manager. As owners and managers of multiple restaurants ourselves, we understand and empathize with the challenges faced by restaurant staff. We approached this situation hoping for a reasonable and professional resolution. The presence of a hair in the food was an issue that could have been handled with a simple acknowledgment and apology, even if they did not believe it came from their kitchen. Instead, the manager’s dismissive attitude and refusal to listen only escalated the situation.

What was most disheartening was the lack of respect and basic courtesy shown. Instead of a simple "sorry for the inconvenience," we were met with remarks like, "not us... and sure, you go ahead and write a negative review of our restaurant, it is okay if you guys don't like our place." To top it off, she even said, "it’s okay, don’t come back here." This kind of attitude is unacceptable. We do not appreciate the rudeness and dismissal we experienced, especially considering this is not our first time ordering from Basil & Co. Being told not to come back to a place where we've been loyal customers is infuriating and deeply disappointing. Never have we felt so unheard and rudely dealt with in any restaurant. To add, we have kept the small black hair in a zip lock bag for potential DNA testing, not because we seek trouble, but because we deserve food safety and professional, empathetic customer service. We sincerely hope Basil & Co. takes this review seriously, as we are likely not the only ones who have faced such poor service. These occurrences should be notified to the Health Dept. We think safety & hygiene are very important and required. After the covid-19 pandemic it is important to maintain and obey the government guidelines. To stay in compliance should be the highest priority. It is also worth noting that we are still blocked from calling them, which underscores their unprofessionalism and unwillingness to address customer concerns. This is just saddening and indicative of the poor service we experienced.

We are not at all happy with the rude demeanor and the way we were treated. We will not be returning to Basil & Co. :(, and we hope that no other customers have to go through such an...

I called to make a reservation for two adults and one child for 7pm on a busy Monday night. We drove to the address and found Basil and Co located in a small strip mall. I love the design of their outdoor sign. It's simple, modern, and easy to see at night with the lighting. The restaurant is very clean and organized both inside and outdoors. Parking was easy to find. We arrived 10 minutes early and it took about 15 minutes for us to be seated, so right on time!

The hostess welcomed us in. She was friendly, yet seemed a little overwhelmed with how busy it was as the restaurant was completely packed. I used to be a hostess at the most popular Thai restaurant in Washington state with waits being about 30 to 45 minutes on average, so I can empathize. The eight or so customers in line were understanding and patient as we all waited to be seated. When there's a line at a restaurant, that's always a good sign!

The owner Calvin took our order. We ordered the following:

Tom Yum Soup (appetizer size) Yellow Pumpkin Curry with soft tofu Pad Thai with fried tofu, no spicy Thai Iced Tea Fresh Coconut

The service was prompt and we got our food quickly.

The Yellow Pumpkin Curry came out first. It was hot and really rich with flavor. There were a few large soft chunks of pumpkin, and the curry had a tiny spicy kick to it. I'd never had a pumpkin curry before so that was something different I wanted to try, and wasn't disappointed. A large amount of rice came with the dish, which was nice.

The Tom Yum Soup arrived and it was room temperature; I didn't want to be a bother and ask for a replacement so I just drank it. It was delicious aside from it being cold. I'm assuming perhaps the soups were poured into the small bowls to get ready for the dinner rush? But like I said, it was really good and flavorful, with a nice spicy kick to it that I enjoyed.

The Pad Thai was delicious. It had tons of bean sprouts and crisp long-cut green onion that made the dish taste incredibly fresh, with lots of crunch to every bite. The fried tofu was hot, fresh, and the perfect bite size. The dish has the standard pad thai flavor and was great. We shared it between two adults and a toddler and had a little bit left over to bring home.

The Thai Tea was great: the perfect blend of thai tea, cream, and ice.

The Fresh Coconut beverage was nice cold and refeshing drink. They even provide you with a large spoon so you can scoop out the coconut flesh after drinking the coconut water.

Towards the end of our meal, one of the employees who was either a cook, busser, or another waiter, came to our table and offered my toddler a Halloween-themed Kit Kat bar which was really awesome! It made her evening, being a small child sitting at a busy restaurant. I even got a Kit Kat for myself. That was so nice of him. What great customer care and personal touch.

Before we got our checks, even the owner Calvin came by our table to ask us how our meal was. He gave us the history of the restaurant and we enjoyed listening to his "How I Built This" story.

The restaurant followed COVID protocol with masking. There was both indoor and outdoor seating available, as well as takeout. We would definitely like to come back again next time we're in the area and recommend it to our friends and...

Fantastic experience at Basil and Co. Some of the best service I've received in quite a while, with some tasty Thai food in a chic environment made for a great lunch.

ITEM'S ORDERED:

Crispy Soft Shell Crab Papaya Salad Crispy Tofu Crab Fried Rice Mango Sticky Rice Chicken Satay Pad Thai Tom Yum Soup Lime Mojito

TASTE:

Overall everything came out hot and fresh which is always a win. I really don't get when I receive my dishes at other places and it's barely warm, not even near hot.

If you like papaya salad & crab be sure to get the Crispy Soft Shell Crab Papaya Salad. Your usual well done papaya salad with some spice, sweetness, sour notes but with some quite sizeable crispy soft shell crabs. Looks great on the plate and taste great all the same.

I'm somewhat allergic to mangos but I've always enjoyed the rice portion of the dish. This was one of the better ones that I've had. Great sweetness and the coconut milk worked well with the rice that had a nice chew. I ate one piece of mango & that was a great ripeness. Oh, and it's heart shaped for your viewing pleasure.

I think I dipped too many things in the peanut sauce that came with the Chicken Satay because I liked the flavor so much. I find these sauces usually taste about the same at most places, but this one just found a great balance, especially with the general peanut flavor, it was really present in a great way.

I'm not one for mocktails but they serve their place and I was surprised on how good the Lime Mojito was. I appreciated how the it just tasted freshly made, and not too syrupy nor artificial. It's basically a well made mojito minus the alcohol. I kept thinking how good it would be with some alcohol :)

As is common with other Thai restaurants, there is a spice level for many dish, 1 - 5. I went with a 3 and it was a good spice level given my usual high tolerance. Plus, I did use the spicy table condiments for more flavor and spice.

SERVICE, LOCATION & PARKING:

The service was definitely a highlight of the meal. I think like so many of us we've sadly been accustomed to now receive minimal (to no) service and than being met with the expectation of an extravagant tip. So glad this was not the case here. Service as friendly and attentive. I appreciated how they genuinely checked how we liked the food and answered any questions we had about the menu.

I saw some photos of the place before coming here for the first time, but even so, walking in gives such a nice vibe. Clean, stylish, warm interior with larger booths in the middle and standard tables around the perimeter. It's really the small things that get glossed over in other places that make you appreciate when other places take care of them. Such as a very clean and still stylish restroom, to the condiments on the table not being filthy from previous use. I wish other places stayed on top of things as much as they seem to at Basil & Co. It's your neighborhood Thai restaurant, in a more elevated space. You can bring your own wine if that's your type of thing.

They are located in a little strip mall next to a Montessori school. They have their own (shared) parking lot so parking is a breeze. If looks like you could easily find residential street parking if the lot was full...