A Taste of Thai — Restaurant in Hailey

TLDR: Fantastic service, good food.

We (party of three) walked in at 5:15pm on the Sunday of President’s Day Weekend. The restaurant was mostly empty, though it started filling up around 6pm. We were seated in a corner window area at a fancy, antique-looking table.

We ordered a Tom Yum Soup (with Shrimp) in the “hot-pot” size to start, the Pad Kee Mao (with Chicken and Pork) and Lamb Panang Curry at level one spice, and a Beef Yellow Curry at level two spice. We opted for the Thai tea and Singha beer for drinks. For dessert we got the fried ice cream and sticky rice with ice cream.

The soup was served quickly after we ordered. It was flavorful and packed with ingredients. Unfortunately it was also extremely, unbearably salty. We had to pour our own water in to dilute it. The entrees were served about ten minutes after we finished the soup. The curries came with rice molded into a heart shape which we found cool. The lamb panang curry was flavorful, with a good balance of sweet and savory. The lamb itself lacked flavor; in fact I felt the curry sauce tasted more like lamb than the meat. The yellow curry was good, though it was more towards an Indian curry than a Thai. The beef was a little chewy but the dish was overall fragrant and subtly rich. The pad kee mao was absolutely delicious. It was subtly sweet but mostly soaked in a savory soy-based sauce. It was definitely a bit oily but that worked out in the dish’s favor. The pork and chicken (a surcharge of a dollar for the mix) was nearly un-differentiable from each other and the meat was a bit tough but nonetheless. I wish there were more noodles though, as I finished those before the string beans and other ingredients on the plate. My dish was not spicy at all, while the lamb curry was spicier than the yellow curry despite their reverse spice levels.

The Thai iced tea was good but a bit on the sweet side. The deserts were served 15 minutes or so after we ordered, probably due to the restaurant’s busyness. The fried vanilla ice cream was okay. The batter was heavy and not all that crispy, unlike a tempura batter. The sticky rice and ice cream was amazing. It came with a dollop of whipped cream and coconut milk. The saltiness of the rice and sweetness of the ice cream contrasted amazingly.

Now for the service. Our waitress was welcoming and extremely friendly. She made frequent jokes and small talk. She was also very considerate, warning us about the spice levels. According to her, local folks forgo the spice levels for the dishes because even the level one is too spicy for them. We were a bit surprised so we heeded to her suggestions. Turns out the dishes weren’t all that spicy anyhow, but maybe to each their own. Unfortunately she wasn’t all that attentive towards the end of our meal, again probably due to the increased patronage. Nonetheless she was exceptional. Probably one of the best waitresses I’ve met in recent history.

Overall I would recommend this restaurant if you’re looking for a good Thai fix, especially since it was open on Sunday when nothing else was. As our waitress described it, they were “workaholics.” Naturally there were highlights and letdowns in the food but I was still overall pleased. 4 stars for the food, 5 overall only because...

I enjoy the food at this establishment. This evening I went into the restaurant and was told I could sit anywhere...mind you their were no customers or patrons in or dining in the restaurant when I arrived. I decided to sit close to the window to enjoy my dinner at a 4 seat table and shortly after sitting down, the owner approached me and told me I couldn't sit their...that it was for a larger party. It wasn't handled professionally at all, made me feel like an outcast...unwanted. I moved a table up and the owner returns and places a reserved sign on the table, again didn't make me feel very good as a customer. Lastly as I was sitting there after he walked past me to disinfect where I sat and was asked to leave, I decided I didn't feel up to having dinner. I told him I was going to leave and go somewhere else for dinner. His response was "Yeah Ok"...no customer service skills at all. I won't be back, one interaction can destroy that relationship between a customer and...

Due to a medical issue I have to be cautious with spice. I carefully questioned two different waitresses about the spice level of the curry and based on their statements, I ordered a level 1 to 2 spice level on a scale of 0 to 5. I have eaten and even prepared many Thai dishes, so I am not uninformed about spice. This was so spicy that it took my breath away, my lips and mouth burning. I tried a couple bites but knew I could eat no more. I tried numerous times to get my waitresses attention but couldn't get her to look at me until the bill came. She told me there was nothing they could do to remedy this and tried to give me a lesson Thai spice which was insulting. The other waitresses offered to bring extra rice but never did as she was dealing with a table of outraged customers of her own. We will never come back to this restaurant as the staff we dealt...