Thai Thai II — Restaurant in Melbourne

WHERE'S THE FISH SAUCE?

"Thai Thai" certainly is a catchy name for the popular group of local restaurants, but serving Thai cuisine the restaurants do not...at least not at this location.

So what's the big deal about fish sauce?

Fish sauce is, along with coconut milk and some select spices also blatantly missing from Thai Thia's dishes, one of the foundational ingredients of true Thai cooking...one simply cannot leave it out and still say they are cooking Thai food...they are not.

Why bring this up? Beginning to partake in and looking forward to enjoying my meal yesterday, after just a few bites I noticed something didn't taste right. The waitress ultimately explained they no longer cook with nor even have any fish sauce in the kitchen.

The restaurant has apparently allowed itself to be forced due to some of it's local patrons' complaints to remove this offensive "stinky" ingredient from their dishes.

I get it...truly. This was purely a business decision by the owners to cater to the flavors locals are accustomed to in other American restaurants and their own kitchens. Better not to offend your patrons with what they perceive as a disagreeable flavor or scent. However, I believe this was a grave miscalculation and most certainly a disservice to the greater community. Maybe there is some value though to introducing and easing folks into a new experience that maybe will grow on them and inspire them to delve deeper into real Thai food elsewhere.

In the meantime, while enough people love the restaurant, Thai Thai is robbing its patrons of a truly wonderful and one-of-a-kind cuisine, one in another galaxy from American or European cooking.

To be blunt, Thai Thai's food is far too bland and misses key ingredients to respectfully be called Thai food.

Traditional Thai cuisine is composed of an assortment of unique ingredients, some exotic, some very simple and common, all masterfully and elegantly crafted into a delicate explosion of flavor and spice. It gifts the diner a delightful sensory experience, the likes of which no other cuisine on the planet can offer.

Truly authentic and traditional Thai cooking can of course be found primarily in the homes of local Thais or Thailand itself, but there are some excellent options around the area and Florida in general...not to mention all over the U. S. I've spent nearly 30 years dining in Thai restaurants in every city I've visited in the U. S. as well as in some foreign countries (I've made it a point to do so, and still do), and in the homes and kitchens of Thai friends...almost all of them restaurant owners. I also grow Thai ingredients and have been an avid amateur Thai chef for some years now.

So, while Thai Thai's food itself is decent and enough people like it, let's be honest and call this an American "Thai style" or " Thai inspired" restaurant. If you believe you are eating Thai here, you are missing out in a big way. If you are in fact just a little adventurous and interested in experiencing authentic Thai cuisine, Brevard offers just a few establishments...not many, but they are truly worth the visit...it will change your whole perspective on one of the most amazing cuisines on the planet.

If you want American food, well, then let Thai cooking be Thai cooking and go eat a steak, burger, ribs, chicken, trout or whatever...you'll find plenty of options nearby.

And Thai Thai, I congratulate you on having successfully created a local favorite and nearly iconic name; that does take hard work, commitment, and sacrifice. But, please consider the roots of your offerings and your name...bring back the fish sauce and add other real Thai ingredients. In the meantime, "Two Stars," because while your food, service, and ambiance are actually quite OK, you sold out to the masses, turned your back on your traditional cooking, and still call yourself a Thai restaurant. I wish you all the best and much continued success.

What is that stinky fish sauce anyway? Learn more at http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/fishsauce1.html (no...

This was our first visit. We had four people in our group.The decor was nice. We were the first customers of the night. The menu is a nice assortment of Thai and Japanese sushi. The food was delicious. Just one draw back, out of our 4 orders one had 6-8 long black hairs. We notified the wait staff. They came and took the food away. We didnt even get an apology or anything. They just brought the plate back after taking the hair out. They never offered to let us order something else. And yes, they still charged us full price for the dish. I found this behavior to really be rude. Treating first time customers so callously does not set a good impression. It also does not make a person want to rush to try other menu items. To the owners of Thai Thai II, I would suggest teaching your wait staff some common courtesy as well as some simple business practicality. Like apologising when something is wrong. And NEVER charge people for a meal that has hair (or any foreign item) in it. It is simple business manners. And tell them to smile and be more polite to customers. No one wants to visit a restuarant that is rude. UPDATE It has been a month since my review of this restuarant. The 'owner or manager' left a comment on my review. I know exactly what restuarant I was at. Not only do I have the receipt but Google Map GPS has the location locked in so it can accept reviews. I also noted that this person asks for me to contact him but left no way for me to do that. And he doesnt return calls made to the restuarant. UPDATE It has been almost two months since my visit to this restuarant. We visited as a party of four, two couples. Both credit cards used for dinner that night have had the numbers used in fraudulent charges. The only place I used my card while in Florida was at this restuarant. Everything else was cash. Someone is being dishonest there, please...

It was our daughter's ninth birthday and she wanted to take her friends out for sushi and then have ice cream afterwards I told the waitress at least five times while everyone was ordering their food that we wanted no black sesame seeds on any of the sushi I still came out that way the roll my daughter had them inside. you couldn't see it but it was inside my daughter and husband are allergic to Sesame seeds as well as tree nuts and some other fruits and vegetables. The thing that bothers me is that two years ago we went there said the same thing and it happened well now it's not going to get not very happy. She only would take off the California rolls that none of them had been eaten yet really wrong really wrong always tell someone you have an allergy they need to write it on the top of the tickets for the kitchen staff. The evening was ruined, I had to give them both Benedryl in the car and get home and put them to bed. Not a great birthday dinner for my daughter, as she is so embarrassed because this happened in front of friends.. the waitress then brings out The Birthday donuts and said I'm giving you this for free... they are always FREE for anyone's birthday... very wrong very upset.. glad we didn't have to spend the...