Thai Orchid — Restaurant in Orono

This is going to be a long one, but if you're on the same quest I am, keep reading. Maybe I can save you the time and money. "Chow Mein" is a topic of contention around North America. If you grew up in the Northeast like I did, the standard chow mein is a white goopy slop dish with precooked "fried noodles" that come in a bag and served with steamed white rice. It's the only dish I've had from Chinese restaurants that was actually just bad. In other parts of the country, it's a stir fried style noodle, think a skinnier lo mein with a better selection of vegetables and protein, with a brown sauce.

When I saw Thai Orchid's chow mein, they describe it as "stir-fried egg noodles and vegetables in light gravy sauce." I was delighted to see a place offering something that's at least advertised differently than the previously mentioned "white goop."

For $16 (in 2024), I received a tiny container (maybe a quart? picture included for size comparison) of what looked like some kind of soup. First I tried some of the vegetables floating on top, and the sauce/soup/gravy had a mucilaginous quality to it. It was almost slimy. The way it dripped down off the vegetables into the cup was quite nausea-inducing. It was almost like the consistency of a loogie. I powered through the appearance concerns, and the quality of the food wasn't that bad. The vegetables were fresh and crisp, the noodles were "ok" (they seemed like spaghetti, or the same thickness as lo mein i.e., not as thin as the "good" chow mein). The flavor of the sauce(?) wasn't even that bad either. The pork included was decent enough.

Overall, I wasn't even that disappointed in dish itself. At least they tried to do something other than the white goop. But this was still not the good chow mein that I've been hunting for. If I ever do find a place around here that has it, I'll update this review so those on the same quest as me can have their option. Or likewise, contact me somehow. Maybe write your own review on here!

Overall, the dish I was offered, I would only pay about $5 for. It felt like a glorified soup. Not a great one at that, and I wouldn't even but it again at $5. If I could get a refund, that would at least bring me back to try their other menu items, as I see potential in the other menu options.

In summary: If you want real chow mein, this is not your place. If you want white goop "chow mein," this is also not your place. If you want a different noodle/soup kind of thing,...

The three star review is due to the duck dish. I understand that duck is an expensive poultry, but when me and my boyfriend ordered it we were astonished by the amount of duck meat that we actually got. The menu for all duck items says "Half crispy duck," so when he got home with the order (we got take out), I called them up for clarification on if they meant that it was half of a duck, or half of the dish was made up of duck (It was less than half of the dish as well). The waitress who answered asked for me, and told me that it was half of a duck, so I told her that there was no way that the amount of duck that we got was half of a duck. I was put on with the chef, and since he had just made the meal he knew which customer I was, and told me that the portion that I got was the portion of duck meat that those dishes were served with. I was offered to exchange it or return it for a refund, but we decided not to take the drive back. The amount of meat that we got looked to be less than half of a pound, and while it was fairly tasty, it was: a) not good enough to be priced at $20 b) Not enough meat to be priced at $20, especially since an entire, good sized duck can be bought for $14-20, not whole sale. c) Definitely not half a duck in way, shape, or form

Good crab Rangoon's tho, worlds better than China Town Rangoon

EDIT: The new one star review is for because we have since moved to Quincy, Ma, a city known for its vibrant Asian community. For $9.95, we can get a fried duck rice dish that contains at LEAST twice the amount of duck that Thai Orchid offers in their dish, if not more. It is a complete rip off and not worth your money in any way, shape, or form. Even if duck may be more expensive in Maine, it is not THAT...

Easily the best Thai I’ve had in recent memory.

We started off with an order of Scallion Pancakes, they were absolutely excellent, crispy, flaky, and the sauce went very well with them. Great flavor!

Then came the Entrées, I had their Emerald Curry with Chicken, and my partner had the Mango Curry with Chicken. Oh. My. Lord. I’ve never had such a flavorful bowl of curry, I ordered it at a spice level of two stars, as did my partner, and, as someone who will literally eat a spoonful of Wasabi and be fine, it was a little too hot for me. Not too hot to eat, the spice just stayed so long that I couldn’t finish it, it’s the type of spice that compounds after multiple bites. I would recommend a one star order if you’re not a spice freak. And yes, the rice is shaped to look like a teddy bear, and I love it.

I also had a Strawberry Bubble Tea, it tasted like strawberry milk with ice - so good - but nothing special.

The atmosphere was very chill and inviting, with laid back music, and welcoming and accommodating waitstaff....