Bangkok Cuisine — Restaurant in Reno

UPDATE: They seem to have brought the prices back down. The $11.99 dinner is back to $11. The extra charge for the rice is still there, but I can live with that. Now we're talking about a 10% price hike compared to the 20% a few weeks ago.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: I like this place -- but not the new prices.

After the loss of Siamese Hut it became one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Reno. Unfortunately, their weakness is their lunch special menu which tends to be made in big batches and portioned out for the lunch crowd (at least that's my understanding, and the taste seems to confirm it). I'm not a fan of their lunch menu, especially since the food tends to come out luke warm at best. So I've been ordering one of their full entrees for lunch for years. It's more expensive, but at about $2-3 more, not too bad.

The quality of their entrees was great; but to my dismay, they've raised their entree prices to rather significant heights. An $11 chicken dish is now $12, Yes, that's not a huge hike, but on top of that they're snuck in an additional increase by adding a new $1 charge for rice. That means an $11 chicken entree now costs me $13 -- a full $5 more than their lunch specials. I could justify $3, but $5 is too much.

While their dinners are hard to beat, their lunches aren't. I can get better Thai lunches at several places, so this increase has priced me out of the market -- even as a longterm regular. And the charge for rice ticks me off. Yes, it's common in SF, but the entree prices tend to be a lot lower than $12 (like $8-9). Given it's not common in Reno, it seems a tad bogus and may start a trend in the area that I'd really rather not see given that the cost of rice tends to be built into the entree...

As you can see below, I have given high praise to this restaurant in the past. However, the last two times I was there, I had to wait much longer for my to-go orders. The first time, I had to wait an extra 15 minutes for a total of 45 minutes. They were pretty busy that night, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and the food was good. However, on the most recent occasion, they were much less busy. The host was not at the front station. When I mentioned to the waiter (who I believe might have been the owners son, but I could be wrong), I said "hey buddy, I was told 35 minutes and it's going on 45 minutes" he looked at his pad and said "it's been 42 minutes". I said, "ok, could you check on my food? I have groceries in the car". He went to the back and immediately brought my food out and handed it to me with a frown and no "sorry" or "thank you for your business". All that can be forgiven. Unfortunately, when I got home the food was cold. It must have been sitting in the back for awhile. Additionally, the flavors and quality I am used to with this restaurant were just not there. Considering this, along with how expensive this place is and how little my business seems to be appreciated. I think I will take my business elsewhere.

PREVIOUS REVIEWS:

This place is a Reno classic. Been getting the best Thai food (EVER) here for 30 years. Flavors beat anything in LA, San Francisco or anywhere else. If you want the best Thai food you go here. Try the duck and the green curry. Disappointment is practically impossible. Cozy dining atmosphere. Be patient with to-go orders. They get a lot...

Updated review: downgrade from 4 stars to 2 stars. This place has really deteriorated over the last 6 months. We've had major problems with our orders the last four times, both dine in and carry out. One time they didn't put any of the included vegetables in the dish; wrong protein; wrong type of noodles (they ran out of the we're noodles but didn't give a heads up); totally wrong dish. When the dishes are right, they're great. They resolve the issues, and are pleasant, but the downward spiral continues. If you get carry out, check and taste your dishes before leaving.

Old review:. Food flavor is pretty consistent, but the amount of protein you get seems to vary substantially. I've also been in there on a Friday and they didn't have any wide rice noodles, which is pretty poor resource management. This is a bit weird to report in a review, but what the heck. It's time they get new chairs or have someone repair them. The chairs wiggle and creak (whether you are small or large), so it makes dining extra exciting as you wonder "Is this the time I'm going to crash down with...