Thai Essence — Restaurant in West Lafayette

The owner/chef chose to berate me in front of a dinning room full of people. I am well traveled, polite, easy to get along with, and have worked in the restaurant industry. Never have I ever been treated with such hostility and disrespect. What happened? Well, I ordered and forgot to have the waiter hold the onions (I am allergic), so I called him back and asked if that could be done. He said there would be no problem. Moments later, Ake Waratap, the owner/chef emerged from the kitchen in a fit of anger with a plate of fried rice so I "could see the waste my selfishness had caused... because of me this food would have to be thrown away and go to waste." I should "be ashamed." He was "disgusted with me." WOW! I didn't know the meal was made, I tried to explain that I was allergic, that we had been patrons for years, to which he replied, that if that was the case, then I "for sure should have known better." The sad part is, I would have gladly have paid for the meal, but I never was given that chance. Instead he chose to yell at me in front of the entire restaurant. I paid for our soup and tea and whatever else he charged me for. I assured him we would never be back. I am certain there are better choices than this place in our little town. Funny thing, their website talks about their wonderful hospitality. A raging, misogynistic chef does not a hospitable place make. I hope he loses more customers, a place run by someone like this does not...

I recently visited this restaurant with high hopes, but unfortunately, my experience left a lot to be desired. From the moment I walked through the door, it was clear that they was not concerned with customer satisfaction. The service was abysmal, and their restrictive ordering policy left me frustrated and unsatisfied.

My requests for assistance and inquiries about the menu were met with curt responses and a lack of enthusiasm. It was as if I was bothering them with my presence.

To add insult to injury, their ordering system was incredibly frustrating. The fact that they don't allow pre-orders is mind-boggling in this day and age. I had hoped to plan our event meal in advance, especially considering I had time constraints. Unfortunately, the restaurant only allows ordering 30 minutes prior to our pick up time, which severely limited my options and added unnecessary stress to me.

Furthermore, by restricting the ordering window, this restaurant not only inconvenienced me but also showed a lack of consideration for their patrons. It's evident that they prioritize their own convenience over the needs and preferences of their customers. This kind of rigid approach to ordering reflects a lack of customer-centricity and a disregard for providing a pleasant...

I stopped in to have lunch with my youngest son. We’re both fans of Thai food.

The host, server, and other employees that we interacted with were all friendly, and we felt very welcome, even though we arrived about thirty minutes before they close (they close for a couple of hours in the afternoon).

There was a good variety of items to choose from on the menu, but being my first visit I played it safe and ordered the Thai Fried Rice with chicken with a spiciness level of one. The flavors were good, but it needed more heat, so our server brought out more Thai spice so I could add some to my own taste. After adding a few sprinkles I had bumped my meal up to a spice level of 2.5 out of 4, which is good for me.

Portion size was decent, although for what I paid I would expect just a little more… but no big deal.

Our server is as friendly and polite, and checked on us just the right amount.

The atmosphere and cleanliness seemed good enough for us. There were several small groups of people also there, and everyone seemed to be well taken care of and happy.

The wait time to get our food was short.

I definitely recommend checking out Thai Essence. We had a great...