Last night we were mistaken for royalty at the Amazing Thailand restaurant. The hostess, the server, the water-boy and the cooks must have thought we were a king and queen and a prince because never in my life has a restaurant experience been so perfect. I assumed, as with most restaurants, there would be little positive to comment on, so I neglected to bring the camera. I now have an excuse to return in order to take photos!
The hostess seated us in the “Umbrella Room.” This is a lovely space with beautiful parasols hanging from the ceiling and a plaster relief depicting perhaps Thai royalty riding an elephant traveling in procession?
Our server had the perfect combination of promptness and helpfulness without being intrusive. I really hate chatty waiters and waitresses. I like their help if I need it, but prefer service without an attitude. This man was calm, assured and highly competent. Nothing came too fast, nothing came too slow, and just the perfect amount of time was left between everything. We were given a minute or so to see the menu and get situated before we were greeted, we were given the opportunity to finish a drink and then asked if we would care for another – nothing was rushed, but we never felt that we had to wait either. It was uncannily perfect!
The water-boy was a delight to observe. He takes his job very seriously and performs with a flourish! After filling the glasses, he would walk away with a quick flip of the pitcher and a little, yet subtle dance in his step. It was clear that he enjoyed his job – not something you see much anymore! I anticipate he will work his way into a bartender position one day!
We ordered two appetizers: Vegetable Spring Rolls and Vegetable Egg Rolls. Both were perfect. The spring rolls were firmly packed with a lovely combination of greens, mint, carrots and rice noodles, and the egg rolls were the least greasy I have ever had.
Both of the entrees we ordered are not on the web menu, so I will need to go back to find their names. We ordered a Pumpkin Curry, A noodle curry and a plate of fried tofu. The Pumpkin Curry was beyond spectacular in both flavor and presentation. The dish was served in a very large buttercup squash. The curry was piled high and topped with a large clump of Thai basil. It was a thing of beauty! I ordered it with mock duck as well as “vegetables” and both were in abundance. The vegetables included baby carrots, bamboo shoots, broccoli and squash. The only thing about this dish that could have been better is that the squash bowl was not cooked and is actually served cold. This struck me as odd at first, but as it was a huge cavity, I had more than enough to eat, and the curry was piping hot – the meal was not adversely affected by the temperature of the vessel.
Max and Jeff shared the noodle curry dish, and it was very kid friendly! By that I mean a huge pile of rice noodles in a saucy curry with nothing else. The dish could have come with fried egg, vegetables, mock duck or any of the meat options on the menu, but we asked them to pair it down for the picky-eater boy! He was a happy camper, and it was enough for both he and Jeff to enjoy and bring some home. It was enough food for four people to share with other dishes!
Amazing Thailand has a full bar which apparently draws a crowd for happyhour. They have a wide array of signature cocktails as well as many tasty beers. We enjoyed some of our favorite, Surly Furious, with the meal. They serve $3 drinks and appetizers everyday from 4-6 pm except Tuesday when happyhour goes all day! I think we’ll try that route next time for the economical meal. We will be going back – and soon!
