Siamese Basil
Between D and E
(between Athena St & Basil St)
Encinitas, CA 92024 (760) 753-3940
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
25 Reviews for Siamese Basil
No doubt the best Thai Food in North County. If your looking for a great service and a beautiful setting this isnt your restaurant. I have tried many menu items but my favorites are Pineapple Fried Rice and the Spicy Red Chicken Curry (#41 on the menu) and they offer brown rice which is delicious as well.
I read some reviews and was ready for a long wait..But guess, we got lucky that day and found a couple unoccupied tables once we got there..Yummy appetizers, delectable entrees, delish dessert..nothing more that we could have asked for..We got the Tom kah Gai soup (which was a perfect 7 on its spice index), the fried wontons, the curry fried rice, chicken curry and concluded the meal with a coconut icecream..The chicken curry is one of the best Thai curries I have ever had, the fried rice was mediocre..The icecream came on a bed of what looked like ground peanuts with a sweet sauce..Yummmm! We just lucked out as the server was one of the most informed non-thai server in the restaurant..Worth a try..definitely!
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Me: Hi, I'd like to have an order to go.
Cute yet busy gal: Ok. Do you know what you want?
Yeah, she was busy. She was looking over 4 tables.
Me: The lunch special - chicken curry.
Mind you, I haven't been here in a long while. I was originally planning on visiting Kealani's but the I just couldn't resist the green awning and white font of Siamese Basil that called to me.
Cute yet busy gal: White or dark meat?
Me: Dark please.
I dig the dark meat. So what if it's fattier, I'm a fatty. Fat gives food flavor. Don't deny it. You like it.
Cute yet busy gal: How spicy? 3 is medium.
Me: What is the highest?
Cute yet busy gal: 10.
Me: Really. Ok, 4.
On a normal day, I'd try 5-6, but I just wasn't in the mood to be fighting my palate this afternoon if any.
Cute yet busy gal: That'll be $7.50
Minutes later, smiling, she hands me my order that I promptly walk back to work to enjoy. I hesitate because I probably should've just sat there and ate in the restaurant, but I hate running into people that will talk to me about work. Gah.
In the lunch room, I sit. I study my meal. So I ask the question? Am I paying $7.50 for the curry only? While damn good and flavorful, but the curry had one regular chicken thigh. That's it. At $7.50, I'm expecting at least two thighs. That said, I really felt shorted. Overpriced.
I need to come back at dinner and reassess.
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Excellent little Thai place.
Encinitas is getting gentrified and yuppified, and most restaurants being taken over by Italians (seriously, why are there so many tratorias in Encinitas?). So it's nice to find a small, family ran, unpretentious place with excellent price to quality ratio.
The food is pretty standard Thai, so no signature dishes stood out. But, everything I tried was tasty, staff was helpful, and there was plenty of water for the spicy dishes.
Great place for a weekday dinner.
Very busy, and hard to get into though.
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Small two rooms, service can be slow when the place is empty. A pitcher of water at each table, attentive service, friendly man-waiters.
I definitely enjoy my meals here. I get Thai Spicy Noodles, which are just like drunken noodles or pad kee mao at other places but with a browner sauce. I order a 2 on the spiciness scale and that is a perfect medium kick (too spicy for my fellow white friend, good for me).
For dessert get the mango-coconut-rice specialty if it's in season. Definitely have to get all three into one bite (which takes some work at first..) but it's good.
"Thank god for India"
"... or Thailand?"
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I have passed this place many a times, so I finally decided to order out some dinner and take it home. I ordered the egg rolls for appetizer, a small bowl of thom kah gai and an order of sweet angel wings; yes, it's A LOT of food!
I was very pleased with the egg rolls and the thom kah gai soup was awesome, but the angel wings were just 'ok'. The only reason I say this is that they were smothered in sweetness (pineapples and sauce) which was a little bit too much for my liking.
I will return to this establishment, but won't be ordering the wings... maybe curry!
Super good. Best Spicy Red Curry. Go there now!
I dunno, maybe Siamese Basil isn't THE best Thai food in the world but I for one have always liked it. I've been buying food from them and eating it for more than a decade and would have to call it one of my top 5 favorite restaurants here in Encinitas.
I usually order one of their curry dishes so I know those best. They have nearly 10 different ones I think and they're all really good. The peanut sauce-based dishes are also tasty. And I usually start with some of the traditional Thai soup, the kind you can get at any Thai place. Both the tom yum (broth) and tom kha (coconut milk) are awesome.
I'm a boring, unimaginative, no-frills kind of guy so the plain-jane style of the place suits me just fine. I don't need fancy decor, waterfalls or mood lighting. Actually they have some of that stuff but it's not too noticeable. The service is not at all formal but they're professional and quick. The Basil has a dedicated following here and for good reason.
One word of warning, when they tell you the spiciness scale is from 1 to 10 and 3 (not 5) is medium, don't laugh it off and ask for an 8. You will perish. Three really is medium, 5 and 6 begin to seriously threaten your taste buds. You've been warned.
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I like Siamese basil. Total price for three including two appetizers and a desert was $37. The veggie spring rolls are awesome. The food is about on the medium side for portion size and variety of the Thai places I've been. The curries could probably include more vegetables, but I found the flavors of what I ate to be anything but bland. Ambiance is ok and has a certain "hole in the wall" Thai charm. The service was very quick and friendly. *Note, they actually will serve your food spicey if you ask for it. I got a 6 of 10 (I can handle spicey fairly well and like it, the waitress said that a 3 was medium), and probably wouldn't go any higher.
All in all a great choice for Thai in Encinitas, and my choice for what I've had near Encinitas.
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Great food and great service! The people that work there are awesome the service is prompt and the food is always great. Good local Thai food can be hard to find, however this place is so cute and I love that is in the heart of Encinitas! The food is great to eat in or take out, since the place is so small you might have to wait but it is always perfect! Be aware that when they ask you how spicy you want your food, it will be spicy. I enjoy spicy food but don't overestimate your taste buds, stick to a lower number and you will be happy you did!
Excellent venue for a date or a couple of friends. Good pricing and superb food. I always go back to this small but quaint establishment for the duck curry. When they are in season the mango and stick rice is a great way tpo cool your palate!
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The food is bland and the variety is disappointing. The ambiance is good for the size of the restaurant. with all the great Thai restaurants in San Diego, I will not return to this place.
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Very nice place. Food is very good. Service is very good. Price is reasonable.
One thing I love about it is it has no pretensions - its just a great little Thai place right in the heart of Encinitas on 101.
My wife and I often go and we've been there a few times with the kids during lunch. It's not a great place for kids because it is small, so I wouldn't take the family for dinner there.
Definately recommended for casual Thai in North County.
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Solid, dependable thai food. Spring rolls are great--lots of filling, not too much roll. Panang curry is good, but be sure to request extra veggies. Pad Thai is average. Not the best thai ever, but it is always a good fallback!
Wait can get bad on weekends and there's no where to sit. Don't bring impatient girlfriend or grandma who cant loiter...
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Having eaten Thai extensively all over San Diego and in many major cities, this was the WORST and actually inedible Thai I've ever had. Their curry is basically a little curry flavor and CORN STARCH. We got our food and the sauce had already become 1 big large clump. The Pad See Ew was disgusting and did not taste anything like Pad See Ew. We literally could not eat the curry. There was 1 waitress for 15 tables.
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I've never been disappointed with a meal here. They also have some authentic dishes that you don't often see at most other Thai places in San Diego. I'm not a huge fan of the wait (even on weekdays), but the service is good, and it's not expensive.
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Bring us your sandy, your tired, your hungry masses longing to be filled with delicious Thai food...
It seemed so convenient coming from the beach and then it fell kind of flat. Small and a little rough around the edges with mediocre food. To be fair:
- my peanut sauce/spinach thing was awesome
- my wife's see-ew noodles were grim
Redeemed in a big way because there was another baby there and she and my son had an impromptu playdate. Which, I'm sure, thrilled the other diners.
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This is not a place to go for the atmosphere, but the food is fantastic. My favorite is the fried rice... but everything is good. Try to get there early for dinner to avoid a long wait.
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this place is really tasty. It is small kinda cramped but not bad at all. Nice atmosphere. Not really too busy unless you go durring a really busy time. its a place my b/f go pretty often. their pineapple rice is sooo good-served and cooked in a pineapple with chicken, shrimp, cashews, etc. the duck curry is good, duck's a lil fatty but thats just the way ducks are. also the pineapple shrimp curry is addicting. and my b/f always orders the chicken curry-mmmmmm
I like it.
Tiny little joint thats always packed every night of the week. IMHO the food is average, however I find my self going back for their tom yum gai, which I find it to be exceptional. Oh and the spicy steamed green mussel they have on occasion is killer favorite of mine.
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This is my favorite Thai place in North County. The Pad Thai is great, and the Curry Fried Rice is fantastic. It's a bit too small for its popularity, so expect a wait. Service could be better, but it's not horrible.
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the menu isn't very authentic but don't let it fool you because the food is.
and major bonus points for being able to choose how spicy you want it. on a scale 1-10. i got 5 and it was very spicy but still very good.
the only reason i am not giving it 5 stars is because the chairs are uncomfy, other then that....yummy!
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Nice little Thai restaurant that is always packed. The food is good but not the best Thai that I've ever had. The ambiance is cute but could use a style update. Most people don't care about the decor anyway and they do make the best vegetarian spring rolls on the planet...well as least in North County. These do sell out nightly so get there early to make sure you can try them. They do make excellent soups as well, but their Pad Thai is just average.
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good solid little thai place.Their soup i come back for nearly weekly,not to mention their fresh spring rolls,top it off with their mango and sticky rice, bliss!!!!
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Wonderful thai food! The best! Try their curry. You can rate how hot you want it.
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