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Mon. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Tue-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tue-Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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The first stop of the night of dancing and debauchery that is the bachelorette party, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Thai Basil Canteen fit the bill: it doesn't cause too much damage to the wallet, the bachelorette's favorite dish is anything with red chilli padi (including steamed rice with soy sauce and chopped c.p), and the betrothed couple do plan to go to Thailand for their honeymoon.
So we didn't opt for the set menu and instead pre-selected the dishes ahead of time so our waiter was presented with a neat little print out of ordered dishes:
moo tod kratiem prik-thai - salt and pepper pork ribs served with Sriracha sauce (side note: Sriracha is American!)
satay gai - grilled chicken satay served with peanut sauce
larb bpet - duck salad
goong pad gra prow - prawn stir-fried with chili basil
kao moo daeng - pork belly and star anise sauce
pik-khing bpet - duck stir-fried with lychee and red curry paste
crab fried rice
pad kee mao - rice noodles stir-fried with chili and basil
The drink menu consists of creative cocktails, my choice of which is the delicious Silky Sky: lychee liqueur, skyy vodka, and grapefruit juice. For the ultra-creative type, the bartender is more than willing to create your own concoction.
There's not much else that this place could've done better: the service was outstanding and the food and drinks are beyond compare. The cool, hip grungy industrial-style interior did not at all reflect the damage report: $35 per person is more than reasonable.
Now off to enjoy the table service at Slide.
I had dinner here for my friends birthday with a group of about 9. The location is cool, very urban and industrial. The menu is limited to snacks (appetizers) and some entrees. The food wasn't the best Thai food I've had. I can see what type of vibe this place was going for, but I don't think they achieved it. The place was empty on a Saturday night. Maybe it's the location? I don't know.
Food wise, I shared three of the appetizers. Some vegetarian fried spring roll, the taro fries and a grilled shrimp dish. Nothing was spectacular, in fact I've had better spring rolls at the hole in the wall Thai places. Vegetarian/Vegan options are limited. I also had some of my friends yellow curry and it was pretty bland. The food seemed overpriced for their portions. If there's one thing that annoys the sh*t out of me when it comes to Asian restaurants, it is when they think that "upscale" translates to "we can charge more for smaller portions". Luckily I wasn't there for the food, but for my friends birthday. If we weren't busy laughing, gossiping and catching up with each other, we would have really been disappointed with the food.
Amazing, delicious and transcendent.
I have eaten at a lot of thai restaurants, and this is one of the best. Everything was amazingly delicious and well prepared. I loved the interior. It was very industrial chic with the exposed brick and beams and the overall warehouse feel to it. Its right on the corner and there are a lot of windows so can people watch while you eat. the service was very attentive. they were there when you needed them, not there when you didnt. now on to the food:
Hand rolls: nothing amazing but very good.
Sakhoo Saimu - tapioca pork dumplings: was not what i expected. The were room temperature and were encased in this jelly like tapioca skin. The insides were pork and peanuts. very interesting and very delicious
Kao Soi Nuer - skirt steak with wide yellow noodles and lime coconut curry: it was amazing! they put a pile of crispy noodles on top which contrasts nicely with the soft noodles. the beef is flavorful and tender. The curry is delectable.
Pineapple Braised Short Ribs in Green Curry: This was my favorite. Green curry is my favorite thai dish so this was quite a treat. the short ribs were fall-apart fantastic. The curry broth was perfectly balanced. And the pineapple soaked in curry is amazing. it still tasted like pineapple but not sweet which is hard to imagine, but its totally not what i expected.
for dessert, we had the fried bananas and coconut ice cream. Nothing i havent had before, but it was very, very good.
The cocktails are also great. Dont remember what i had, but it was good. The sakitini with lychee and sake was great. i wish i had ordered that.
i definitely plan on coming back. I cant wait to come back, actually! Recommended.
really flavorful food. the garlic noodles w/ clams was particularly good. so was the chive pancakes. i thought they were going to be like green onion pancakes, but they were more like luo buo gao, for those who eat dim sum. my friend and i also shared the sampler platter, so we were thoroughly full by the end. the portions are big, so we got to take some stuff home.
Great space, industrial feel cool vibe and one of the best and friendliest waiters around. The food is seriously good here. The chicken satay was the best in the city so far... (and I do love thai food so I have tried plenty) and the fresh rolls were delicious. We also ordered the curry noodles with skirt steak,... also great and nice spice to it, and to finish it was the fried banana with coconut ice cream, which it didn't have enough coconut taste to the ice cream I thought. Hence the 4 and not 5 for me.
I had dinner her a few nights ago with a friend of a friend in SF. It took me a few guesses to figure out it wasn't Indonesian or Malay. The menu didn't give it away - which means this Thai restaurant is not like your everyday joe blow thai restaurant.
The service was amazing. Our hostess had a beautiful smile on her face and explained the aim of the restaurant - to bring the tastes from all corners of Thailand to the patrons of the restaurant.
We had Gai Tod Takai (crisped lemongrass chicken with snake beans and crackling young peppercorn and the Kana Moo Grob (crispy pork belly stir-fried with 'gai lan' broccoli). Both were scrumptious.
The free appetizer was peanuts serviced with minced green onions. Interesting.
The ambiance, service and taste left us satisfied customers. A gem. Probably one of the best Thai restaurants I've eaten at, if not the best.
Last night, my husband booked a reservation at Basil Canteen for dinner. He meant to book it for Basil (where we've been a few times), but after we realized the error, we decided to give it a whirl anyway. We weren't disappointed! I ordered a cocktail with ginger-infused vodka, apple, and pear juice. It was unique and very tasty. The shrimp spring rolls were delicious! We shared two entrees, skirt steak with peanut sauce and some kind of crispy lemongrass chicken. The steak was especially good. Both entrees were loaded with veggies, and the brown rice was cooked perfectly. It was just the right amount of food for the two of us. The service was decent, but not especially warm. WE tried to decide if the food was better than Basil, and concluded that it is slightly better! I also liked the atmosphere better. We will be going back.
I've came here twice already, first time was with a group of culinary explorers, second time with my mom, aunt, and bf, i loved it both times!!
To be quite honest, I don't really go out for Thai food since my mom is a fantastic cook and we have a Thai restaurant of our own...and i guess i can say i am very picky and peculiar with my Thai food! (or food in general :p )
Basil Canteen, I can say hands down is very delicious... the food and plating even got a thumbs up from mommy dearest!
The atmosphere was very modern, clean, sleek... warehouse, two floor, high beams, brick walls, very New York, i also loved the lightbulb chandeliers. Would be great for groups as well, long communal table on floor level right next to the bar. Pricing is very reasonable, and staff quite friendly. Basil Canteen can be easily missed, small signage, on the corner.
We shared a bunch of appts and one entree and of course dessert!
We had the crispy taro fries- really yummy,nicely fried (would go great with drinks!!)
-somtum neur sawan- the neur sawan (beef jerky) was very tasty, as for the somtum, not that bad, i would have loved it to be a bit more spicier thou (all that was missing was sticky rice... but i settled for yellow rice instead)
-Kang keow wan roti- the green curry was good, a little on the sweeter side thou, but nonetheless delish!
-pork salad with lemongrass- very very flavorful
-drunken beef- i liked this dish a lot, very tasty
as for dessert we had fried banana balls with coconut ice cream, i really liked the ice cream, taste fresh
Most definitely will be back for happy hour!!
***WARNING: This place is extremely hidden! Keep your eyes open!***
I really liked Basil Canteen's architecture and interior design! It's unique in its own way. I came here after a long day of fun with my sissy. We had thai tea of course! It was very yummy thai tea! :) We ordered a dish of papaya salad, roti, penang chicken, and a flavorful dish of pork. Everything came out great! Us two girls finished everything we ordered! Which means... we were satisfied! :D
Was here with 4 people for dinner and we thought it was fantastic. We took recommendations from the waiter, which were all spot on. We ordered a large selection of appetizers and entrees. The food was excellent and especially at the price. It felt like a much more expensive dinner than it was. The mieng kum, tiger prawns with mango and cashew, and especially the pork and crab meatballs were all excellent. The drunken beef and stir fried duck were also great. I will definitely come back here. I prefer the food here to most of the other Thai places I've been in the city - not super traditional, but tasty.
Date & Time: Thursday July 16, 2009 @ 6:30pm in Time for Happy Hour
Crowd: Attractive Thai 20-Somethings in True Religion Jeans & After-Work Crowd
Vibe: Chill
Decor: Cool Loft. Exposed Brick Walls & Beams. Communal Table. Tables for Deux & Quatre w/ Brushed Aluminum 1006 Navy Side Chairs.
Service: Nice Thai Gay Guys in Fitted Black Tees
Imbibe: $3 Happy Hour Singha Beer & Limeade
Devour: $5 Snacks: Taro Fries, Tapioca Dumplings, Smoked Sausage, Fresh Spring Rolls. Entree: Garlic Noodles w/ Manila Clams
Skip: Caramelized Pork
Total: $58.58
i found basil canteen by accident, in search of another restaurant we were trying to find before I had to be back at training a few blocks away. happy accident.
basil canteen was a chill joint. though weekday afternoon, the place was moderately crowded with the average business suits having lunches with client. we ventured upstairs and had the view of all the dishes down below. i think this is one of those places where everything is good on the menu.
the restaurant itself has a really cool vibe to it. chill, urban, and chic. the service was great- very friendly and very accommodating when i had to bolt to get back to my training.
the food was delicious. i got to try kao soi neu (skirt steak, coconut curry, noodles) and gai tod takai (lemongrass chicken). both were pretty darn delicious. The bowl of the skirt steak and coconut curry was pretty massive- so come with an appetite.
all around great place to get thai food. it's been awhile since i've been, and just writing the review is making me want to run there now.
it's one of those places worth jumping to the other side of the city for.
I heard about this place for a while but could never find it because there is no sign outside!!! If you're planning to go, do some recon on Google maps first :)
My overall rating is 4 stars but I would give 4 stars and a half just for their Kow Soi. This is one of my favorite Thai dishes: typical from the north of Thailand basically noodle + curry. At Basil Canteen, it's the best I could find in San Francisco so far; very similar to what you would get in Chiang Mai.
The decor is also very nice; we went there a little early so the place was quiet but I'm sure it has a nice vibe when a little bit more crowded. We sat at the big communal table, but I went to check out the mezzanine which has a very nice set up.
I would also recomend the somtum neur sawan, which is a nice alternative to the regular papaya salad you find in all other Thai places. The seur rong hai beef skewers are also very good.
Everybody seems to like their cocktail list, which I admit looks interesting; however, we had wine so I can't comment on those. But the full bar is a nice option.
The service was also very good; I have to give a little disclaimer on that though. Our waiter was one of my girlfriend's friends!
What a unique place! My girlfriends and I were heading to a clothing swap at the Paradise lounge and decided to have a bite to eat before heading in.. Basil Canteen is right across the street, but even then, their sign was so unobtrusive, you barely noticed the sign.
Once you walked in, we were completely surprised. It had dark floors , wood tables and had a loft like feel. Fortunately there was a 'showcase' going on. Local dress designers and jewelry makers were having their wares for sale. So it felt like a bit like a bazaar at the same time.. and I LOVE THAT!
Now for the food. We just wanted appetizers and drinks so I can only comment on that.
Our appetizers ranged in price: $5-$7 as were there during happy hour.
-peurk tod:crispy taro fries with sweet crushed nut vinaigrette
- satay gai: grilled marinated chicken served with house peanut sauce
- seur rong hai: grilled Angus steak skewers served with 'crying tiger'
sauce of sweet roasted chili and parched rice
And most notably:
-goong tod yum mamuang:lightly fried tiger prawns with salad of cashew nuts and green mango
The last item was theee best. It was tart, sweet and crunchy at the same time..
Crowd was very eclectic and unique partly due to the "bazaar" going on downstairs and I definitely loved the vibe.
This place would have 4 stars except for the fact that service was just so/so... we were seated ahead another group, yet they got helped first, and we had to "work" to get our waitress to bring us check etc.. Hopefully my next visit will be better.
We visited Basil Canteen for a friend's going away party - and it was a very good experience. We had a family style dinner which was very fitting since there was a huge long table in the center which gave it a very homey feel. The space is a mix between aged wood (the table) and a chill industrial loft space, overall great for a light dinner or a few drinks after work.
Because we had a family style dinner we ordered a little bit of everything which left me with a very good understanding of Basil Canteen's menu. Every dish was good tasting but some of the highlights would be:
Appetizers: kanom guay chai - which is are spicy pan-fried chive cakes with sweet soy and chili sauce which were very memorable.
kang kiow wan roti - a pan-fried Indian dread and grilled skirt steak served with green curry dipping sauce which was a really good portion for the $8 and was very tasty.
Main Course: I would highly recommend the ' drunken beef ' which was a sizzling stir-fried skirt steak with green beans, apple eggplant, fresh chili, lemongrass, and brandy ... although a bit on the spicy side it was absolutely among the best Thai meat dishes I have ever had.
Also the main courses like the noodle or rice plates were very reasonably priced - on average $10-12 each. I gave this place a $$$ because the menu is very tempting and you really should do your taste buds a favor and order a lot of different items.
For desert we had some fried banana which comes with the most amazing coconut ice cream.
They also have a short but nice wine list. We ordered a couple bottles of a Pinot Noir to go with dinner and it really enhanced the experience (but at $40 a bottle it also added to the $$$ rating).
I look forward to going back.
I've been riding by this place on the 12 for months, and finally decided to stop in. The interior is beautiful- warm loft space with exposed brick and funky lighting. It's more SOMA than Mission- although it's smack in the middle of the two 'hoods.
I wasn't excited by the menu, which was lacking vegetarian options. Most places, especially Thai restaurants-- ahem, OSHA-- make poor efforts to accommodate. But our waiter was fantastic and let me customize an order that wasn't even close to anything on the menu. There was no confusion or questions-- and my soup came out just as I wanted it.
My sister recommended this place and I was so excited to hear they opened a second location.
The first thing i noticed was the HUGE communal table when we walked in. I'm not sure if that is their normal setup or if it was specially arranged for a party. it seemed most of, but not all, the patrons at the table knew eachother.
We shared the pork shoulder with eggplant and shrimp with apple eggplant lunches. both were flavorful, not entirely authentic, but enjoyable. the pork shoulder was just spicy enough. it had peppers which looked a bunch of caper-sized grapes. very cute. i took a bite and WOW! that's where the fire was coming from. we didn't have much time for lunch so unfortunately we didn't get to try the appetizers. i thought the prices were a bit high. one was $10; the other $12. they also charge $2.50 for hot green tea. i suppose it is SOMA but i'm used to getting a salad and soup with my thai lunch entree for under $8. at least there is ample street parking. that's a plus
my DH really enjoyed the original Basil so we will be back to try the cocktails and appetizers. i hope Basil Canteen does well!
A friend of mine lives in the building, so we decided to give Basil Canteen a try. The decor is nice; it even looked slightly trendy. Our first warning sign should have been the really overpowering smell that encompasses the entire building. It was stinky food smell; not "yumm! That smells good. Let's get some dinner." But I thought that maybe it was just a lack of ventilation.
The food is very disappointing (not to mention pricey). Our party of three ordered several appetizers and three entrees. Meats were not tender at all or particularly tasty. They also seem to use MSG (I'm very sensitive to it and know the symptoms when I encouter it).
The only saving grace was interesting and good cocktails.
This is a great spot to unwind for lunch. I normally get the Pad Se Ew or the Crab Fried Rice. Its a little on the pricey side, especially since Manora Thai is right down the block and is cheaper.
All in all, I go back about once every couple of weeks. This place is prob very nice for dinner.
You know this place is alright. I am a bit partial 'cause its in my hood.
If you are looking for the typical Thai joint, don't go here, you will hate it.
The portions are smaller and and it is a bit more expensive, BUTTTTT...
The dishes, flavors, and ingredients are unusual, and high quality. Good drink menu and great interior. I think this is a great place for a beer or smart cocktail and some small plates with a group of friends.
Basil Canteen is a decent Thai restaurant with an interesting, warehouse/loft modern decor. I met up with a group of friends there, and found it to be an A-OK Thai establishment. The best Thai food I've had in SF is Yukol Place Thai Cuisine in the Marina/Cow Hollow. Sure Yukol isn't chic and trendy in its decor, but it delivers the goods in terms of the food.
My friends and I did get a chance to try the sampler platter. Between the 4 of us, we were able to each try a bite of everything, except for the hard to share fried wontons. For the entree, I had the Pad Se Ew. The portions were generous, but the food itself was only decent to me.
I would come back to Basil Canteen only if someone else wanted to go.
No the typical Thai restaurant. While its hard to find one that serves bad food, its not common to find one with interiors like Basil. Exposed brick, multi-level with large windows. Ok I realize its a restaurant so I need to review the food and service. Drunken beef, pad kee mao, sake and yellow curry rice was what we ordered. While the food was not exceptional, it was good enough for me to go back. Attentive service despite having a party of about 40 down stairs and a pleasurable experience overall.
Cool - loft space but food definitely is not a strong point here.
I like that the can accommodate large parties which is always tough in SF - but dont have high hopes for the food. I would come back though or a drink - since they do have creative cocktails on the menu.
I think Basil is much better
What a great little big place. This is on the site of the old Public restaurant. I didn't eat too much food here during the Public days, but I did enjoy a drink or two in the funky atmosphere. I like the atmosphere here, very SOMA, exposed brick, open warehouse feel, metal chairs and a bar.
Basil Canteen has maintained the atmosphere and replaced Public fare with Thai food. Even better, because everyone must admit that Thai food is truly better than salads and American food.
This is the sister restaurant to the other Basil, a mere hop away, however it is more focused on street food, noodles, and small plates, with a nice cocktail and sake list. The sake with lychee slush sounded delicious, and I will try that next time when I am in a cocktail mood. The wine list is decent for a Thai restaurant, but I might recommend expanding the wine and cocktail angle and including more hard to find regional wines from around the world. I had the Loire Sancerre and a Pinot Gris. I would recommend the Sancerre, which was nicely grassy.
Two friends and I came in today, a Sunday, and I was a bit disappointed to see a mere three customers. Very true to recession. There is a large communal table, a bar area, a cafe area, and an upstairs seating area. We sat upstairs, which is nice because they have booths.
The food here is appetizer focused which is nice. It is a bit like a Thai version of an Isakaya. We had wine and drinks, mieng cum, which is a northern Thai lettuce wrap with lime and peanuts, shrimp and other stuff, kao thang na goong, toast points with a shrimp paste, grilled fish skewers, and kao soi, which literally means street food. My favorite was the very filling noodle dish, kao soi, which I have never seen on a menu. While nothing was outstanding, everything was solid and unique. A great place to go for some late night snacks and socializing with friends.
They also have a nice selection of desserts and port wines. Next time I will come here with a group of friends and have everything on the menu! Or perhaps I will come here to socialize with my computer and a cocktail.
My experience at Basil Canteen was good but not good enough to get me running back.
Architecture and ambiance - check. Exposed brick...industrial feel. Great design. Probably the best thing they have going for them.
Sparkling sake - check
Good service - check
Appetizers were skimpy and pricey although the entrees were fair. The steamed tapioca pork dumplings were memorable simply because they were unique in texture and presentation. To be honest, my mouth was a little confused. They were slimy yet flavorful.
I mayyy be back...thinking about it.
The service is really friendly and the servers are quick to refill my water. But then again, the cups are so cute, I gulp water like a water monster!
When I look around this place, I feel that my food will be tasty. I see EFFORT in everything. From their little bundled up utensil with a piece of dry grass holding it together to specialized jalapenos fish sauce. It's like sitting in a nice high-class cafe--relaxing and accepted by people in your casual clothes.
The place serves the BEST pad thai that I've ever tasted! Lots of shrimp and a good amount of noodles. Thai food usually comes in small portions but I got full off this small portions. Could the size of my stomach be shrinking? NO WAY, it must be the pretty satisfying portion.
The snack sampler (assortment of kieow grob, chicken satay, sakhoo saimu and khanom pang namu) was $14 (it's like 2 of everything in small portions) which might seem like a rip-off to many people, however, but it is a one of those things where you're ordering it to try out all the unique appetizer that Basil Canteen carries.
First of all, I love the building - renovated brewery. Love the red brick exterior.
Food was very good. To start, we shared the steamed tapioca pork dumplings, chicken satay, and the salt and pepper ribs. I liked everything... wished that we got more than just two small skewers of the chicken though. Good thing it was just two of us.
Dinner - we had the lemongrass chicken with rice, and the skirt steak noodles with lime/coconut curry . Spicy!
Prices weren't bad, but portions weren't too big. Just right for two - but I can see how the bill would add up fast if we had more people with us.
I was really sad to find that Public is gone..replaced by this Thai place. I had a chance to check it out last night....and doubt that this place will be around for long.
The cushy lounge area by the bar has been replaced by a long communal table...other than that, the decor is pretty much the dame. The folks there seem nice but service is really slow and spotty.
We tried a couple of the appetizers and they weren't anything compelling.
Doubt I will be returning anytime soon. By the time I do..the place will probably be something new.
We went there last night right after GDGT Event. They sat us upstairs. It was a wkday so it wasnt crowd at all. Everything is very clean and tasty. It was 6 of us and bill was only $104 tax & tip included. I was surprised too. Anyways, this place is definitely worth returning. It's an alternative to Osha experience. Enjoy.!
We've long been patrons of the original, sister restaurant "Basil" which is a solid and impressively busy neighborhood eatery a few blocks further down Folsom St. The concept of Basil Canteen sees similar food (to the sister restaurant) served in a hipper environment - with a large communal table downstairs under two large light fittings, each consisting of maybe 100 light bulbs packed together like inverted bunches of flowers. Very cool! There's more seating on a mezzanine level upstairs, which makes the most of the high ceilings of the rather fabulous brick warehouse structure. It's a nice space to be in, and a sensible focus on cocktails makes the experience relaxing from the get-go.
The menu is well-structured, offering plenty of variety - our favourites include the stir-fried tiger prawns with apple eggplant, the caramelised five spice pork hock with kale and chili vinegar, and the stir-fried duck, snap peas, and lychee in dry spiced red curry. All are competently executed with the familiar thai fragrances coming through with subtlety and balance. The green papaya salad (so often the acid test for Thai restaurants) is a stand-out, served with strips of incredibly tasty fried sun dried beef - it's a good, explosive combination of flavors, which is what good Thai food is all about.
Although we like the food I do have a couple of slight criticisms: some of the main courses can be hit-and-miss, with a slight tendancy for stodginess - the pork belly could be crisper and some of the sauces thicker for example. There's also a tendancy to be heavy-handed with the garlic, which doesn't harm the dining experience, but it can get a bit annoying when you can still taste it the following afternoon. But in the scheme of things these are relatively trivial observations - Basil Canteen is another welcome addition to a neighborhood whose restaurants are growing in stature.
This place is fantastic for groups...they have fun interesting drinks, I really like the full moon and the specials are good. The wait staff is very helpful and friendly...get the Beef Thai yellow curry noodle bowl here and you won't be disappointed!
The feel of Basil Canteen is almost exactly like the prior restaurants at this location. No complaints about the space, as it is architecturally interesting. But, the food isn't traditional Thai (which if prepared well can be wonderful) and, unfortunately, seems based on the idea that if you add sugar to most of the dishes, the patrons will like it. Wrong!
Had a few Sunday beers in the hood and me and a friend ran into this place and so we gave it a whirl....
IT WAS VERY GOOD AND MODERATLY PRICED! I will be back....
Solid Thai food in a cool brick building next to Slims's. They had a nice happy hour menu with $5 snacks/small plates and $3 Singha beer. Service was great as well.
Good thai food in a sleek environment. I've been twice and am a fan. The ambience is a bit weird for a Thai place with the exposed brick walls and steel beams, but they seem to pull it off well. The food is good. Lots of Bangkok dishes here that you won't find at other Thai places. Most other thai places in the city stick to the standard fare - pad thai and curries. Basil Canteen had tons of unique, authentic dishes you won't find at their competitors. Lastly, the service was very good (even if we had a white boy serving us Thai food!).
The entertainment of watching a bunch of drunken girls celebrating a bachelorette party (and bugging other guests with their dumb "dares" and ass-slapping antics) was an added bonus :)
Wow! this place was amazing! I was blown away cuz we can't get Thai this good in SD. Came here with some family that was reuinioning in the area and a local said that it has the sister restaurant of some other place nearby. We ordered fam style, but each ordered our primary dishes. We also got kanom guay chai, the chive cakes, which were amazing as an app. We also got the shrimp skewers, which were equally amazing.
For entrees, I got the pik-khing bpet, which was duck with vegetables in a red curry. My brother, who doesn't eat duck nearly as often as me, nailed it on the head in his amazement over how they "roasted the skin so crispy without burning off all of the delicious fat just underneath it and still managing to season the meat perfectly." My next favorite was my sister's salmon in red curry. yeah I like red curry, but seriously, this was amazing. It was a special though so i don't know if they usually have it. My other sister got the spicy noodles with clams, which was also very good, and surprisingly well-seasoned. Someone ordered the drunken beef, which I definitely enjoyed, but not as much as some of the other dishes. The beef was tender, but I'll take duck or fish over beef any day. My brother ordered some kind of shrimp dish with vegetables that was another of my faves and someone else got some pork that was pretty good, but nothing mind blowing.
Overall, they have a few good beers on tap or in bottles, a decent drink menu and very good food. They are a bit more expensive than some of the other places I have been to in the area, but the quality is definitely comparable. I would most likely be back if I was around.
Went last night with some friends for a late supper.
I am not sure if I like the food that much. It's not as authentic as I had hoped. Don't get me wrong - we devoured everything but it was just of sheer hunger.
We order 2 appetizers and 3 entrees. The papaya salad was nice and crispy but I wasn't thrilled with the fried sun-dried beef (tasted a bit dry and jerky). The salt and pepper baby pork ribs was tasty. I thought the breading was a bit too thick. For entrees we got a wide rice noodle stir-fry and 3 different meat in rice vermicelli soup. The soup was very dense - it was more of a stew then a brothy soup. The best dish was the special of the day with sea bass with yellow curry and veggies and a side of rice. The fish was tender and the curry was light and appeasing.
For dessert we shared a fried-banana with coconut ice cream plate. The 5 balls of fried bananas were beignet-like - soft and airy. I was expecting a crunchy exterior instead it was a bit too soft for my taste.
I really like the architectural space: the communal table, the intimate setting on the upper level and the high ceiling.
I thought this place was way to expensive. Entree's to share at $15 or more each are too much. Service was good and drinks ok. Wine selection not that great. The food was pretty good although I thought the monk fish dish lacked flavor. The sampler appetizer plate was a bit disappointing as well. They also overcharge for rice. The entree prices are very pricey and rice should be included. My husband was also disappointed that they only had one curry dish. For a thai place I guess they should have more.
They would probably survive if the location was better and they had better prices. Otherwise, I don't think this place will be called Basil Canteen past 2010 and will go down like the Public did.
Get the Roti or Shrimp Toast appetizers. All entrees are great. Giant bowls of curry, very fresh, above medium spice. I am thankful to the places which have pickled jalapenos, hot sauce and dried pepper flakes on the table. Most tables have this here or you can ask. The servers are very friendly. They have very refreshing and fun cocktails - I love the Gin based SOMA Sling. It would be a great place to have an adult birthday (but I've seen the kiddies in here too with balloons and all) - very NY like loft room, general cool vibe, and of course the wonderful sharable food and drink. Highly recommend and prefer to its big brother Basil down the street.
After Happy Hour at WISH, we were all pretty hungry and headed across the street to Sushi Groove South. Unfortunately, without reservations, the wait was over an hour. The hostess was kind enough to offer us some alternatives, and pointed out that the owners of Thai Basil opened up a new restaurant across the street where The Public once was. We were down for trying out a new restaurant, and of course, you can Thai me up any time!
I actually had no idea that The Public had closed. The last time I was there was about a year ago for my birthday dinner. The space looks completely the same inside. I don't think they even changed the furniture, although they did put in a large communal table downstairs where the lounge used to be.
The hostess at Sushi Groove South referred to the place as a noodle house, so we all decided to get our own noodle dish. I had the pad kee mao -- wide rice noodles with yard long beans and sliced steak. Jessica had the gkuay dtiow tom yum goong (she was really good at pronouncing it), which she substituted for tofu instead of prawns in tom yum soup. Both were very tasty. The dishes are priced between $6-12, which is so reasonable, considering the space is pretty chic and you'd expect to pay The Public prices.
The service was really on point throughout the night. Our server was so polite -- it made for a pleasant evening. A nice change too, since the service was super slow when it was The Public.
The only things I would change about this place is 1) add mango & sticky rice or fried banana ice cream to their dessert menu and 2) open later than 10:30pm. This place would be a hit after bar hopping in SOMA.
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Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
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Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Thai
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