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Le Basil
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
P M. said: "We ordered ahi tuna roll for starters and it was filled with tuna! So good. Then I ordered the NY steak and shrimp and my boyfriend ordered the NY steak and chicken hibachi. The chef, Mark, was great! He had a foot brace and was…" read more »
76 reviews for Le Basil
Review Highlights
"All were good, but the green curry was incredible."
(in 5 reviews)
"They also have an excellent bowl of pho."
(in 18 reviews)
"...hot sauce ever and YUMMY Tom Yum soup, nice simple ambiance..."
(in 4 reviews)
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76 reviews in English
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Review from Maria S.
Cathedral City, CA
11/6/2011
Delicious Satay chicken, great service. Prices are very reasonable too. We went there when it wasn't so busy which was really nice so we could have a quiet lunch.
Definitely great thai !! -
Review from Spencer B.
La Quinta, CA
10/16/2011
I give Le Basil a 3.1 or 3.2 stars. The ambiance is great for a lunch hangout. The room is fun and well lit. The staff is friendly.
I want to give them a four, and had I actively yelped years ago I would have given them a strong four. My experience has been that the service seems to have gotten slower and less dependable over the last few years. In addition to this, Le basil is as not as kid friendly as so other places right near there.
The food is good, filling and fresh. The jalapeno hot sauce is homemade and wonderful. I used to come here more often, but Pho Vu opened up closer to my home and is priced a little better (though Vietnamese food here is WAY more than LA, SD, OC, etc).
I like the Bun combo in the summer, and Pho the rest of the year. I wish they had some decent Bahn mi.
I still go to Le basil, and I do tell people to go, but sometimes if I am in the area, I go around the corner to Kabobz or Haus of Pizza instead of always going to Le Basil -
Review from Robin W.
9/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very nice strip mall Thai experience at Le Basil.
Ordered lunch specials ($8.96, $10.95 to sub shrimp). Soup was amazing (Tom Yum). Yellow curry with shrimp was very smooth, velvety and comforting. I did add a lot of spice which was provided in multiple forms in little ceramic bowls.
Minced chicken also a good choice.
All around a good place for some tastebud zinging happiness. -
Review from Miguel L.
Palm Springs, CA
10/17/2011
I always have a good experience when I go their. Their food is excellent.
everything is fresh and their presentation is very good. The owners are so friendly. They make you feel at home. I highly recommend this place. -
Review from Steve Y.
Palm Desert, CA
11/13/2011
My wife and I are regular customers at Le Basil in Palm Desert. While we aren't there every weekend, we do usually eat there two or three times a month. The food is wonderful and the owners and staff are just great! You won't find cheap ingredients in your food at this restaurant. Some Asian food restaurants use cheap cuts of beef...not Le Basil. Pad See You with beef is my dish of choice, and the beef is always tender and plentiful! I recommend a Hue beer to wash it all down with, and don't forget to try one of the appetizers...I'd tell you which one, but I like them all! OK...try the Chicken Satay first.
-
Review from Tammy C.
Palm Desert, CA
7/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I absolutely am a regular here. The service is always wonderful. I have almost tried everything on the menu. They serve southeast Asian food which includes Thai & Vietnamese fare. The bar is zen modern and the decor is calming and beautiful. Outside seating available but not recommended in the summer months due to possible highs of 120 degrees.
My favorite's are the lunch specials, which are simply great food for a great price. The Bun (pronounced, Boon) is my absolute all time favorite. They also have an excellent bowl of pho. The pad thai is delectable. Whenever I actually have room for dessert I enjoy their mango sticky rice.
I enjoy the Thai iced tea but prefer the Thai iced coffee.
The husband and wife team that own and operate the restaurant are ever present and humble even though they have been a thriving establishment in this desert many years before the recession. The wife, Orn is a wonderfully passionate foodie. She brings in hand selected produce from the farmer's market and takes great pride in making the best possible dishes for her loyal diners. -
Review from Elanna C.
Rancho Mirage, CA
10/23/2011
I'll never come here again, bad service, bad food, and just an all around bad experience. Overpriced makes it even worse.
-
Review from Jason H.
San Diego, CA
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Loved it... the food was great and so was the atmosphere. Our experience stands out as one of our best experience in all of our memories in our trip to Palm Springs some 8 months ago.
Yes, this place leaves that kind of lasting impression. Give them a try but don't get too crazy, we don't want to be waiting too long for a table next time we're in town. ;-) -
Review from Mary C.
5/11/2011
For one of the other reviews, you would not go to a THAI place for PHO. Really? Pho is like Vietnamese fast food. I've eaten Pho all my life and would never go anywhere else but a VIETNAMESE place for it. Get your Asia straight.
Thai food has an abundance of spices and different cooking methods to embody the flavors to its dishes. The prices was medium for a poor out-of-college student like me. Needless to say, the effort to make Thai food is worth the price. The service there was excellent and everytime I go to a Thai restaurant, I judge the place by its spicy coconut soup and this place passed. Not only that, I'm lucky enough to have a Thai boyfriend to judge the place and it's delicious.
Go with the green curry and have yourself a Thai tea. I can't wait to find time and eat at this place again. -
Review from Dana R.
Bainbridge Island, WA
3/3/2011
On this trip we went to both Le Basil and Bangkok 5 -- they are very different restaurants, both with very good food and service. While Bangkok 5 clearly strives for and delivers a higher-end dining experience, the food at Le Basil was equally as good. Just a different type of Thai between the two.
The atmosphere is a sterile strip-mall, but the quality of the food would bring me back nonetheless. While Bangkok 5 has a limited menu, Le Basil is your more traditional Thai place with lots of selections and some Vietnamese thrown in too.
I had the BBQ Pork lunch special - comes with Tom Kha Kai, white rice and large juliennes of marinated and grilled pork. It was fantastic -- all of it. The soup rivaled the flavors of the same soup at Bangkok 5 -- might have been a bit spicier at Le Basil and they added fresh cilantro which I like and baby corns, which I don't really care for. The BBQ was exquisitely balanced in flavor and cooked perfectly -- not a dry, chewy, gristly or fatty piece in the lot.
My husband's Phad Thai with chicken was little too sweet (likely too much tamarind paste) for his liking but overall was well-prepared.
I asked for some chile sauce and had my choice of 3: (1) traditional sambal (Chinese chili paste), (2) a reduced chile paste with tamarind and garlic (outstanding), and (3) a jalapeno/vinegar pulp (also outstanding). Very nice on the rice with my meal.
Definitely will be back on my next trip to the desert. -
Review from R D.
Palm Desert, CA
1/19/2011
The food and service is good. I know alot of people rave about the place. I just don't see it.
Exc - None
Good - None
Ave - Food, service
Poor - None
WOULD I GO BACK? MAYBE........IF I LOSE THE VOTE. -
Review from Don B.
Indio, CA
3/24/2011
What the PHO?! I am no PHO expert but I would rather drive to Moreno Valley for a PHO. This place is PHOking expensive and food is not that great at all. Service is slow and a bit of a snob. Total disappointment.
Food is a bit pricey too. I think they are trying to do a Vietnamese fusion thingy to cater rich people but PHO is for everybody. We don't need the fancy things in our plate and bowl, just give us the food. Not coming back here again. I'm sorry. -
Review from Alexandra Z.
Gilbert, AZ
10/19/2010 5 photos
I actually found Le Basil through Yelp while on business in the Palm Desert area this past April.
Location: hidden in the back of the plaza of Chase Manhattan Bank and McDonald's, next to Vons Grocery.
Since the restaurant is in a strip mall shopping plaza, there is ample parking.
THE SERVICE
I went to late lunch, about 2pm. There were about 5 other patrons in the restaurant. The reception from the hostess/waitress was less than enthusiastic. It took almost 10 minutes before the waitress came to my table to serve me a glass of water and take my order. I did notice the waitress engaging in friendly banter with some of the patrons, who appeared to be regulars. The waitress eventually warmed up to me as I sat and ate my lunch, and was friendly by the end of my meal. Whether it was genuine, or an attempt at getting a better tip, I couldn't say.
THE FOOD
I had Thai Iced Coffee, which was good, strong, not overly creamed with milk, and just enough sweetness.
Appetizer, "Money Bags," - fried rice papers stuffed with chicken
Soup, Chicken Tom Ka, - bordered on lukewarm temperature. As far as taste is concerned, not good, but not bad.
Lunch, Eggplant - again, nothing to rave about, but not bad. Tasted much better with a little bit of salt.
LAST CALL
Based on service and taste/quality of the food, I wouldn't consider Le Basil among my favorite Thai restaurants. It's good enough just to grab a quick lunch if you're in the mood for Thai food, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there. -
Review from Amanda M.
Los Angeles, CA
6/26/2011
I came here based on the Yelp reviews. Located in a strip mall, the restaurant itself is nice looking with a small outside patio. I had the money bag appetizer - very good and spicy noodle with chicken dish - eh. Way too saucy for my taste and not nearly enough noodles. Not exactly what I was expecting, but it was tasty. Overall I'd say the food is good, just maybe not quite the way I like it. Prices are decent and almost cheap for the area.
-
Review from Kevin M.
La Quinta, CA
10/25/2011
If you are in palm desert and want Thai food, this is your best bet. We've eaten there many times and I've ordered take out too.
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Review from Colin S.
Palm Springs, CA
There's a feeling in Palm Springs that Palm Desert is such a far drive, when it's only about 15 miles away. I have fallen prey to this thinking from time to time, but the one thing that will get me in the car driving every time is the thought of a meal at Le Basil. My partner and I first tried this place for the pho, which is hard to find around here. The pho is very good. However, there's so much more to recommend beyond that.
One of our favorite dishes is the Stuffed Grape Leaves, which come with all kinds of veggies and rice paper wrappers that you dip in water and wrap yourself. Also great are the Combination Pork Bun, the Pork in Caramel Sauce, and the curries.
One dish you might not think to try is the Fish Salad. Yeah, that sounds gross to me too. However, what you get is a bed of shredded green apples with some red onion and very lightly fried fish morsels. It has a sweet and sour dressing that compliments the fish perfectly, and it is so delicious.
For our last meal there, we went with a group of friends and we asked the waitress to surprise us. We asked for 3 appetizers and 4 entrees for five people, and it was just the right amount of food for us. They brought us a beautiful variety of dishes with an array of flavors and textures. Honestly, everything was just so delicious. The shrimp in green curry was so good I am still thinking about it 12 hours later. There was also a shrimp appetizer that was wrapped in long noodles and fried so the noodles stood straight up and were very crispy. It was served with a spicy sweet and sour sauce, and it tasted as good as it looked. I'll post a picture. You have to see it!
I can't say enough good stuff about this place. Of the dozen friends I have sent there, only one didn't LOVE it. And he's just kind of grumpy anyway.
Go. -
Review from O P.
Indio, CA
9/5/2011
I have had the pleasure of being a regular at Thai Smile in Palm Springs - unfortunately this place can't hold a candle for me. And I tried all of the recommendations - just an average 3-stars for me.
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Review from Dominique D.
Oak Glen, CA
9/2/2011
Spring rolls with the best hot sauce ever and YUMMY Tom Yum soup, nice simple ambiance, great food!
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Review from William H.
Palm Desert, CA
6/12/2010
We like this place. The food is consistently good & so is the service. We've tried most things on the menu and no clunkers so far. We're especially fond of their fresh spring rolls (served cold with fresh mint inside, yummers!) and their soups, especially the Tom Ka Kai. Plus they have a full bar too, although I usually go for some chilled sake (they have our favorite Sho Chiku Bai Ginjo,so good!)
Try it for lunch. They have a good lunch special for $8.95 which includes soup or salad. Not too crazy about the salad, but the soup is great.
The owner is usually there serving food & working alongside the other servers. She's super nice as is the rest of the staff.
One negative: The booths suck eggs in hell. Oh they look inviting, but the angle of the back is awkward making it uncomfortable. Then they're not too sturdy & all attached back-to-back style so if anybody else is sitting near, you can feel their every move. Thankfully they have tables & chairs, which we opt for when possible.
We'll be back....haven't tried everything yet. -
Review from Araceli R.
La Quinta, CA
5/19/2011
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the valley. The food is very authentic. I recommend the bun dishes. The soups are full of flavor. Very friendly service.
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Review from Christopher G.
Chicago, IL
11/1/2011
Service seemed disorganized, slow to greet and eat. Very nice servers, however, just seemed rushed. I seem to always judge Thai by its Pad Thai. As other have commented, too sweet. You can't really sense the tamarind. Our appetizer (forget the name) was not as advertised and was very bland (believe that in a Thai restaurant). Had I some red chili sauce or other, I could have built something at least pleasing. But my biggest complaint is the prices for this mall based, average food offfering. $9-10 for apps, $16-19 entrees.
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Review from Tom O.
Palm Desert, CA
12/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Nice atmosphere, like a well accommodated sushi restaurant. The service is outstanding
We started with the hot and sour soup, Thai style. It was a little too sour for my wife, but I thought was very good... And spicy hot.
The soup alone with a spring roll is enough for a good lunch.
I ordered the Panag Curry (red curry with peanut sauce). It was fantastic and twice what I was capable of eating. My wife had Pho and she said it was very good.
Don't be scared off by spiciness or if you're a vegetarian. This place aims to please and hits the mark. -
Review from Lisa R.
Reno, NV
1/28/2010
An interesting
place to eat
One of Le Basil's appetizers is spectacular. I don't remember its name, but it's served inside an unsweetened pancake folded over like an omelet around bits of Shrimp and Pork. The proper way to eat it is to slice off a piece, fold that piece inside a large lettuce leaf, add mint, cilantro and slices of cucumber, then dip the tip into a sweetened vinegar sauce. I could have eaten two of these, though the portion is generous and I would have to snort while pigging-out.
The Jasmine hot tea was unexpectedly full-bodied and complimentary to this food.
Normally I love eggplant, but the eggplant appetizer, ground with pork and rolled up in a grape leaf like a sausage, is rather bland and unremarkable.
Although the owner was on premises, our server was a pleasant woman glad to share her recommendations. She was thorough in explaining the proper way to use the fresh condiments that accompany this cuisine.
While the decor features some interesting artwork, I despise the L.A.-style seating modelled around tables bumped virtually right up against your neighbor. Destroying the bubble that should surround each table discourages private conversation -- and when it doesn't, I don't care to hear my neighbor's conversations.
NOTE: If someone ever organizes a picket line against this practice, I'm IN!
Le Basil is the sort of restaurant you discover one dish at a time. Over the course of a few more visits I'm sure I'll settle into those selections I'll want to order over and over again. However, I'll probably wait for better weather when I can sit on their outdoor patio where that tables preserve a customer's personal space. -
Review from Frank l.
Palm Desert, CA
7/17/2007
Cabbie Restaurant Review
Le Basil
This is not your typical Zagat restaurant review, if you're looking for that, please read no further. I am not a reviewer, critic or judge. I'm a cab driver. I simply eat out and give my opinion. At the end there will either be a thumbs up or thumbs down.
The restaurant I ate at today is called Le Basil. They serve Southeast Asian Cuisine. It's pretty new. It occupies the building where La Toscana used to be, I think. It is in the Pines to Palms shopping center, just east of Vons and kind of in back of McDonald's. Their address is 72695 Highway 111, Suite A10, Palm Desert. Their phone number is 760-773-1112 and their Fax is 760-773-1116. They are open seven days a week, Monday to Thursday 11am - 9pm, and Friday and Saturday 11am to 10pm, and Sunday from noon to 9pm.
The specific dishes I had today were:
Money Bag, an appetizer, rice paper 'bag' of minced chicken, fresh vegetables, golden fried served with plum sauce.
Grilled Scallops and Shrimps, an appetizer, marinated grilled scallops and shrimps served with sweet and chili sauce.
River Salad, a unique salad of grated fresh apple with crispy catfish meat on top, served with lemon spicy dressing.
Panang Curry with tofu, a yummy red coconut curry flavored with peanut, Thai lime leaves, and bell pepper with your choice of meat or tofu.
It was all delicious. The service was friendly and efficient. The atmosphere is pleasing.
They have a wide variety of dishes. They have rice, noodles, seafood, appetizers, lunch specials, salads, meat and poultry, char-grill and of course such favorites as Thai ice tea and coffee and Vietnamese coffee. Many of the meat dishes can be prepared with tofu so you vegetarians will find no shortage of choices here.
Many of the dishes may also be seasoned to taste so those who like it hot may have it hot, and those who like it mild and medium may have their way too. I went for medium. The middle-aged stomach isn't what it used to be.
I would definitely eat here again. In my opinion Le Basil deserves and receives a thumbs way up from me.
I welcome your opinion.
Peace.
Frank Landfield, Cabbie Restaurant Reviewer -
Review from t l.
San Francisco, CA
8/28/2009
Very, very good! I was skeptical at first b/c most of the restaurants are closed during the off-season in Palm Springs and yes in 122 degree heat I was here...looking for a place to eat on Yelp.....
reviews ..made me come... and thank you all for that!!!!!
We had:
vegetarian spring roles & money bag appetizers
asparaus with scallops,
vegetarian green curry
pork bun (which is a noodle dish)
I live in SF and honestly can say this rivals some of the best I've had....My only complaint would be that the pork didn't have enough of the fat trimmed off for my liking!
Prices are average. -
Review from L J.
Palm Desert, CA
10/20/2011
Food is awesome! My husband and I usually get take-out instead of eating in. Friendly staff. They can be a little slow sometimes when you dine in. All-in-all, totally worth it...yummy, yummy food.
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Review from Emile I.
Irvine, CA
7/7/2008 1 Check-in Here
I found this place on Yelp and was very pleased with the experience.
Many of the dishes strayed slightly from traditional Thai cuisine, with interestingly pleasing results.
The Thai BBQ Chicken was possibly the moistest I've ever had. (I ate here last Thursday and Saturday and the quality was consistent). It comes with a very mildly spicy sweet and sour sauce that complimented the chicken perfectly (I ordered extra). A bit on the sweeter side.
The Pad Thai was a bit chewy (which I like very much) and had a uniquely tangy flavor and was quite delicious, though not completely the traditional flavor one might expect.
The Thom Yum soup was well seasoned and the shrimp were of good quality.
Other entrees we ordered weren't quite as outstanding but held their own.
We finished with Mango Sticky Rice that was just a bit mashed, leaving it less grainy than the way I've had it at other restaurants.
The staff was very attentive and friendly and kept the restaurant open late for customers who arrived just after closing time. -
Review from Jason H.
Idyllwild, CA
1/16/2011
I walked in to Le Basil at lunch time on a weekday in the fall. I had heard great things about it and so was in the mind to have a very pleasant lunch. When I entered, I stood for awhile and eventually someone motioned for me to take an empty table.
I sat there and waited.
And waited.
Now mind you, this isn't just a matter of a guy going out to lunch in the desert and expecting perhaps a glass of water or an offer of a drink within a reasonable time. I was also there with my three year old daughter, so this review has a certain slant to it. In the ten or so minutes it took for someone to attend to us, my child was borderline ballistic. Of course, I bring the requisite reading material and distractions, but come on, we need a drink and high chair.
When we finally do get attended, we are asked if we are going to eat there, or if we want something to go, which makes me feel awkward about being there with my kid. Are they not kid friendly? I don't think that is the case, because my wife has been there with the same child and found the service quite nice. But still, why would I be seated in your restaurant while you walked past me countless times if I was interested in take-out?
Finally we order. I really want to like this place because the food is very sophisticated and well-prepared. I found the flavors more well-rounded that your run of the mill Thai place. I had a curry lunch special and it was delicious, though I must say that if you removed the large cuts of potato from the stew, it was rather insubstantial. My daughter had lo mein and loved it. She really likes noodles.
Then it was time for the check. Hello!!!! We are done eating!!! By now the restaurant had emptied from the lunch rush. It was pretty dead, and still we sat there. I read my daughter another book. I don't want to be one to pull the child card for no reason, and yes I agree that we parents made a decision and we need to live up to it and take full responsibility for our own children. We should not expect people to cater to us because we have short attention spans. Nevertheless, I worked for a spell in the hospitality industry in my younger years, and I know that if you can avoid making certain groups wait, you do. Lone man with a child who is at the end of her rope, get that man his check and get him out of there. It will do everyone a lot of good.
No.
After the guy grabs my card, he disappears into the back room for too long, as though this is not the digital age. Luckily we have awesome books to read.
What began as a short stop for a snack became an hour and a half ordeal. If I could judge the food alone, I would say it was quite good, but the overall experience left me thinking I will not return. And I will likely not recommend this place. There are an abundance of great restaurants in the desert, so I'll keep sampling... -
Review from Allison K.
San Francisco, CA
12/29/2008
Update: We went back & are now not so hot on this place. Everything is too sweet, even stuff that shouldn't be sweet at all. We thought maybe it was an off-night before, but the chef here is heavy handed. I'm so disappointed; I really hoped it would improve.
Original: Yum! Went for dinner because we were headed to Von's & we walked by Le Basil. Everything was very well prepared & nicely presented, with good portion sizes. We did notice that many things were a little too sweet, not enough to make us push away our dishes, but enough to notice, and we mentioned it to our waitress. Certainly not enough to keep us away - we'll be heading back soon. But maybe ask for less sugar in the curry! The place was nearly empty when we were there, but the wait staff still seemed overwhelmed - they were so sweet that you forgave them, though. Pleasant, casual atmosphere. -
Review from Marty B.
Los Angeles, CA
5/25/2010
nice Thai food
We've come here many times for lunch and came once for dinner. It's always a pleasant eatery where service is prompt and food is delicious. The pad see you with shrimp is good, egg rolls are tasty, and chicken satay great with peanut sauce. Thai beer makes the meal. -
Review from Kelly G.
La Quinta, CA
11/10/2009
Mediocre Southeast Asian fusion cuisine with slow service.
Maybe I'm spoiled, but the food here is bland and flavorless. My husband begged them for spicy food, and they could barely deliver medium. The sauce for the bun is thin and watery.
On the upside, the service is quite friendly, and you will eventually get what you ask for -- as long as it's not spicy food. -
Review from Jennifer N.
Washington, DC
3/14/2010
Somewhere between three and four stars.
We stumbled on Le Basil - we were aiming for Kabobz (funny spelling) but apparently, they close at 8PM on Sundays (doesn't that seem early?). Fortunately, Le Basil was around the corner, and seemed crowded and alive at 8PM. Indeed, the place was packed with regulars-- everyone seemed to know the wait-staff (including one customer who kissed the waitress as she left the restaurant) and the wait-staff seemed to remember everyone (including a group of three tourists who visited Palm Desert last year from Tokyo. The waitress exclaimed "you were here at this time last year! I remember you!"). It was like eating at the Palm Desert strip mall version of Cheers.
The food : we had the scallops and asparagus which had a clean, fresh taste (note: large scallops, small quantity of scallops) which reminded me of that very clean, healthy taste that Vietnamese food has. We also shared the ginger chicken (served with straw mushrooms, scallions, and onions), which had a slightly more complex and spicier taste. The only disappointment of the evening was the tom yum soup which was both too sweet and too spicy for my taste (though I appreciate that it was filled with mushrooms, scallions, and chicken).
Overall, Le Basil is the place to go if you want reasonably priced, fresh tasting Asian food (the ambience isn't all that remarkable -- but it isn't bad either, and considering that it's in a strip mall, it's as good as it gets). -
Review from Tom M.
Palm Springs, CA
2/14/2011
Le Basil offers wonderful Thai & Vietnamese cushiness here in the desert. As a chef who has traveled extensively to Asia I can attest that t is restaurant lives up to it's reputation. One of my favorite items is the chicken Pho. The broth is rich and flavorful, and takes me right back to Vietnam. The Bank Xeo (crepe) is outstanding as well.
The wait staff is friendly and helpful. One thing I lie is that the owners are present every night, it makes customer more at ease with the owners in house instead of being absent. They nave a genuine interest in their customers satisfaction.
I highly recommend you try LeBasil, you will be a fan too! -
Review from Jeffrey V.
Palm Desert, CA
3/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good food, Awesome food art, Bad pricing. Why do restaurants in PD have to be so Expensive?
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Review from Christina K.
Yorba Linda, CA
3/30/2009
This place was highly recommended by my bf's mom- she goes on and on about the BUN.
Service was great, and the atmosphere was nice. I had the bun, which was served with really fresh ingredients.
Will come back again when I re-visit the desert. -
Review from Benjamin L.
Marina del Rey, CA
4/19/2009
It was mediocre at best.
My girlfriend and I split the banana leaves/beef spring roll app. She got an order of bun with pork. I wanted to order the lo mein, but was told they didn't have any. I got the pad thai instead, which came with rice--which is also weird. The app was very good. Very happy with that decision. Bun was weird, and the pad thai didn't really remind me of pad thai. The prices are $3-$4 more than normal vietnamese/thai restaurants for portions that are definitely nothing to write home about.
We walked in right at noon and we were the third of three tables in the restaurant. By the end of the meal, there were 12 tables. There was a female server who should learn how to place glasses/dishes lightly on the table so she doesn't accidentally break anything and a male server who seemed to be a cook as well--halfway through the meal, he came out of the kitchen noticeably sweaty. I could only see one other cook and no other staff in the restaurant.
If I lived here, I wouldn't go back. -
Review from Anna L.
Orange County, CA
9/11/2009
Stuffed chicken---not fresh, was ok, just stuffed
Panang curry---had way better, curry sauce was too thick, doesn't taste much of a curry sauce, and too milky, not what I had ever tasted before.
Will probably come back because there is not many Thai/Viet place here in the desert and try a different dish. -
Review from Lisa D.
Palm Desert, CA
10/14/2010
Really friendly staff! Good food...although I still prefer Thai Smile.
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Review from Karen C.
Napa, CA
11/7/2009
Yummy, yummy Tom Yum - Super Flavorful
Bun with Pork (shoot, now I can't remember what its called) - Very good with a large portion.
Pho - yummy, yummy
My husband (who isn't as adventurous) loved his pad thai.
Cute decor, great service! -
Review from Steph F.
Palm Desert, CA
3/20/2011
We typically go to Thai Smile, but decided to try Le Basil for the 1st time. My husband & I went with our 4 and 6 year old on a Saturday night. Our famly will definitely be back again. The staff was friendly and helpful. We ordered thai iced teas, coconut juice (served in a coconut) chicken satay, tom yum soup pot, panang pork, chicken pad thai, pho and fried bananas with coconut ice cream for dessert for about $80. The food was spicy and delicious and served with flare. The food is spicier than Thai Smile, but I like that and they can make a dish mild by request (which I did for the kids). There were a variety of diners, 3 other patrons with young children, a few couples, a couple large family groups and some single diners. I'm anxious to try their lunch specials with my husband, where I think we can get out of there for under $20.
