JP G.'s Profile

Casey B. below could not have put it better...

My wife and I have been here twice now, and we are counting the days until our next visit.

The fish couldn't be more fresh. The service couldn't be more impeccable. The atmosphere couldn't be cleaner.

Our first visit we decided to sit at the bar for a quick bite to eat. The bartender was welcoming and helpful. He explained to us how and where they get their fish. We ordered a little bit of sushi, sat back with some sake, and watched the anime on the TVs above.

Our second visit was most recently. We decided to sit outside since the night was gorgeous. We ordered some "crunchy" appetizer which was a-mazing, followed by a few rolls for dinner. The presentation was on point, and I even got a little toy dragon on one of them.

This place has much more than just sushi, but my wife and I can't seem to venture away just yet. Their fish is delish.

The service here was on point. We were promptly seated, and the servers gave us plenty of attention throughout our meal.

However, La Thai, along with many many places I've visited, falls prey to a mega rookie mistake in my book: Poor Poor Lighting and atmosphere. Why is there a need for many spotlights, overhead lights, fans, track lighting, etc..? I feel as if many restaurants think "The more lights the better."

La Thai is almost there. It can be so much better. When you first walk in, you notice how large the place really is. There is a large seating area, and a decent sized bar. Of course, there are two large flat screen TV's playing some random sports channel. For what reason in a Thai restaurant? I have no idea. There is a glimmer of hope when you walk in the place near the front door. There are red light bulbs in the fans that could seemingly create a pretty cool atmosphere. They are quickly drowned out by a sea of bright lighting. Not to mention the clear shot of the Coca-Cola fridge in the kitchen that you get through a diner-type window in the middle of the room that floods the place with light. Everyone gets that view as you're walking through the dining room. I wonder "Why, oh why, would a restaurant do this?" Why spend the money on unnecessary TV's when you can create a nice glowing backsplash to the bar and create some atmosphere? Or, instead of plain-as-ever colored walls, paint them an appropriate warm color.

This place just reminded me of the inherent risks that restaurant owners try to avoid at any cost. They want to appeal to everyone, so their interior appeals to everyone. There is too much light for those who can't see well, there are sports TVs for those who need to watch TV every waking moment, there are Saints Jerseys hanging for the Saints fans, there is really amateur art on the walls for those who dig that sort of thing, etc..etc..etc..

I ordered a staple, Paht Thai with tofu. It was A-ok. I was pleasantly pleased with the wait-staff. Dressed in all black, sharp, and on point.

Other than that...I was just wondering, "Why did they do that? This place can be so much better!"

The large cheese board + a bottle of wine = 3 hours of one hell of a nice time.

Their selection is impeccable. Their simplicity is perfection.

Their knowledge is amazing. The experience is a must.

Counting the minutes until our next time we people watch as we nibble and nibble on delicious cheese. It was quite inexpensive too. I think we got out of their with a $40 bill and fully satisfied.

My wife and I stopped here for brunch on Valentine's day. I remembered that I had very nice experiences at this place years ago, before the Hurricane. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I was setting the bar just a little bit higher than before. But the following didn't add up to a pleasureable experience for me.

Since, it was Valentine's Day, I called ahead to make sure we had a table reservation. When we entered the place, it was not busy at all, and I felt a little foolish for having a reservation. There were cozy booths available, many tables free, and not much going on, really at all. I'm still trying to figure out why they seated us at the closest table to the waiter's station in the far corner of the room. I had a lovely view of the register, waitering items, and cleaning supplies.

Not the end of the world... We subsequently ordered drinks. I ordered a bloody mary, and Natasha ordered Champagne. What felt like a century, but  after 15 minutes later, our drinks arrived. They were left at our table swiftly, and the server disappeared once again. We then were ready to order our meal. Another 15 minutes had passed before we saw our server again, so we can order. I ordered the Crab & Shrimp Au Gratin, and Natasha ordered the Blackened Catfish.

This review is in no reflection of the food quality, but that of the service we experiened. Our food was decent enough, not spectacular. Our drinks weren't bad. I've had better bloody mary's, and how can you mess up Champagne, right? What I had nagging me in the back of my head afterwards was the sub-par service we received.

Once our food arrived, close to 30 minutes after we ordered, we were ready to dig in. We enjoyed our meal together, at times wishing we had more water to drink. Not until we were done eating, did we get a refill on our drinks, or a inquiry if we wanted another cocktail. We decided on dessert and to stay a little while.

The only saving grace for me was the dessert I had, the Peanut Butter Pie. It was one of the best pies I've had. Natasha had the creme brulee. Her's was pretty damn good too.

I feel a little silly for writing this review, because I'm starting to feel more and more too harsh on the place that I have enjoyed in the past. What really topped it off was the slick move the waiter tried with the bill. He charged me top shelf vodka, when I requested no such thing. Nor, when I ordered the bloody, was i informed I was getting Belvedere, and if it was ok. Not a big deal, but just another simple annoyance.

To wrap this review up, I'll end with a few inconsistencies on the place. The website claims it is "upscale casual," and helps us out by saying "jackets are not required." Let's go with just casual, and they were lucky some people didn't have sweat pants on in the place. The website also claims "chic interior." Not really.

I will probably go back to this place, hoping to get better service. I expected to experience what I had in the past, and unfortunately, it was far short. Perhaps it was the server? It couldn't have been because they were busy, because they were not at all. But, it was a swing-and-a-miss for me, sorry guys.

This is a pretty chill place.

I was there last night, on a Tuesday night, and PBR's were $3 bucks all night. It was acoustic night also, so some bands played upstairs. I hear the downstairs and upstairs to the place are great!

I dig the fireplace...and their music wasn't too shabby.

I went here with Natasha and two other Friends, Sarah and Murph. Although the wait was a little less desirable-about 1 hour-in relation to the "about 30 minutes" we were told originally, we had a great time.

$15 dollars for an all you can drink brunch, including the entree. Not bad at all. I had the burger and about a gallon of bloody mary's, which were impeccable at that.

The waitresses were very friendly and warming, so I have to give them a little love, since the place was super busy and crowded.

A perfect place to drink your face off and have a "moighty great toime, mate!!"....hahaha...

Let's see...my fiance's cell phone got stolen here.

Do I continue with a review? Nope.

Brand spankin' new to the Upper West Side...less than two weeks at the location.

We ate there last night, and we had the Soy Bacon Cheeseburger. I'm usually skeptical when it comes to this type of attempt, but it was delisciously done. We had the crustini hummus breads for appetizers, and it was effortlessly yummy.

On our way out, we grabbed like a bagillion takeout menus...

Very cool place that deserves the attention. I'm glad the upper west has it now...

We ate here recently for Natasha's birthday dinner. I found the food AMAZING, but oddly enough, we were the only one's there.

Dinner was at 8:30pm on a Monday, and the place was empty. I didn't quite understand.

Given it's location, in the conservative Upper West Side, that may have something to do with it's popularity. Hell if I know...

But don't worry. The music is chill. The food is excellently prepared and very tasty, and the waitstaff, since we had them all to ourselves, was very punctual and friendly.

Decor: Rating 10 out of 10. This place is great.