lunch review thaiphoon restaurant
the other day, i was talking to a friend about thai food. he was wanting to try it out, and i said we should have some thai food for lunch on saturday (before watching football). so, a couple of us went out for lunch. we first walked over to million elephant cafe. i knew that they had stopped serving lunch on weekdays, but thought that maybe they might have a weekend lunch. nope. but that's alright. so, we headed down olive towards thaiphoon.
now, i actually had wanted to go to thaiphoon, but figured that i'd check on million elephant because it's a little closer. i am glad that it worked out and we we able to make a first visit to thaiphoon.
we started out with the appetizer sampler plate (2 spring roles, 2 shrimp, 2 cheese crab crab dealies- i can't remember the actual name of the last one) served with a plum sauce. i think it was for $7. all the parts were good, but the crab won ton-ish thing stole the show. fantastic. i could eat those all night at a party. or, i'd definately have just that appetizer on its own.
all the meals came with a complimentary pepper soup. cabbage, chicken, and a little other stuff. delicious but spicy. not spicy hot, or overbearing, but definately had some kick from the pepper. but the taste was good. what made it even better was that we didn't even know we were going to have it. a pleasant surprise.
for entrees, we ordered a curry noodle w/beef, a pad thai w/shrimp, and a fried rice w/beef, broccoli, & snow peas. i think we all ordered medium (none of us wanted to weep right away from ordering some crazy spicy dish.)
-the curry noodle - came with a coconut curry sauce. it was mildly spicy, but did provide a bit of warmth on the tongue. overall, i think this was the best dish of the three. the beef was nice and lean, and worked well with the noodle.
-the pad thai - good, shrimp wasn't overcooked. the person that ordered it thought it was spicy, but the other two of us that it was fine. in fact, i think it could have used a little more kick. but, the combination of flavors was nice.
- the fried rice w/beef, etc. - i think this was the weakest link of the meal. it tasted fine, but it just didn't stand out. it really could have used more heat to it. my buddy that ordered it tried two of the different hot sauces on the table, and felt it was best with the really spicy one. i tasted the dish as well and thought it was good, but it just didn't stand out.
overall, we really enjoyed the food. everything tasted good and we were all happy with what we had ordered. i think we would recommend the spicier rice though. the portion sizes excellent as well. at first, i thought it looked a little small, but as we dished it all out it was actually quite a bit of food. we also had two sodas and a beer. i didn't ask, but it looks like they don't have their full liquor license and just had beer and wine to offer. i also appreciated the decor. very clean looking, with nice etched glass. i'll definately go back, and would love to have dinner there with some friends.
thaiphoon
as far as i know thaiphoon is not a part of a chain. it's my belief that they're an independent, local business.
(i could be completely wrong though.)
Thaiphoon Restaraunt
Is this restaurant part of a chain of restaurant?
We have not tried it yet but are looking forward to doing so. We enjoy Thai food, and have eaten in several Thai restaurants in Fresno some are good some not so good.
my response to your disagreement
"Maybe I'm being harsh, but I grew up on the east-side where we have the ("you better fill me, impress me, and make me want to come back for more all for 5 dollars") attitude. And for some reason, most of the food I've eaten growing up on First and Belmont is way better than most restaurants with high prices or a "cool, trendy" atmosphere."
okay, i can see where you're coming from. i can get a ton of food from taco bell for $5 as well. and, the various pho restaurants @ first & mckinley aren't all that expensive. but, appetizers generally are a bit overpriced, or that is to say, you don't get a ton of food. they are, after all, meant to whet your appetite for the meal. so, you generally aren't going to get a ton of food from an appetizer.
but sometimes, you pay more than $5 for a meal. sometimes, you go out to a nice restaurant. well, at least i do anyway. i'm not suggesting that one must be ripped off or overcharged to have a nice meal or a pleasant experience, but i felt that the prices @ thaiphoon were quite reasonable for a sit down dining experience. and, i felt that food was quite good. i've had both of the appetizers you mentioned, and enjoyed them both. i don't exactly know what makes chicken satay, but the chicken stips and peanut sauce worked for me.
so, to conclude my thoughts for now, i have enjoyed my meals @ thaiphoon, felt that the prices were fair, and the portions for meals more than generous. quality is more important to me than quantity.
I have to disagree
My anticipation of eating at Thaiphoon has been building a while. I first heard of the restaurant through a flyer I received for Creative Fresno's Blender a couple months back. I wasn't able to attend, but rave reviews on Fresno Famous have had my mouth watering. I am a sucker for new restaurants and trying new things, so I was excited to say the least(plus I had a beautiful date ;)...
I just wanted to sample the place and I chose to have appetizers, so I cannot say my review is complete. I also want to add that I will try the place again, because I'm curious to have a full meal.
Walking into Thaiphoon was very nice, the design was great. Red being my favorite color, I was definitely feeling the atmosphere and "in the zone" so to speak. I couldn't hear any music, but I had enough visuals to keep me busy. We stood a bit waiting to be seated, the place was pretty full, but not to capacity. I felt we waited a little while looking for a host/hostess when all of a sudden a girl gets up from a chair and asks us to be seated. She was sitting in front of us the whole time.......a little strange...but, maybe she was talking about something important....right?... . ..We chose to order the Crab Cheese "thingies" everyones been talking about, as well as an order of chicken satay. Like I said I'm just reviewing the appetizers we had.
Well, I can with confidence I did not enjoy the food I was served. We only had 5 "tiny" little won ton crab thingy's for 5.95(close to this), I"m sorry but I just don't feel it was worth that price. They were so tiny, and really I didn't feel they had much flavor. They were OK, and the sauce was nothing to rave about. I was a sweet spice sauce you dip in, but it's texture was pasty and kind of hard to "dip" into. On to the chicken satay. I felt that this chick "satay" was mearly unmarinated chicken breast, the only thing "satay" about it was you could dip them into some kind of peanut butter sauce, and some really bland sweet sauce. This kind of thai food is really not what i'm used to, maybe i needed to try a full plate.
If you want real, much better tasting Thai Food, may I suggest the market on First and Olive, buy the chicken and sticky rice for 2.00! which will get you full and the chicken is marinated in something which is damn good. Also the spring rolls are amazing, they are three for a 1.50 and the "juice" to dip it in is a WAY better version of sweet'n'spicy. Also on the northeast corner of First and Olive, there is a great thai restaurant with coconut curry that will blow you away, and its still cheaper than the appetizers at Thaiphoon!
Maybe I'm being harsh, but I grew up on the east-side where we have the ("you better fill me, impress me, and make me want to come back for more all for 5 dollars") attitude. And for some reason, most of the food I've eaten growing up on First and Belmont is way better than most restaurants with high prices or a "cool, trendy" atmosphere.
But to conclude, I plan to return to thaiphoon and have a complete meal. I'm still somewhat curious, and feel as if I missed out on something. I'm really interested in the Ginger Mojito as well, sounds good. Ok, this ends my first food review......yay!
P.C.
The Best Thai
I love Thai food. I first experienced Thaiphoons at the Creative Fresno Blender (Fridays following Art Hop) and subsequently took some co-workers to lunch there. I was very impressed with the food. The service was a little sub par, but I am okay with that. Everyone has a bad day. If it becomes a pattern I might get concerned. The prices were good and the dishes were hearty.
I live in Tower and frequently walk to dinner. This is a little further (or is it farther?) than Million, but the food is better. I stiil like Million for the patio in the spring and summer and their great bar.
I hope we can continue to get top-notch dining.
Just tried Senses for the first time a week or so ago. Also a great place and great expereince. Come on just say it...I LOVE FRESNO (at least the Tower).
wooof
good news on the pooch being in the pink...
(a fellow blogger over the weekend had a Golden that had an obstruction in the GI tract... never seen so many folks nationwide praying for a dog to take a dump, but she finally did, (and there was much rejoicing..)
here's to cold wet noses...
rock. jazz. dig.
kfsr has it going these days for sure. nothing wakes me up on sunday morny like the bluegrass show, with the chickens clucking and all.
and now that this workday is finally over . . . interrupted with a trip to the all night vet (don't worry, the pup is ok now) . . . i'm beat. maybe tomorrow. yup. definitely thaiphoon tomorrow.
tcm
...fresnans love so much..
...if you have a thing for jazz, tune into KFSR 90.7 (cal state Fresno station,)
from midnight up to 6p the following day Weekdays.
(The rest of the programming is pretty durn good too,)
--But the jazz that they play? usually doesn't get any more progressive and modern than Metheny,
-I've NEVER heard any of the flacid limp smoooove jazz (like, ever,) (even the Al Jareau I heard one time had an edge to it... I didn't know Al Jareau had any edges... ever.)
(The 'contemporaries,' like, Diane Krall, are more old school, but she's more like JoniMitchell going ballads and standards, just isn't as husky in the vocal bottom end...)
-and they dip heavy into the older heavies (like 'trane, ella, bird, and miles... (I almost wonder if the owner had the station on???)
It's good stuff.
devilish delight
Yes, my deviled friend, I too was struck by the music there. What struck me was that they play jazz. Real jazz. Not the fluffy new soft jazz that Fresnans love so much, but the Miles, Rollins, Coletrane jazz that I miss hearing in the Tower. So refreshing.
I have heard some house there, and I do appreciate that the atmosphere changes some with the change of music but still has a great vibe all around.
Think I might have to head down there tonight. Sounds good. If only this bleedin workday would ever end . . .
tcm
Thaiphoon ROCKS
Had a chance to go for dinner recently. First thing I notice when I walk in is the music. House Dance type music, in the background. I'm struck by this feeling of a heartbeat to the place. I love this place already. I ask the waitress about the music, and who picks it. She says, the owner, right over there. Would you like to meet him? Sure I say. We talk for a little while and I get a few tid bits of info some of you may enjoy.
I asked about the music. He says he likes the place to have an upbeat type feel after 10pm or so. He's from L.A. The music won't always be like that and he's going to mix it up. Guess that's just the mood he was in that evening. He mentions that he is going through the process of getting the full blown liquor license. At night what he wants to do is move the tables and make a kind of lounge. Not loud music but still upbeat and fun.
He asked where I heard of his place, I say FresnoFamous.com. I must have dropped FF.com a few times telling him that the reviews of his place were awesome, service and food alike. I say in particular that everyone loved the crab cheese and I tried it. It was great. He asks if I liked the food and I say yes, very delicious. He asks about the service, and the service is great. They really try to make you feel taken care of.
If you want spicey, then order spicey, you won't be disappointed.
Thaiphoon is a great place to eat. You'll like it, try it.
Diablo
veg
yeah, i also can't answer the cooking process question, but you can get tofu in any dish, rather than a meat.
no meat, huh?
From what I recall, each entree has the option of chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables. Whether animal products are used in cooking, I can't say.
tcm
Ital is vital...
Anything for a vegitarian?
-s
my vote for best in fresno
Thaiphoon almost instantly became my wife's and my favorite restaurant. I highly recommend the ginger mojito from the bar.
You must all try the crispy shrimp appetizer. The shrimp are wrapped in egg-roll like pastry. Comes with plum sauce. Mighty good. Something like $5.
The apple salad is also a favorite of ours. But watch out for the spice. I'm not a big painful spice fan. Even at mild, this one gets me burning.
The kicker is the thai banana desert. I'm not sure there is any banana in it. A little beans, some rice, and ice cream. Great stuff!
Wine selection is good. Personally, I like J. Lohr cabernet. I was happy to see it on the menu.
We have been several times now and haven't tired of it. Lots of choices. Everything we've had has been very good. On a splurge, one night we had the appetizer, salad, pad thai, the thai banana, and a bottle of wine. Came to something like $65. Unbelievably cheap for such great eats.
Get there now!!
the common man
win win for Tower
Thaiphoon is a great addition to the Tower. I seem to end up there twice a week. My favorite dish is the curry chicken masuman (spelling)...it makes me hungry thinking about it. Second would be the beef Von Sen noodle dish...its unique, a must try.
I'm working around to the other dishes...but those two are my two staple dishes.
And as for appatisers...I pass on the crab/cheese thingy...partially because I'm lactos...but the calamari and stuffed wings is combination hard to beat.
thanks
for restoring the comments.
lousy comment thiefs
ah, i had eleven comments on this post. and, i think they were very helpful for anyone who wanted to know about thaiphoon. alas, they are gone now.
so, i shall leave a little haiku about thaiphoon, and hope that it stays.
the food there is good
eight fifty for most dishes
crab cheese delicious
thaiphoon take 2
so, i went to thaiphoon last night for dinner with some friends. same great food, same great service. pretty much all the dishes are $8.50 for chicken, beef, pork or tofu. i think it was $1 more for seafood stuffs.
and, this time i just ordered the cheese crab puffs as their own appetizer. yum. we also had the satay appetizer. also good.
i didn't have any wine, but my friend, who knows a bit about wine, siad they had a nice selection.
(yes, i do think they're good enough to eat @ twice in the same week. although, generally, i don't go out to dinner that frequently.)
Thaiphoon
I love this place!!! The food is great I love the Larb salad and the curry noodles. The fresh rolls are so good and healthy. This place is open really late on the weekends (2am) and pretty late on weekdays (11pm i think). I was there with two girlfriends and we ordered the pomegranite martini's and they were delicious. It was a fun atmosphere and very chic for Fresno. I can't wait to go back.
your welcome
i'm glad to help spread the word about good (or potentially bad) eats. and, being a tower propagandaist (self proclaimed) i love to lift up the district. but, i'm not just blowing smoke, their food was good, i appreciated the service, and the prices were appropriate.
Thanks
for the writeup. I have driven by countless times and have been wanting to try it out. In fact I was going to post and see if anyone had tried it yet. Thanks ed
Diablo
prices
it seemed like most of the meals were under $10, if i remember correctly. i know that each of the three dishes we ordered were all about $6-$8 (how's that for specific?).
i don't know their hours, but we went there on a saturday @ noon, so i figure that they have general lunch and dinner hours.
cool
thanks chief
609 E. Olive Ave
It is located at 609 E. Olive Ave, just west a block or two from the Tower Theater. They have been open just a few months, but, I don't know what their hours are.
more thai... good.
okay, got this hillbilly interested.
For those not completely in the know, while in the 'no, (like how I did that?)
Where is Thaiphoon? (like, crossstreet,)
-and does anybody know when they're open or closed (in a general sense.)
-and (boy oh boy, aren't I spoiled,)
---the general spread of the meals, (price-wise.)
I could see pedalling down from First and Shaw for some serious snarfing after those write-ups...
new year's eve
We went to Taiphoon new year's eve - just had the appetizer sampler and another - you're right, the crab thingy on the sampler was the standout. We weren't aware of the lack of liquor license when we decided to go - the sake martinis, friendly staff and excellent music more than made up for it. We said we'd make sure to go back for lunch or dinner, but haven't yet . . .
new year's eve
We went to Taiphoon new year's eve - just had the appetizer sampler and another - you're right, the crab thingy on the sampler was the standout. We weren't aware of the lack of liquor license when we decided to go - the sake martinis, friendly staff and excellent music more than made up for it. We said we'd make sure to go back for lunch or dinner, but haven't yet . . .
Cretative Fresno' Blender
Creative Fresno had their Blender at Thaiphoon last week. The bartender said they were in the process of getting their liquor license. They had as of last week beer, wine and sake martinis of different types. I had some tasty appetizers and I know some people stayed for dinner. Hopefully some of those people could post their comments on how dinner was. The staff I dealt with were very friendly.
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