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When it
comes to Asian cuisine, most people tend to think of giant buffets
filled with bland vegetable and meat dishes and generic sushi rolls.
Truth is Asian food is much more diverse than egg rolls and won ton
soup. Each region has its own style and flare that is often overlooked
by most consumers when considering dining options. Thailand’s cuisine,
for example, is as different from Chinese and Japanese cuisine as an
apple to an orange. Much like cuisines of neighboring regions, the
authenticity and flavors of Thai cuisine have been diluted in American
restaurants due to gross generalization. Though sharing a common region,
and similar influences as countries such as China, Thailand’s food is
heavily influenced by several other cultures, like those of India, Laos,
and Cambodia. Knowing the differences and uniqueness of the cuisine,
Marcus Tremblar, owner and operator of Saeng Thai House on Memorial
Drive, is striving to spread the joys and uniqueness of Thai food.
Pulling into the parking lot of the Carolina East Centre, the dying
shopping strip that houses Saeng Thai House, the restaurant doesn’t
appear appealing. Upon entering the building I was greeted by some soft
oriental music and a pleasant hostess that doubles as the creative
garnish creator. The décor is not indicative of a well planned dining
area, but instead a jumble of random tacky Asian trinkets, wall
hangings, and Christmas lights for ambience. Not being very impressed so
far, my dining partner and I ordered an appetizer called Golden Puffs.
The Golden Puffs are triangular pastries filled with potato and onion
baked to a fluffy crisp served with a cool tangy cucumber sauce. These
wonderful triangles of awesomeness more than made up for the décor
issues. Next, I was offered a sampling of a popular salad dish, Plar
Koong, a delightful Thai style salad featuring black tiger shrimp,
scallions, lemon grass, and red onions topped with a delicious spicy
lime dressing. Next the soup that would precede my entrée arrived. To my
dismay, this soup showed a bit of inconsistency and laziness from the
kitchen as it was an utterly flavorless compilation of cabbage, onions,
and water. Fortunately for me, my dining partner bailed me out by
sharing his Tom Yum soup. Tom Yum soup is a dish that has quickly worked
its way into my heart, and if prepared wrong, is an absolute tragedy
that should be punishable by jail time. Saeng Thai’s Tom Yum did not
disappoint and quickly silenced any harsh reaction regarding the
complimentary water cabbage concoction called soup. My entrée, the
Drunken Noodle platter, arrived soon after the soup course and was
exactly what I had hoped. This noodle dish is made up of wide, thin rice
noodles tossed with fresh mixed vegetables, basil leaves, and chili
sauce with your choice of meat and spice preference. Of course, I
ordered the spiciest that they dared to serve and beef as my meat.
Though I didn’t find the dish as spicy as I hoped, I happily slurped
away at it, savoring the vegetables that were coated in chili sauce and
fresh Thai peppers. After finishing my noodles, I was offered a tasting
of homemade coconut ice cream. Usually, I don’t much for anything with
coconut, but the ice cream was exceptionally good and complimented my
meal quite nicely.
Though Saeng Thai house has some obvious location drawbacks, décor
issues, and possibly some consistency problems from the kitchen, the
overall experience was a good one. The meals are reasonably priced and
prepared with care and pride. Saeng Thai House is located at 3400 S
Memorial Drive and open Tuesday through Friday 11am-3pm for lunch,
4:30pm-9:30pm for dinner and 11:30am-9:30am on Saturday & Sunday.
Price Range: $4.95-$14.95
Location: D |Atmosphere: C |Service: B
|Food Quality: B+
Overall Grade: B
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