BAY LEAVES

She says:

I don’t think the future is bright for Bay Leaves. We visited on a Thursday evening with a Creative Loafing coupon in hand and ended up being the only ones there during our entire meal. This doesn’t bode well for the Little Five eatery, which only opened in May. I can’t say that I will feel any great loss if the restaurant ends up closing, but there may be some disappointed vegetarians out there, if only because their options are few and far between in this meat-loving town.

Bay Leaves’ menu focuses largely on vegetarian items and meat that comes from local, organic animals. (There’s also quite a few fish choices, but I forgot to see if they were sustainable options.) As for the cuisine itself… I’m not sure what’s going on. The menu is supposedly “international fusion” but seems to be primarily a mélange of Thai and American – an odd combination, particularly in a city so laden with good Thai food. Downtown Boy and I agree that a chef should pick one cuisine and do it well, rather than try to please the masses with multiple cuisines.

Our meal started off well, with the Bay Leaves’ Volcano appetizer, which consisted of pita bread topped with sautéed mushrooms, basil, spinach, tomatoes, and fake meat. A drizzle of creamy, chipotle dressing brought it all together. It’s not rocket-science but it tasted good.

He says:
The fish sandwich I ordered was one of the sadder things I’ve seen in Atlanta. The grilled tilapia was passable, but what happened to the “pesto dressing” the menu mentioned? My sandwich only came with lettuce and tomatoes. And where was the “fresh ciabatta bread”? The tiny fillet of tilapia came between 2 slices of supermarket brown bread – and not the nice Pepperidge Farm 7-Grain bread, but the cheap, Home Pride 99-cent stuff.

Seriously, if I want to eat a sandwich like this I’d rather stay home and throw a can of sardines on Wonder Bread. The dish’s saving grace was the sweet potato fries, which were nice and crunchy.

She says:
On our very sweet waitress’s recommendation, I got the ginger chicken. I was eager to back Bay Leaves’ support of all-natural, wholesome, happy chickens, but the chunks of chicken didn’t taste very happy. In fact, they were a little dry. The chicken had been sautéed in soy sauce with bell peppers and LOTS of shredded ginger. The ginger was everywhere and could have used a lot more dicing. Overall, the dish was overwhelmingly gingery and easily something I could make at home.

He says:
For dessert we tried the fried ice cream, two large scoops of vanilla with a thick, doughy crust. The fried exterior was far thicker than I’ve seen in other restaurants, but I didn’t mind since deep-fried anything tends to be A-OK in my book.

She says:
I thought it was terrible. The fried dough on the outside was too thick and tasted slightly of rancid oil.

We say:
While we support Bay Leaves’ use of natural ingredients, we definitely do not support their mediocre cooking.





Bay Leaves
1138 Euclid Avenue, Atlanta GA 30307
http://www.rewardsnetwork.com/details.htm?merchantId=91891

TAMARIND SEED

He says:
Tamarind Seed (formerly known as Tamarind) has been making waves in Atlanta ever since it re-opened in Colony Square earlier this year. Creative Loafing called it a “transcendent food experience.” The editors at Citysearch have named it the best Thai in town. So have several of our friends. And you know what? They’re right. After just one visit, Uptown Girl and I are in full agreement that Tamarind Seed sets the standard for Thai cuisine in Atlanta.

Tamarind Seed eschews the hokey bamboo cottage chic of other Thai eateries and instead embraces the sleek glossiness of its Midtown neighbors. Subtle arrangements of flowers and spice jars are recessed into the otherwise spartan walls. A humongous flat screen TV hovers over the bar and plays ESPN highlights. Let’s just say the décor is more Crescent Street than Patpong Road.

She says:
We started out with spring rolls for appetizers. The old standard didn’t disappoint. The rolls were crispy and not too oily, and the dipping sauce drizzled over the plate added a welcome tanginess to the veggie-filled rolls.

I ordered the Siam Chicken as my entrée mostly because it comes in a hollowed-out pineapple shell, but I was pleasantly surprised by the deliciousness of the dish. The pieces of chicken were slightly breaded and crispy on the outside, but tender and meaty inside. It came together very well with the sweet and spicy sauce, which was embellished with cashews, mushrooms, and pineapple chunks.

He says:
Likewise, the grouper in green curry was a wonderful dish. The fish had been seared just long enough to give the edges a pleasant crunch and yet short enough to maintain the interior’s incredible tenderness. The green curry had greater complexity than what you’d find at Surin or MaLi; the coconut and curry accents had a greater clarity and lighter touch than the sauces at those establishments. Tamarind Seed’s dedication to fresh, high-quality ingredients truly comes through in a dish like this.

The Pad Kee Mao was another well-executed dish, with the noodles tender and springy for the perfect mouth-feel. In my experience, if a Thai restaurant can deliver a simple noodle dish like Pad Thai or Pad Kee Mao with excellent results, it will deliver on pretty much everything else as well.

She says:
Out of the desserts we ordered, the fried bananas stole the show. The banana chunks were deep-fried in spring roll wrappers and served piping hot with a heaping scoop of sweet coconut ice cream on the side. Delish.

He says:
I agree, the fried bananas were dynamite. The other two desserts we ordered, the chocolate mousse cake and mango cheesecake, were serviceable but struck me as odd since they’re not really Thai desserts. I hope that Tamarind Seed will round out its menu in the future by adding a few more traditional desserts like shaved ice or sticky rice in coconut milk. After all, an authentic meal deserves an authentic finish.

We say:
Until further notice, Tamarind Seed is Atlanta’s Thai restaurant to beat.



Tamarind Seed
1175 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA 30361
(404) 873-4888

SURIN OF THAILAND

He says:
If the menu at Surin reminds you of the menu at Harry & Sons, don’t worry … you’re not crazy. The same group owns both restaurants, and even though they are literally 50 feet apart from each other on Highland Ave., every single item on Surin’s menu can be found verbatim at Harry & Sons. Now that’s crazy.

Fortunately for the fans of this oddball duo (and they are legion), both restaurants consistently deliver quick service, fine curries, and a pleasant dining. From my experience, Surin gets the nod for better service. Within five minutes of ordering, the fried egg rolls hit our table. Unfortunately they were bland and generic, with an equally tepid dipping sauce. But this starter was quickly followed by the main entrees, which are stronger in comparison.

The basil duck in red sauce, which I have sampled both here and at Harry & Sons, is a consistently excellent dish. The duck meat, with skin still attached, is fatty, indulgent, and incredibly tender. Swimming in red coconut curry, it is one of the richest Thai dishes you’ll find east of the Mississippi. Hell, it’s probably richer than anything you’ll find west of it too. But I simply adore fatty foods, so that’s A-OK with me.

She says:
The flavors of the basil duck did come together well, although I don’t associate Thai food with fatty meats, and so didn’t love the dish. The Massaman curry, which we ordered with tofu, was very good though. It balanced the flavor of peanuts and coconut milk, and was not overly sweet. I cannot say the same about the Thai iced tea I ordered, however; like Harry & Sons’ version, it’s way too sweet.

The spicy noodles were also well prepared. The noodles themselves were cooked to just the right tenderness, firm and chewy, and had the delicious seared taste that only comes with the very high temperatures of a professional kitchen. And the spice added just the right amount of kick.

We say:
Harry of Thailand, oops, I mean Surin of Thailand, doesn’t compete with the best Thai in America, but it’s one of the better options in Atlanta.



Surin of Thailand
810 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.surinofthailand.com/

HARRY & SONS

She says:
Our latest eating adventure was at the well-known Harry & Sons, one of the several Thai restaurants situated amid the bustle of Virginia Highlands. Unlike the vast majority of "ethnic" restaurants, Harry & Sons is not cheesy, divey, or trendy. It's just sort of... normal. Besides the fact that it has a great location and consistently decent food, I'm not sure why people speak so highly of it. But maybe that's all you really need, because the place is always packed.

It does have an outdoor patio (always an asset in Atlanta), which is where Downtown Boy and I sat to discuss the menu and sip our over-sweetened Thai iced teas. A few specialty entrees definitely stood out.

He says:
Harry & Sons shines when it comes to poultry. Their roasted duck is among the finest in this city. The crispy skin has just the right amount of crunch, and it blends beautifully with the supple cuts of meat, which have been marinated in red curry, Kiffir leaf, and tomato. That same red curry makes a welcome appearance in the chicken Panang, where it is accompanied by bell peppers, basil, and a healthy dose of coconut milk to create a base simultaneously spicy and creamy. Here, again, the chicken breast is flawlessly prepared.

She says:
We also tried the "Three Flavor Fish." The red snapper is decent; some parts were pleasantly crispy on the exterior, although not consistently so. The three-flavor sauce is a nice combo of tangy, sweet, and spicy, with chopped bell pepper and green chili scattered throughout. However, the spicy basil stir fry we ordered is barely worth mentioning, save for the tofu which was neither too airy nor spongy. I asked for the spiciness to be toned down from 3 stars ("Thai hot") to 2 stars ("hot"), which was a mistake, as the dish just turned out bland.

We say:
Harry & Sons is an unconventional name for an Asian restaurant, but its consistent (if underwhelming) cuisine makes it a solid choice if you're in the mood for Thai.



Harry & Sons
820 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.harryandsonsrestaurant.com/

MA LI

She says:
Our party of three showed up without reservations at MaLi, a cozy Thai restaurant/sushi bar in the Highlands. It was 8pm on a Saturday, and although the place was packed the hostess managed to seat us right away. Such service! A round of sweet Thai iced-teas took the edge off our hunger as we pondered the authenticity of ethnic food in the U.S. (Our fellow foodie friend had recently visited Bangkok and claimed that American Thai is just like the real thing; this quelled my doubts about MaLi's odd absence of Asian customers.)

The Moo Shu appetizer that started things off was incredibly tasty--fresh steamed rice rolls stuffed with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables and complimented by a tangy "homemade" sauce. The chicken satay starter featured perfectly cooked strips of chicken, tender on the inside and practically sizzling from the grill. However, the three of us had differing opinions on the two chicken curry entrees. I found the Masaman chicken too sweet for my taste, although I loved the chunks of ripe avocado that were mixed into the dish. My preference was for the subtle spiciness of the Panang chicken (a red coconut-based curry with basil).

He says:
The chicken in both of the curries was disappointing in my opinion. It appears the kitchen sears their chicken breasts ahead of time and only adds it to the curry as a last step. This is problematic. Unlike the fresh-cooked chicken satay, which was outrageously tender, nearly all the curry chicken pieces were dry and overcooked. Additionally the thickness of the meat did not allow it to soak up any juices when finally added to the curry base. Such is the price of expediency. I found the Panang curry itself quite good, with greater intensity and complexity than the Masaman.

She says:
What we all agreed upon was that the Pad Kee Mao (rice noodles stir-fried with chicken, vegetables, and hot pepper) was totally delish--think comfort food with a kick. And the entrees were plentiful ... even with Downtown Boy around we still had lots of leftovers.

We say:
MaLi is a restaurant that seems to concentrate on its food first and foremost (a great quality in a restaurant!), but doesn't lack in ambiance or service. Although we've had better Thai elsewhere, it's a great date spot with reasonable prices, and we look forward to spending a future spring evening on MaLi's patio, sipping Thai iced-tea and chowing down on Pad Kee Mao.




MA LI
961 Amsterdam Ave, Atlanta, GA 30306
http://www.geocities.com/themali2001/