Thai Sweet Basil. Sounds inviting. It’s my last stop for Asian cuisines. It says so in the restaurant name. It’s the everywhere-you-look-there’s-probably-one-in-a-five-mile-radius restaurant. It’s pretty hard to find a really good one since they seem to be dotted all over the place. True, it may not be as much as Japanese and Chinese, but still all over Tampa, I would say. Looking for an awesome Thai restaurant is like a treasure hunt. I love Thai food. And I love treasure hunts, nothing wrong with that. Sweet.
Now, I’ve never heard of this Thai Sweet Basil until I came across it on UrbanSpoon. Oh, the wonders of the internet. How can we live without it, right? It wasn’t such an advertised restaurant. My best friend even said that it was a horrible spot to be in. I definitely agree. It was at a dead end in a small plaza. Like as if people would actually go to the very end to see what’s there. Honestly, I would just make a U-turn even before I hit that part. But I’m happy I already researched. I was going to this place no matter what.
Walking in the tiny restaurant was a whole different thing. We were welcomed very warmly. At first glance, I actually thought that I was underdressed or something. It looked so fancy, a simple yet classy kind of fancy. They had a few booths and a few tables. They also had some neat artwork hung up. The tables were even set up, and the napkins were folded really nicely. I thought we were going to have to pay a fortune for our food.
The menu didn’t live up to the whole fancy schmancy interior though. It was just like laminated pieces of paper. But whatever, it didn’t mind, as long as the food we’ll be getting is good. We didn’t have much to choose from too. They didn’t have that much variety. Just the usual, I observed, noodles, curry, and the like. It was really helpful that they put snippets of information about the dishes though.
Our server was really friendly and patient about explaining to us what the dishes were, and what dishes were spicy or whatnot. Thai food uses a lot of herbs and spices, and I guess Asians love their spicy food. I know I do. This time, we didn’t order any appetizers because we already knew what we wanted since there were only like ten things on the menu. Kidding. There were more than that. But, lo and behold, we order Pad Thai as one. I think that a Thai restaurant could prove itself in one ways more than one if their Pad Thai is good. C’mon, you seriously can’t say that you have eaten at this one Thai place if you haven’t tried that one certain dish at said restaurant. We had a choice of chicken, beef, pork, shrimp and even tofu or vegetables, for the ones who look out for their figure and can’t take eating meat. We chose chicken. I would say it wasn’t that much of an adventurous move.
It came to our table and it just smelled heavenly. Instead of an orgasm in my mouth, it somehow transferred to my nose. The smell made my mouth water. I couldn’t wait to dig in. The rice noodles, first off, were perfect. They were the right kind of gummy. It came with an egg, scallion, bean sprouts, and ground peanuts in tamarind sauce. The chicken came perfectly cooked too. It was obviously pre-cooked since the food came out in like two minutes, but it didn’t matter because it was extremely good nonetheless. The scallions added a little crisp to the dish and I loved how the fish sauce was not too overpowering. I could say it was one of the best Pad Thais I’ve ever had.
Our next dish was called Massamun Curry. It was your choice of meat simmered in curry paste with peanut, potatoes, coconut milk, onions, and topped with a deep-fried shallot. My best friend was the one who actually picked it. Since we both like spicy food, he asked the server to make it hotter. Also, since he’s a brat, he ordered both beef and pork. What’s good about this restaurant is you can easily add a different kind of meat for a couple of dollars, you can also tell them how spicy you want the dish. It’s very versatile and they can adjust the dishes to your liking. The creaminess was amazing. It was exceptional. My best friend loved it, but I kind of thought it was too sweet. I’ve been accustomed to really spicy and peanut-y curries, but it was still pretty good. The potatoes were cooked great although I didn’t really see the point of the shallot.
The last we got was called Pad Pring Khing. On creativeloafing.com, Brian Ries wrote a review, which states:
“That same heat is left wild and free in pad prik khing ($9.95). Every tender green bean and slice of mild chicken is permeated by brown sauce tinged with brick-red highlights. Each bite stokes the fire in my mouth higher and higher, but it's so good I can't help myself. Such delicious torture.”
First off, I deviated from the chicken and actually got the beef. The beef was very interesting and it wasn’t really something that I expected. It was tender, but the taste was something I haven’t encountered before. It had a lime-y taste to it. It was very different, but I could say that it was extremely refreshing. All the tartness was mixed with spiciness. The green beans were crispy, surely not overdone. Again, I love the heat in my mouth, so when Ries described it as delicious torture, I knew exactly what he meant.
All in all, this restaurant exceeded my expectations. I didn’t really imagine it to be that good just because it was at a place when no one can even see it. Not only that, I’ve never even heard of it before. But, all is well and good. From the ambiance, to the decorations, to the service, and the food... Thai Sweet Basil is definitely a restaurant one can visit not just one, but multiple times. Affordable food mixed with everything great. What more can you ask for?
Unfortunately, this amazingly fun project has run its course. Due to the lack of time, and our hectic lives, my best friend and I are finding it hard to find time to go out together to eat. I’m sure it won’t be the last of our adventures, but we might not be able to go to another Thai restaurant. Hopefully, we get to find time in the next few days though.
However, for now, my best friend and I are already more than satisfied with our find. The first thing my best friend said after our meal was, “I think I just found another favorite place!” I won’t argue with him at all. My experience at Thai Sweet Basil was awesome. Not only were we full, we can barely even walk, but also successful in finding the treasure in our hunt. Sweet!
Thai Sweet Basil
3875 Northdale Blvd., Tampa, FL 33624
Phone 813-961-8898
Extra Thoughts on Ms. DJ’s WWFF:
It’s a good idea to take notes, but not at the table, because you won’t want the restaurant staff to discover you. A notepad small enough to fit in your purse or pocket is a great place to assemble your impressions, preferably in a restroom stall. Or record your thoughts in a tape recorder after leaving the restaurant., perhaps in your car. Steal the menu if you can fold it up in your pocket or purse. If it’s only paper, don’t feel guilty. Later it will come in handy when you can’t remember the name or ingredients of the dish or when you want to evaluate the types of food presented.
DJ is right that you have to have a way to remember your experience in a restaurant, but she seems on more dubious ground when she claims that one should steal a menu if possible to see the variety of food and all that. This steal-the-menu idea is just crazy. First off, even if the readers of this book are most probably adults, it still shows the fact that stealing is okay, even though everyone should know that it’s not. In addition to this, I don’t know what restaurants you’ll be reviewing if their menus would be easily folded by paper. Usually, restaurants that deserve reviews have book-ish menus or at least laminated ones that you won’t be able to fit in your purse unless one has a bag for traveling or something. I totally agree with her about having a way to remember what you experienced as a whole in the restaurant. I have my own way, which I developed throughout the course of this. I actually take pictures when the server is away. Also, I pretend that my best friend and I are also taking pictures of us to make it less obvious. I take pictures of the menu too. By doing this, not only am I reminded of the taste of the dishes, I’m also sure I won’t forget the name and the ingredients.
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