I have never been to Thailand, but were I to go, I envision a restaurant just like La Basil Thai on La Jolla Boulevard; peaceful, serene, beautifully decorated and irresistible. And that’s before you even look at the menu.
Jenny Trakolsuap has turned a drab diner look (it formerly served as a Chinese restaurant) into a lovely destination which, as you approach it from the sidewalk, has a little stream alongside the ramp leading to the entrance and outdoor tables with umbrellas. Inside there are framed hangings, statues and orchids in vases on every table.
Flatware on the table is uniquely Thai, each piece different yet blending into a whole, made of nickel and bronze, some slightly bent but not detracting from the effect.
Turning to the menus, first there is the cocktail list of variously named “tinis,” mango and basil among them, made with Asian vodka; then the wine list, featuring a sparkling, several whites and a few reds, all well-chosen; and two beers, all of which are excellent accompaniments for Thai cuisine, whether it be mild or spicy.
Next, and most importantly, take time to examine the leather-bound menu featuring a fascinating selection of starters, soups, salads, noodles, curries, entrees and La Basil specialties, including vegetarian, chicken, pork, beef, duck, seafood and fish ” something for everyone.
I began with fresh spring rolls, in this case made with shrimp, lettuce, cucumber and vermicelli noodles, wrapped in rice paper and accompanied with the special house sauce ” a taste delight ” and I followed those with Tom Khar soup, the best of its kind I have ever had. For some reason, the Tom Yum, a spicy combination made with lemon grass, chili and lime juice, is the one most diners are familiar with, but to me, the Khar, done with coconut milk, mushrooms, galanga (a different type of ginger) and lime juice was more appealing. To mine, Jenny added bits of chicken, but in each case, shrimp, seafood and vegetables are available to suit your taste.
One I plan to try another time is the Po Tak seafood spicy, sour soup, available hot-pot size at $14.95. The others can be ordered in a small size, ranging from $3.50 to $4.95.
Before I got down to major decision-making, like should I order salad or skip directly to entrees, a crackling basket of freshly prepared rice chips was brought tableside, so light they almost floated out of the basket. I love those and could make a meal of them alone.
Among the tempting salads were Som Tum, a shredded papaya mixed with chili; the familiar Larb, here prepared with either beef, chicken or pork and spiced with lime, chili and rice powder; or calamari salad, flavored with lemon grass, lime juice and cilantro; more than half a dozen in all.
Listed on the noodle selections was the one most identified with Thai cuisine, Pad Thai, made with fresh rice noodle and adorned with crunchy bean sprouts, scallion and scrambled egg. The sauce was basically peanut and on the sweet side, serving as a fine intermezzo before the arrival of Po Tak seafood curry (listed as a soup selection) and combining mussel, shrimp and calamari, flavored with ginger and lime leaf, spiked with tumeric. Red curry has more of a chili flavor and the green is a combination of cilantro, parsley, galanga and lemon grass ” each of the curries made fresh, daily, using natural ingredients and totally authentic.
The only exception to totally Thai food is spaghetti green curry chicken and spaghetti kee meo, done Thai style but using Italian spaghetti because it most closely resembles real Thai noodles, which are not available here. Kee meo comes with mixed seafood, chili and basil integrated with red and green pepper, and is a total delight. I also asked for a sample of their duck and it was perfectly done, moist and delicious.
There is much, much more but you must experience it for yourself, either at lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., or dinner every day with different starting hours.
Call (858) 456-7889 to experience a special experience, and yes, please do eat the flowers (orchid buds) that adorn the entrees, but not from the vases. You will love this place. La Basil Thai is located at 5525 La Jolla Blvd.