a (nob hill) dream come true. i have a real passion for thai food. but while ive found a couple pretty decent thai restaurants in abq (thai tip being the best) there is really nothing close to my home that is worth mentioning (yes, that means you orchid thai). so when i saw that a new thai restaurant was opening a stones throw from my front door i was really......hopeful. we waited until they'd been open a couple weeks so they could work out the kinks and then decided it was time to give them a try.
the restaurant is housed in an old "a frame" wienerschnitzel location but they've done a real nice job making it their own. the interior is quite charming. i dare say, romantic even, with its kind lighting and simple buddhist decor sparsely spread throughout.
service was excellent throughout the meal, with both (who i assume to be) the owner making sure the dishes were up to snuff, and our waiter taking care of everything without a word from us. we were very pleased on that front.
we each tried one of the lunch specials, which are all served with lemongrass soup, rice and tapioca. most of them were $6.95, though my curry was $7.95. in addition to the soup we were also given a couple of small fried spring rolls with adelicioussweet & sour dipping sauce. tasty little morsels!!
our meals appeared shortly thereafter. the first thing i noticed that brought a smile to my face was that my red curry didnt show a hint of oiliness. it was also brimming with nice chunks of white chicken (places like orchid thai and bangkok cafe charge $3 extra for this "privilege") along with the usual bamboo shoots, sliced red pepper and zucchini. i asked for it spicy, and it was, without being lethal. it had a real savory flavor to it and all the veggies were crisp, as they should be.
my wife got the ginger chicken and she didnt speak to me for about 10 minutes. all her attention was devoted to her plate. thats another thing; the portions will certainly leave you wanting for nothing. my wife had to get a to-go box for the rest of hers and i might have too, had i been able to put down my fork for a minute. un/fortunately i was enjoying it all to much and devoured everything they put in front of me. next time i'll relax a little and take my time. the tapioca came at the end and it was a real treat, i'd never had any like it before. a fitting ending to a wonderful meal.
anyhow, thai cuisine ii is certainly a welcome and much needed addition to the neighborhood. i wouldnt be surprised if i dined there at least once a week from here on out. (especially since theyre open till 10 pm!)
a+. if youre not impressed by the "other" guys across the street i recommend you check this place out. you'll be happy you did.
update 1/25
ive been back a few times now and have tried a variety of dishes. the massaman curry and the pad se ew were particularly delicious. my wife also really liked the kao niew moon (mango with sweet sticky rice in coconut milk!) i have not had anything close to a bad meal here. it truly is fantastic!