Thai Diner
Richmond, VA 23294-4219
Phone: (804) 270-2699
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 11:30am-10pm, Sun 5pm-9pm
Editorial Review for Thai Diner – by Sunita Ray
The Scene
The pink vinyl booths that make the Thai Diner look more like its predecessor, a High's Ice Cream store, are deceiving. The American look is a mask for arguably the best Thai food in town.
The Food
Every dish is cooked to perfection, with the spice level adjusted to fit your preference. My personal favorite: the gang keo wan, a rich, spicy coconut milk broth seasoned with green curry and mixed with mushrooms, peas and your choice of chicken, beef, pork or tofu (a boon for vegetarians, most every dish at the Thai Diner can be made meat-free by substituting tofu for the meat portion of the dish). Another excellent choice is Noodles of the Drunk, spicy flat or thin rice noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts and ground peanuts. A dish to skip unless you have an immense tolerance for the spicy is the yum woon sen--it nearly sent my tastebuds through the roof until I downed five or six glasses of water. The mixed bean thread with tofu, vegetables, lime juice and chili turned into a ball of flame in my usually tolerant stomach--I may have gotten an unusually potent batch, but it took me a few minutes to recover from the first bite.
For dessert, try the mango and sweet rice for an authentic and sweet ending to a spicy meal. For another great way to top off your dinner, try the Thai coffee, a favorite here. If the food isn't enough to satisfy your need for Thai, you can also purchase souvenirs of Thailand, from dolls to key chains, from the restaurant. Thai Diner is located in the Westland Shopping Center in the West End, but for Fan dwellers, the recently opened Thai Diner Too will bring the taste of Thailand even closer to home.
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User Reviews for Thai Diner
03/12/2007 Posted by stry_cat
I'm not a fan of Thai food, however Thai Diner makes it not only editable but down right delicious. This is the only place I will eat Thai food. I usually get either the Thai pepper stake or the fried rice. However every item I've tried is excellent. One warning...There are three levels of hotness -- medium, American Hot, and Thai Hot (there is also a secret extra Thai hot but you have to order in Thai to get that). I can tolerate BW3's blazing wings, but the Thai Hot is well hotter than blazing wings. It is also a sneaky kind of hot. BW3's will whack you immediately. However these dishes at Thai diner, kinda build slowly until it is too late. I'd suggest most people get American hot or medium. Only on the 2nd or third visit should you try the Thai hot. Service is excellent. I didn't think it was possible any more for a restaurant to maintain excellent fast service on a regular basis. However by time you've unfolded your napkin, your food is starting to arrive at the table. Before you've finished your salad, your main course has arrived. This is true morning, noon, or night, weekday or weekend. This place is absolutely awesome. If you're hungry and within driving distance of this place, this is the only place to go!
Pros: Excellent food
Cons: none
01/21/2007 Posted by smarty1
Food is just okay, service is awful, found a fruit fly in my thai ice tea, saw the cook picking his nose as I walked out the door, seating is terrible.
Cons: seating, service
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