We love Thai food and so the premier Thai restaurant in Bandra is a place we visit occasionally.
Thai Ban is a quaintly decorated eatery located in the restaurant rich neighbourhood of Pali Naka. The smells in the restaurant conjure up images of a sumptuous treat to come, and it is not too far off the fact.
The appetizers and soups section is pretty decent and we recommend the Steamed Veg thai spring rolls and the Fried corn cakes. They have also recently introduced a Tofu & Bell pepper satay which is not bad, though not 100% authentic. The Tom Yum (fiery clear thai soup) and Tom Kha (coconut milk soup) are decent without being spectacular.
For those in mood for something different, try the Spicy young papaya salad.
The main course at Thai Ban is very good in depth and authenticity. One of the few restaurants with a good vegetarian Masaman curry, you also get a good spicy green curry. We would recommend the Tao Hood Thod, which has fried tofu in a spicy and sour sauce. Its got a tangy flavour and the tofu is just perfectly succulent. Another favourite is the Pahd Kraw Prik Je (Veggies in chilly garlic basil sauce). Fresh thai basil makes this vegetable really flavourful. They have now introduced a “make your own main course” section and we would suggest trying the Kapprao sauce (which uses Thai bird chillies).
The rices and noodles are decent, and we would recommend the Thai fried rice. Have the non-spicy option. Thai food has many subtle spices and we recommend resisting the urge to just fire up the spice on all dishes. Your digestive system would probably thank you too! The traditional favourite – Pahd Thai noodles- is only ordinary and not the best in Bombay.
Thai Ban has very few tables and is always full for lunch. So, get here early or book in advance.
Tip: This is the best eatery in the area for a working lunch. Good ambience & food and it cannot get too crowded!
The one major negative with Thai Ban is the pricing. The food is very expensive, especially for an eatery of this category. Adding to this, the portions are woefully small. They recently upped their prices and so you can expect major damages on the bill.
Tip #2: Order home delivery from here. They don’t keep the 30 min standard delivery timeline, but they do give a 10% discount on home delivery.
My recco: Go for lunch and try multiple courses – appetizers + main course + rice/noodles.
Check out the Hound Report Card for the final analysis:
October 20, 2008 at 10:43 am
This is the WORST restaurant in terms of service. We came in early at 7.30 pm , by 8.30 when we were on the main course,4 waiters came to our table to rush our meal because people were waiting outside. They would not let us breathe for even 5 minutes. when we complained about them continuously breathing down our necks , there was not even the remotest hint of an apology.
THE WORST SERVICE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN TOWN