First Look: Thai Idea
This is the exterior of Thai Idea, the latest restaurant to open in La Lengua, right next to The Knockout. I know what you're thinking, "Thai Idea?" I know I know, it's a shit name. And the "IT IS VEGGILICIOUS" signage? Also a touch lame.
But, marketing blunders aside, this place is good. Not just good, but good.
See, there aren't just that many vegetarian restaurants in the greater Mission District. There's Herbivore and Gracias Madre, but they're "good" at best, "okay" if we're being honest. And there's plenty of great restaurants with vegetarian plates, but they're usually limited in offerings and force you to settle. So when a vegetarian joint opens that is actually good, we take note.
Please refrain from dipping your fingers in the sauce until the plate is clean. We didn't.Their "wing bomb" is good as hell and, fortunately, doesn't give you explosive diarrhea. Plus, they're easily better than the equivalent fake-chicken-on-a-stick appetizer at Golden Era in the TL. The pineapple fried rice was also packed full of more particularly delicious mock chicken, and the rice itself was still good and moist unlike that of most of the other exceptionally edible Asian restaurants around.
The one drawback is the place is oddly comfortable (there are pillows everywhere), but when the most expensive dish tops out at $12 and the food is that good, it's easy to get past it.
Comments
How can you forget Cha-ya? The best.
They have a couple of great dishes (tempura is key) and the soups are solid, but it's not generally at the top of my list.
Also, no beer.
Which is weird, given how easy it is for a restaurant to get a beer-and-wine license (not to be confused with the near-impossible-to-procure *full* liquor license). When a restaurant doesn't have a beer-and-wine license, I presume they have some religious (or other) objection to drinking.
wait wait wait wait. no beer at chaya? i could have SWORN i've drunken several beers there, AND had a bunch of sake. otherwise i would never have any dates there. you sure?
Mmm, Yelp indicates they serve beer + wine too. Guess I've been missing something.
I have never eaten at Chaya without beer over the last six years. They gots it.
Dude, what's even the point of dinner with no beer?
spoken like a true rummy.
I hear the TL location is BYOB. Can anyone confirm if this one is too?
Yup
Heh, I was gonna say.... Isn't that the picture I took yesterday? :)
their curry is watery crap.
Try the plum wine at Cha-Ya. You get about 12oz. in a big glass. Don't forget Udupi Palace on Valencia for some really good veggie fare.
They have one which is near the Civic Center, too. I think the beer and wine license comes next. Might ask, if like the one near the Civic Center, if they can do Gluten-Free dishes, as well.
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