[REVIEWS] Jasmine Fine Thai Cuisine

I had Pad Thai for lunch.

Again.

But I'm not sure that I'll be going for the third day in a row tomorrow... because these noodles were satisfying!

I immediately noticed the chewy texture that I had missed in Shana's noodles yesterday, and the sauce was light. Notice the difference between the noodles below and Shana's oil-drenched close-up in my previous post:

[REVIEWS] Shana Thai

This restaurant is situated right past the end of Castro Street in Mountain View. It certainly gets a star for location, and perhaps that's why my mom's coworker, a self-proclaimed Thai food fan, fell in love with it. Perhaps she was frustrated by the full parking lots on the Castro. Perhaps the din of the downtown dinner rush dizzied her, and right when she surrendered, right when she drove past the Castro in defeat, she found this haven.

Perhaps, because there must be another reason. Because the food was awful.

We were served complimentary soup upon arrival, but it tasted... split. It was spicy, to be sure, but the spiciness did not complement the soup's sour savoriness. When I sipped the soup, I tasted the hotness right on my tongue, and then - bam - the sour notes, and later, the savory. Another sip, and there it was again. HOT! - SOUR! - SAVORY!

Not a pleasant experience.

The Yelp reviews sang praises for the pumpkin curry, but I was here to find some good local Pad Thai. My mom, a habitual vegetarian, out of preference, ordered the seafood salad.

Looks can be deceiving.

[REVIEWS] The Thai Quest

For the past month, I've lightly embarked on The Thai Quest, or an attempt to find the best Thai restaurant in the area.

I'm pretty mainstream when it comes to my Thai food, as my favorite dishes are Pad Thai and green curry. But really, a restaurant that can't serve good versions of these dishes can't be trusted with anything else. It's like a Japanese restaurant without a good chicken teriyaki bento... mmm, pass.

With that said, it's been more difficult than expected to find good Pad Thai in the area! Green curry has been easier to find, but I suppose that's because it lends itself to less places for variation than the noodles, which must be smooth, not oily; hearty, not heavy; and sweet, not cloying. Mmm, Pad Thai. The perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory.

And ever so elusive!