The experience here was greatly tarnished when the Creme Brûlée was delivered sans the promised "sizzling sugar." When I complained the desert was "cold" I was told the blow torch was out of gas! Translation: Serve it anyway and hope he doesn't notice. The handling of the issue was unprofessional and insulting. The economy has hit Manchester hard enough. This attitude won't help fill the hotels and other restaurants. It will only create yet another empty storefront.
Review Source:Was heading to Bistro Henry but after a big Mother's Day, it was closed on a Wednesday. Â In the pouring rain, we spotted this place on the way back and it seemed to have charm. Â It advertises Martinis and has them albeit a bit pricey. Â The menu is deep and diverse and again a bit pricey. Â The food and service were delightful especially for a restaurant that has only been open since last July. Â I had a medium spicy dish and had a lot of water with it. Â The decor was elegant.
Review Source:What a pleasant surprise to have a genuine Thai restaurant in the area. Â We have been going to Stratton regularly for 12 years and Asian cuisine in the area has been "challenged," to say the least.
I ordered the Tom Yum with Shrimp and asked for the "5" rating of spicy. Â Wow....I teared, sweated and thoroughly enjoyed it. Â It also had a great full flavor that flowed with the spice. Â I also had the Tofu and shrimp in a ginger sauce which had full, not overwhelming flavour. Â The kids loved their pad thai and for those who liked asian food, they were very impressed. Â
I have had Thai food all around the world and, I must say, this is up there with the best of them.
Based on the other reviewers comments about the service, the owners must have taken this to heart as our service, albeit was high school age, was attentive and patient.
My one suggestion is to keep the water glasses full and check in with the table more frequently.
Restaurant seems to be hitting its stride despite early service problems noted in early reviews. Â Have been there twice with family (including young kids) in the last week on our way to basketball games for yet another kid.
Both times we told the staff about time constraints and our food practically flew out of the kitchen. Â Waitstaff was attentive, full of good suggestions, andfamiliar with the menu, even the non-Thai staff (and let's face it - VT is not exactly swimming in Thai waitstaff)
On to the food Tuna Tartare was tremendous as an appetizer followed by a VERY spice (by request) Drunken Noodle. Â I am sure they can dumb it down but what's Thai food without a little sweat on your brow?
I am told the Thai Basil chicken was also delicious, although less spicy. Â Kids had Chicken Satay (minus the peanut dipping sauce due to a nut allergy) also enjoyed the wonton soup and yummy Thai "Sticky" rice. Â (Not the real sticky rice but sticky by my kids' standards.
Second visit was a repeat of the first except I got the Masaman Pork, which was perfectly done. Â In and out in 45 minutes (at our choosing - I am sure lingering is encouraged and allowed if you are not running to your next event). Â Delicious food, great atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff.
Just tried this for the 1st time. Â We reside in Manchester 6 mos of the year and had just returned the other night and decided to try this restaurant. Â What a pleasant surprise! Â The service was outstanding - Jamie the waitress, Jared (sp?) the bartender, a woman who was managing the front room, and even the chef (or owner?). Â They must have read the Yelp suggestions because the service could not have been better - the perfect blend of attentiveness without being intrusive.
The food was outstanding. Â The waitress made good suggestions. Â My husband had the duck with ginger and I had the duck with lemongrass. Â Both were excellent, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and just the right amount of sauce to set off the flavors. Â The plate was beautifully finished off with fresh vegetables. Â My husband also had the spring rolls to start and liked them. Â I had a maple martini (I did say I had just returned from VT after 6 months) which was tasty - but it is definitely sweet enough to call dessert.
Thai Basil has become our new go-to place for the next 6 months.
Oh dear, 'tried the duck and was depply disppointed. The skin would have been crisp, except they poured a watery sauce all over the top that killed it. It was the Lemongraas Duck - but I was hard pressed to taste lemon grass in it. Though it had a nice flaovr of garlic and ginger, the meat was dried out and the vegetables were overcooked. The dish is definitely over priced at $28.00.
So, I am sticking with the fabulous wonton soup. It is a bargain at $4.50.
I did like their very sweet, thick, Thai Iced Coffee. Something about it was positively addictive.
The restaurant is a welcome addition to Manchester, and the food is really excellent based on 4 visits so far. A few thoughts I hope the owners will consider:
- It's hard to know who's in charge/who the owner is. That's important in this type of restaurant in this community. The serving staff is mostly high school kids, and while they have good attitudes they don't seem to be empowered to make the experience really excellent. Having a more senior person working the floor and checking on diners would be a great addition. Several times I've been seated by an older woman (owner? manager? who has then retreated behind the bar (in a nearly empty house) and talked to coworkers for the duration of the meal. C'mon out and say hi! Ask how things are! You've seen me 4 times in several weeks--acknowledge my presence! ; )
- In that same vein, the prices are higher than many typical Thai restaurants, both semi-locally (Williamstown, MA, Mendon, Brattleboro) and globally (NYC/etc). The food is excellent--so I don't begrudge the higher price--but enhancing the service, and making visitors feel like there's an owner on site who verbally appreciates the business would make a big difference.
- Some of the disorganization/service issues that I attributed to being newly-opened have not faded away now, 2+ months after opening. I think they need to focus on this.
- The only suggestion on the menu (which is extensive, with a lot of variety and interesting choices) is to offer more reduced-cost specials, especially at dinner, when entrees typically cost $15+. We'd go there a lot more for dinner if it wasn't QUITE as costly, or even if it felt like there were some value-baed options.
I can--and do--forgive a lot when the food is high quality, as it is here at Thai Basil. If they can just get the front of the house as dialed in as the kitchen seems to be, I'll be a loyal patron. Until then, I'll go in for a lunch special to get my Thai fix, but avoid the higher priced dinner menu and frequent visits.
Thanks for reading!
Yelpeeeee! I almost did not go as we didn't see this on Yelp but decided to try a yelpless restaurant, which i rarely do anymore. Â The waiter told us they were open a couple of months and the kitchen timing could probably improve but they were so charming it didn't really matter.
We began with the pot stickers which were homemade and wonderful. Â They were more delicate than the usual gluey kind we were expecting.
Three of us had curry dishes.  Our sons had a special  duck red curry dish.  It had two stars for heat but wasn't terribly hot.  I had shrimp in the same curry with potatoes, cashews, onions and avocado.  My husband had a sweet and sour sauteed dish with mixed fish.  The fish included shrimp, scallops, mussels and calamari.  Everything was very tasty.  The ambiance was upscale coffeehouse and was very homey.  It seemed there were locals returning. Â
I also saw a dish go by served in a pineapple half that looked very elegant. Â They had red, green and mango curries and all types of sit fry. Â It was full on a beautiful summer evening. Â It is not inexpensive but it should be a huge hit in winter! Â What could be wrong with stemming hot curries after a long day on the slopes? Â
Try this thai, and come in out of the cold for a bit of "heat"!
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