Give Thai a Try at Downtown's New Thai Bistro

Give Thai a Try at Downtown's New Thai Bistro

It's a good time to review restaurants in Memphis. In the past week, the city has gained at least three new places that are worth trying.

I went to Thai Bistro's new downtown location for an early dinner last night.

Because we were there so early, my dinner buddy and I had the place to ourselves. Maybe it's because the restaurant just opened, but the atmosphere is a little weird. I think it's because there's nothing on the walls - no art, no posters, just lots of peachy paint and one giant mirror. There is a bar, but it's not set up yet because their liquor license hasn't kicked in yet. The place has that just-moved-in feel, which is fine, since, you know, they did.

The good news is that the rest of the Thai Bistro experience was the work of old pros. It was our server's first day, but he was friendly and attentive and knew the huge menu pretty well.

We started with some fried vegetable rolls ($3) and a Som Tum papaya salad ($8). The vegetable rolls were fairly standard, but they were good.

Vegetable Rolls from Thai Bistro, Memphis, Tenn.

I had never tried papaya salad before, and it wasn't quite what I was expecting. The menu described it as "a mix of shredded green papaya, carrots, tomato and peanut with a spicy lemon sauce, served on a bed of mixed greens. It had a little spicy asterisk next to it, so I was prepared for a little bit of heat, but I thought that the papaya would balance it with some sweetness. Apparently, green papaya isn't exactly sweet.

This is a very spicy salad. Not spicy in a too-hot-to-eat kind of way, but more in a if-I-stop-eating-I'll-notice-my-mouth-tingling kind of way.

Papaya Salad from Thai Bistro, Memphis, Tenn.

For dinner, I stuck with the basics and ordered Pad Thai with chicken ($12). The dish is a Thai restaurant classic, and the Thai Bistro version didn't disappoint. The portion was huge, the chicken was tender (and there was a ton of it), and the sauce was sweet and peanutty and limey. I would definitely order it again.

Pad Thai from Thai Bistro, Memphis, Tenn.

I should have been a little more adventurous in my ordering, though, because my dinner buddy's Pla-Dook was amazing. It was two big pieces of fried catfish surrounded by chopped zucchini, peppers and carrots in a chili sauce. The sauce had a little kick, but after the papaya salad, it didn't seem like much. (Note - you can order most dishes at the spiciness of your choice.)

Pa-Dook from Thai Bistro, Memphis, Tenn.

Thai Bistro is open daily for lunch and dinner. They're also going to serve brunch on Sundays. Last weekend, they posted that they would have $1 mimosas at brunch, but didn't get their liquor license in time. If the sign in the window is to be believed, they should have it by this weekend, though.

Go There:

Thai Bistro (downtown)

148 Madison Ave.

Memphis, TN 38103

Thai Bistro on Urbanspoon

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stacey
som tum is one of my favorite thai dishes. sounds like they do it just right.
August 9, 2011 11:28am
Kyle
I went this weekend and loved it. The food was good and the service was, literally, the best I've ever had.
August 9, 2011 2:57pm
Linden
If they have the curry potstickers like the Cordova location does, they are a must. They're amazing!!
August 10, 2011 7:27pm
Jan
Thanks for this review --- I've been wanting to give this place a try... and now I'm convinced it will be worth my while.
August 21, 2011 11:03pm
Bryan P.
This is a excellent choice for an intimate dinner at night,or a great place to grab a drink at the bar...The service is always great...I love the staff and management.... Great FOOD.... Check it out....
February 5, 2013 11:43am