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Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Dining
Basil Thai Restaurant in The Short North
[64 posts] [32 contributors]
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j mcclane
knuckle beach
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swung thru last nite, tried to get some take out (didn't happen, apparently they don't do to-go on the weekends?) they were definitely humming though.
previous reviews seem dead on: slick, dimly lit dining area, food and price appeared waaay similar to nida's. but i like thai.
Posted 2 years ago # -
placebohigh
The Short North
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Checked out Basil again. Food was very good. Friend who prefers chinese over thai tried the sweet & sour pork and said it was the best he had ever had. I agree...it was really good. Tried the crab rangoon which was crispy & good (similar to Nidas) and the spring rolls were served cold covered with a sweet thai sauce and filled w/ veggies and tofu. Tasted more like a salad wrap than a usual fried spring roll but an interesting twist on it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
aaminian
Short North
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Finally ate here a few nights ago. I really wanted to like this place, but it was hands-down the worst Thai food I've had in Columbus. My list of grievances:
1. My Tom Yum was overpoweringly sour and salty (and I like my food saltier than most)
2. My gf's Tom Kha tasted like straight coconut milk
3. My pepper and garlic w/ beef was severely lacking in flavor and the beef was tough
4. My gf's tamarind pork dish was incredibly spicy despite the server's assurances that it wouldn't be spicy at all
5. Even the green salad was bland and poorly dressed
6. One of the servers was wearing a random t-shirt, jeans, UGGs and was holding a toddler in one arm WHILE SERVING (no joke)No reason to go here again, especially with Nida's right down the street.
Posted 2 years ago # -
ja
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We went to Basil last night and loved it. Rhom the owner was a delight to talk to and was genuinely interested in our opinions of the food as well as wine. He offered us several samples of wine that his distributor had suggested for our opinions. We offered to have our wine connoisseur friends who travel back and forth from their homes in Sonoma and Columbus advise him after they return from the holidays. The place has a great feel; it also has a separate room that seats 28 people, along with sofas and chairs, available at no charge for special events with friends, co-workers and the like. Great idea! The owner is from Chicago and he and his wife have also lived in Minneapolis and traveled the world extensively through their real jobs involving retail merchandizing for Abercrombie. We can't wait to go back as this area with the Jackson, Skully's (both across the street), Surly Girl (next door) is really going to become the real Short North as far as fun and interesting are concerned.
Posted 2 years ago # -
hungrywoolf
Victorian Village
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I went to Basil yesterday with a friend for the $7.50 lunch special. It is quite a lot of food for $7.50 but I didn't care for most of it.
Tom Yum soup had ok flavor but too much rubbery/grainy minced chicken for the size of the portion.
The spring roll was the worst I have had. Took one bite and left the rest. Greasy and cold with too much sauce poured on top.
Crispy roll was a little bland but one of the better items.
The red curry was overly sweet, too heavy on the coconut milk and tasted like a supermarket canned sauce. A poor imitation of the dish. We left most of it.
The Pad see ew was probably the best thing we had, but again too sweet, quite dry and the worst I have had in Columbus.
Although the menu is temptingly cheap, it feels like you get what you pay for. It is rare for me to leave that much food in a restaurant, especially when I am hungry.Posted 2 years ago # -
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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IMHO it beats Bangkok hands down.
Better spices and flavorsThe service I had was great and attentive.
The food, though spicier than most of what I have had in columbus wasn't that spicy. If I order something 'spicy' I'm used to breaking a sweat. The person I talked to said they tone it down for their customers.I still like Thai Orchid better, but this beats a 40 minute drive.
I relayed my satisfaction and asked that they consider adding Nom Tok (beef salad) to the menu.
Another good thing, they seemed ready to have everything operating well, even though it was their first two weeks. I'm a firm believe in; if you are going to charge me full price, I expect to have full service. It ran like a vetran establishment.
Posted 2 years ago # -
hungrywoolf
Victorian Village
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Tenzo - I'm curious what you ate.
Our service was a little absent minded. We asked for extra plates so we could share, waited a while and then started eating from the serving dishes. By the time two plates eventually arrived, without any apology for the delay, we were already half way through eating.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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hungrywoolf wrote >>
Tenzo - I'm curious what you ate.
OWhat or when?
Went there for lunch on Thursday.Although I wanted to try a different set of dishes, I could not turn down the $7.50 special.
I had the Tum Yum soup. - Nice mix, a hint of spicy. Well balanced.
Spring Roll. - Good plum sauce, the wrapping was a little mealy, would have liked to see the vegitables crispier. Perhaps prepared to far in advance.
Basil - Figured a dish named after the place would be good. It was. Nice taste to the spices, meat was cooked well. A little to much 'brown sauce'. The sauce should mix with the main dish, not enough to soak the rice to the bottom.
I'm a food snob and overly critical.
That is a good review for me.The service was always there when I wanted it. They took my order within about two minutes of me placing the menu down. My water was filled when it neared the bottom. (Only thing I hate more than a waiter habitually topping off my water when I take the sip is sitting with an empty water glass for a long time.)
Service can be too slow or smothering.
They had it right for me.Posted 2 years ago # -
Tenzo
Chicago Lakeshore
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KSquared wrote >>
It seems like this place has multiple personality disorder.If we gave Sushi Rock 3 months before we declared the service bad and a write off, I'd give this place a little slack.
But now I'm curious. I'd go back today if I didn't drop some scaffolding on my foot and I'm waiting to see if I can walk on it today or if I should go get an x-ray.
They deliver?
Posted 2 years ago # -
KSquared
Literally Hell
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Tenzo wrote >>
KSquared wrote >>
It seems like this place has multiple personality disorder.If we gave Sushi Rock 3 months before we declared the service bad and a write off, I'd give this place a little slack.
But now I'm curious. I'd go back today if I didn't drop some scaffolding on my foot and I'm waiting to see if I can walk on it today or if I should go get an x-ray.
They deliver?Oh I didn't mean to write it off, I was referring to the diametrically opposed reviews of the place. It's interesting that during the same time period, some people had great experiences and others were pretty bad. Will the real Basil please stand up? ;) I plan to make it there soon to see for myself.
Posted 2 years ago # -
osulew
My house...in the middle of my street
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I was tempted to try it, but with multiple lackluster reviews (from more places that just CU and foodies whose palettes I definitely trust) and with no Viv behind the bar masterminding an amazing cocktail selection, I file Basil under probably not.
ETA: I do hope they do well, and the interior does look beautiful.
Posted 2 years ago # -
mbeaumont
Italian Village
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We went the other day and we thought it was a pretty mixed bag overall.
We got the potstickers to start which were fine, though nothing special.
For the main dish I had the Pad Thai which I enjoyed for the most part. However, I asked for it to be spicey (medium), and there was no heat whatsoever. And the noodles were kind of gummy. I did like the fact that it wasn't too sweet (though others said there's was very sweet, so again, split personalities).
My dining partner had the Basil Fried Rice, which we both felt was just overwhelmed by massive amounts of basil. It was pretty much all you could taste.
Our service was ok, nothing special, but fine enough, and I love the space, it's gorgeous in there. At the end of the day though, I would just go to Nida's if I was wanting Thai again.
Best of luck to them, but they've still got some kinks to work out I think.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Core_Models
Columbus
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Got the Pad Thai, was extremely disappointed. Gummy noodles, no spice to speak of, not as good as Happy Dragon (and Happy Dragon isn't that good).
I'll go back to my standby spots.
Posted 2 years ago # -
orpheum
Columbus, OH (Short North)
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I finally visited Basil today with another food-minded friend, and we both greatly enjoyed the offerings we chose. I ordered a plate of the fried tofu for us to share  it was crispy on the outside, with a pleasantly spongy interior, and paired nicely with the included sauce. I had opted for the lunch special, and my tom yum soup, while not particularly memorable, was hardly offensive; I'm relatively sensitive to salty food, but I found nothing to fault in that regard. My crispy roll and noodle kee mow (which I got "crispy," or deep-fried) were excellent. Perhaps we lucked out with our menu items, or maybe  for foodies, at least  we simply weren't as discerning as some here, but I thought it was great food, especially for the price.
I'm sorry to hear others haven't had such positive experiences. I'll be back to Basil, and I'll be sure to report any possible reservations I have about the food and service. I look forward to seeing people's thoughts!
Posted 2 years ago # -
ja
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osulew wrote >>
I was tempted to try it, but with multiple lackluster reviews (from more places that just CU and foodies whose palettes I definitely trust) and with no Viv behind the bar masterminding an amazing cocktail selection, I file Basil under probably not.
ETA: I do hope they do well, and the interior does look beautiful.Live dangerously. Give it a try and make up your own mind for a change.
Posted 2 years ago #
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