... and I liked it. You know, kids, back in my day, in the mid-part of the first decade of the 21st century, the Tower District got its first Thai restaurant in Million Elephant. The food was amazing, and while the service has always been suspect, at least the first bartender they had was great. Plus you could eat at 3 a.m. There's only one word for that, and it rhymes with awesome.
Then Thaiphoon came along. And before its food quality went to [insert non-favorable word here] and it turned into a poor excuse for a booty club, it was awesome, too. While the panang wasn't as tasty as at Million, Thaiphoon won the pad thai test. And the price was right.
As for Buddha (photo courtesy of Mike Oz), it's too early to tell if I'll get tired of it eventually, as well. I had the Mongolian Beef, which was delicious -- if a bit spicy, but worth it. Steven had the pad thai, which looked and tasted a little frou frou for what I'm looking for in pad thai. But the ingredients in both entrees were certainly fresh. For that alone, I'd recommend checking out Buddha sooner than later.
My only question is why the limited menu? There only are a handful of noodle bowls and a few rice dishes; and the menu is identical for lunch and dinner (save 2 bucks on pricing). The appetizers looked interesting alongside the wine/sake list, but there were no prices listed for them. Maybe they're starting with the standards before easing in other delicacies. If that's the case, it's probably the smarter move. Here's just hoping more options actually are on the way.
I'll definitely be going back to try the appetizers and pound back some sake bombs.
But then again, I also went back to Hero's eventually. (God, I eat out too much.)
UPDATE: As promised, I went back last night with a few buddies after performing in a certain Rogue show. I had two Stellas, an order of egg rolls, spring rolls and lettuce wraps (all in the $5.99 range). The bar was niiice, and very comfortable. The bartender was cool and friendly -- and competent. It wasn't super busy, but I'd have confidence in his abilities on a night when it is. Also, I think it should be classified as more "Asian" than strictly "Thai." And I'm officially a fan ... for now.