Sun Bathe with Food @ Baan Thai, Golf Road Course Guragaon, was a mixed bag of some sweet and sour moments. The expectations about the place being a simple setting of an Urban Thai Dhaba had already been conveyed to the group of foodies coming for the lunch, and the feeders about the food at various social media platforms was the point which persuaded me as a foodie to get there and experience it myself.
The place is situated on a very busy golf course road and can be easily missed if the address is not referred to the point, as it is amongst some small roadside eateries, shops and very unpredictable location for a Thai restaurant. Now that is another point of discussion that has triggered me while reading about this place, there a set mindset that some continental cuisines are well received as in a fine dining setting only, against some which are popular as street food or can be had on the go. Thai and Japanese food are few which comes to my mind which till date are still accepted in a fine dining setting with sophistication.
When Baan Thai came in my radar after reading many highly recommending posts, emphasizing the quality served is true value for money, I got curious to check it out, and there is when my friends who are regular fine diners and some happy like me to true anything and everything, got together and decided to invade this place.
I had already set the bar low in terms of the casual dining feel of the place and lured my friends to this place on account of good food, as read and the idea of a sunny afternoon to enjoy. In all cases we would be having something to gain…
So it took us about an hour to reach the place and precise. lts as mentioned, this is opposite a certain pillar number mentioned at the Google map location address. But took us a while to spot the board amongst a tyre shop and a tea stall. The pathway leading us inside looked promising and charming and so did the outside seating but, the anxiety built up when we saw practically no staff around for about ten minutes and all y fellow foodies thought that we reached way early than the restaurant expected any guests to. I had informed about us coming for lunch and made necessary bookings, and such a blank facade made me paranoid too. After a while a very unresponsive person came to tell us to seat inside, as the garden was not ready. To my mention that this was supposed to be lunch in sun and persistent request for a bench to be cleared for us to seat, he took quite a while to be convinced.
I took a quick look at the kitchen, which came to my relief and was nice and neat and well equipped with all the staff at work. But why if the restaurant takes your request to book for a said time, they received you with such a cold vibe like an unwanted visitor.
I particularly mentioned about how I felt to the staff attending us, and to my surprise he was not informed about out reservations.
All said and done the hungry us could not deny but take the idea to have the food coming.
The menu is extensive at this place and I am happy that they have kept it very authentic in the terminology and descriptions. Loved that there is selection of salads like the traditional raw papaya said and spicy glass noodle salad to the more elaborate ones like Lab (the salad with minced meat) and Namtok (salad with meat and sticky rice). We did try the Lab and it was up to the mark in terms of flavours.
The choice of appetizers also did not disappoint me as we could happily have crab cakes; the fish stir-fry in black pepper (Pad Prik Thai Dun).
The soups were spot on with the tom yam soup full of flavours of lemon grass and coconut milk and my simple bowl of clear glass noodle soup, full of freshness.
The choice of main course was also extensive and carefully created catering to all kinds of palate, with curries, rice and stir fry, and a well laid sea food menu, which makes all the more special and authentic.
Now as the food was coming to an end and we urged for a dessert and planned to have the traditional sticky rice and mango or fried banana, we called for it and to our dismay we were plainly denied for any due to non availability and that these reserved only for dinner!! Who says like that…dessert if not anything from the cuisine, at least should have something to offer.
Finally we wrapped up at a mere 2400/- only for 4 of us.
[wpsm_reviewbox title=”Final Take” description=”My take on this place is this is, it’s a good value for money for untimely Thai food cravings, but only good for local residents as reaching out to this place from any part in the city in order to have economy meal is not feasible. Gurgaon gets an edge as this in vicinity. As for stopping by while at work around that area is a good idea. But this will grade in to a zone of value for money, good food minus the finesse (quite understandable due to its dhaba status), low expectation on hospitality.” criterias=”Place:7;Ambience:7;Service:6;Food:8;Value for money:9;” ]