The Rating
3/5
Received these points for Taste, Price, and Uniqueness.
This is a rating for the cumulative dining experience. The standards for rating can be found here.
5/5 Thai food
The Need to Know
Beau Thai is a deceivingly casual spot with locations on Mt. Pleasant and in Shaw. The locations are in the same price range but have slightly different menus—Mt. Pleasant has more noodle dishes but fewer appetizers. The price goes pound for pound with the quality of their dishes. Your average entrée will most likely be between $14-16. That’s just a few more bucks than your Cava bowl for twice the quality. Everything you try here is going to be exceptionally flavorful. Over the course of 2 visits, I was able to try 3 entrees. A rice, a curry, and a noodle dish. Each dish gave me an immensely different experience. The only ties are that they were made with fresh ingredients, each had nuts for texture, and that you are going walk away saying “wow, that was made extremely thoughtfully. I will definitely be back.”
The Details
I was able to see the kitchen at Beau Thai, which is something that I feel like restaurants do not want you to see. It was impressive to see; I could see the kitchen staff chopping fresh vegetables, the steam coming off the grill, the shine on the tables and floor, and the cooks were well coordinated. I appreciate the transparency because it made me created confidence that my food was being made with care. The service was friendly and timely and the presentation was appetizing. However, there was room for improvement. The service was quick, which is normally a good thing, but the wait staff also seemed to be quick to leave conversation and not seem very open to questions or to give detailed menu information. Beau Thai does go out of their way to present their food by things like balling their rice but don't go above and beyond to make it stand out with things like detailed garnishment. To be fair the food I had was not very photogenic in nature, but I did not even upload the pictures I took because it would have been a disservice to the dish. In regards to taste, however, astonishing. Please read what I tried below.
The Entrees
Massaman Curry
This meal fit the mood perfectly for an October, Sunday afternoon. It was filled with tender beef as well as soft potatoes and carrots mixed in with a hearty curry. It tasted like a beef stew that I would have at home on a rainy day but felt just a bit different with the crunch of the peanut to set itself apart.
(Photo is from Beau Thai's website menu)
Hot and Spicy Noodles
When they said hot and spicy, this was definitely hot and spicy. No other way to say it, it’s going to light a fire under your butt. If you are casual about spicy food this is not for you. If your spice tolerance is uncanny to your peers then you'll enjoy this while having an entire bodily experience. The lime juice and peanuts do help cut through the spice with a little acidity and feel change.
(Photo is from Beau Thai's website menu)
Pineapple Fried Rice
You have a choice of Chicken, Beef, Pork or Mixed Vegetables or Tofu. I went with the mixed vegetables because I ate here while I was on a plant-based diet. I was a little worried I would not enjoy my experience as much as if I had something with meat in it, but it left me wanting to come back. There was a nice combination of flavors of savory vegetables paired with sweetness of pineapple and raisins —with a crunch of cashews for added texture.
(Photo is from Beau Thai's website menu)
Thank you for reading :) Please let me know what entrees you have had at Beau Thai below!
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