Thursday, July 1, 2010

Thai Basil, Pacific Place, HK - mid. summer review

It's been 7-8 times I have tried this restaurant within a year. Such a coincidence came back here in Pacific Place for dinner after lunch at Zen (the opposite shop) on the same day. Thai Basil has never disappointed me and I gotta name it as one of my top 20 restaurants in HK.

1. Grilled lemon grass prawn salad HK$88. Charcoal grilled prawns very aromatic. The sauce is perfect, not too sour and not too sweet. Very selected pomelo used and some nice string beans. 2. Fish cake HK$58. So nice and very bouncy, but it's quite spicy (I like it somehow). The vinegar sauce mixed with some chopped cucumber and little chili. So good to bring out the fine vinegar to go with the spicy fish cake flavour. Super highly recommended.
3. Seafood with brown raw rice HK$92. Very clever to first steam the raw rice. Some of my friends asked me how to make the raw rice soft, especially they mix the Thai fragrant rice for cooking. First, steam the brown rice for 15-20 min. and when the white rice is about to dry in the rice cooker, put the steamed brown rice on it. The chef nicely stir fried the brown rice with fresh prawn, scallop, fish chunks, squid, clams, scallions with some nice stock. So it's pretty moist but with a fried rice aroma. 4. my favourite rum raisin, ginger ice cream and black currant sorbet HK$39. The rum raisin is the best I have tried. All of these are not too sweet. So good to taste the original flavour.

5/6. Thai Basil added more new dishes on the menu. Lemon meringue tart with strawberry ice cream HK$42. Wow, the merringue is very light and melty but not too sweet. Strong egg white flavour. What's more some burnt aroma! I actually don't like meringue much but this one is exceptional. The strawberry ice cream is made of fresh strawberry. Very strong strawberry aroma. Most of all, the lemon tart is perfect. Very zesty flavour lemon custard and crunchy tart. Another must try dessert!

7 comments:

Stella said...

Wow one of the top 20 restaurants on your list is not easy.
I can tell you like Thai food very much as even in HK you still don't forget about Thai food.
Just like I also eat Thai food in LA a lot.
Now I tend to vomit less after eating Thai food.(Before I had upset stomach one out of 3 times from Thai food).

Anonymous said...

Yes, this restaurant is very good. their bbq is nice. my favourite too. and lots of people every night.

in the sea said...

This shop is very busy every time I go there. There are quite many Thai restaurants in HK and it's not difficult to find a few good ones. :)

Stella said...

Yes I know, that is why I said HK people are lucky.
All of you can enjoy different kinds of good food, cheap or expensive.
You guys in HK shall appreciate this good opportunity and therefore please eat more on behalf of us too.

in the sea said...

Thank you... I guess it's all because quite many HK people or Cantonese often put eating as the top priority.

Stella said...

Your photos here made me order some Thai food(satay, fish cake, stuffed chicken wing, Pad Thai, curry chicken) for July 4th dinner at my friend's house.
Plus some California Roll too at Yama with $30 US for 48 pieces(this is for Chris).

in the sea said...

July 4th for Thai food?