Thai Bamboo Bistro
The District at Tustin Legacy
Tustin, CA
www.thedistricttl.com
When I think of Thai food, I generally tend to think of food that runs from $5 to $8 per entree and a menu that includes the commonly found Thai options such as Pad Thai, Pad See Ewe, and Pad Kee Mow. Along with these entrees, I expect to see coconut milk soup, lemon grass soup, and of course, the ever-popular Thai Iced Tea.
Having sampled a great deal of Thai food in various cities, and noting that the cuisine generally falls in the same price range, I am always curious what bonus I am receiving for eating at an establishment that serves the same dishes I have had time and again for double the price. Thai Bamboo Bistro is another example of this situation. With the various noodle dishes running from $11 to $15 and the Tom Kah Kai (coconut milk soup) running around $10, I realize that all I am paying for is the high-rent district and minor upgrade in atmosphere.
As those who live in Orange County, CA know, The District at Tustin Legacy is a new shopping center located at the former Tustin Air Base. It is likely to be a somewhat high-rent area as it is one of the new hot spots. Thai Bamboo Bistro is located in the section of the center with quite a few other restaurants, and likely it depends on walk-by traffic a bit. In terms of atmosphere, it probably caters to those who are looking for casual dining that's a step up from a Thai restaurant such as Thai Spice, which although tasty, serves their food on paper plates with plastic utensils.
This eatery is definitely a step up in terms of atmosphere, but I find that the large flat panel television mounted in the center of the restaurant brings it down a notch. After tasting 3 dishes, I found that neither the Pad Thai or Pad See Ewe truly tickled my taste buds enough to justify a price double that of Thai Spice. With a total bill of around $40 for 2 people (one with one glass of wine and me with a diet soda), I would have preferred dinning for under $20 and eaten with plastic utensils.
Of course, for those of you who are on a date or looking for a casual eatery, this could make a good choice. Clearly the paper plate option is the most casual available, and not appropriate for a date or a variety of other situations.
As always, it depends on why you are going out to eat. As it to be entertained and in a certain environment, or simple for great food at a local hole in the wall.
