Glenwood South is the busiest street in the downtown area at the moment. Cars, bikes, scooters, rickshaws, and pedestrians all crowd the street at night looking for fun, drinks and the occasional boutique. Thaiphoon Bistro opened Thursday in the middle of all the energy and will add nice style and flavor to the street without being overzealous about anything except their food.
You can enter Thaiphoon from either Glenwood or North Street, but North Street is considered the main entrance. Outside is a small cultivated garden, fountain and deck that has great outdoor seating a block off Glenwood South. Do you love being in the Glenwood South area but hate the Myrtle Beach Strip feeling of all the traffic and flare? This is the outdoor seating for you. A bit more calm and serene.
Upon entering the restaurant you are greeted by a small bar and bright sea of orange and white furniture. The space is split into two levels and has a very contemporary Asian vibe. Nothing is over complicated about the interior. The tables are an orange resin material with chic white molded Panton chairs parked under them. Above the tables are oval shaped lanterns that nicely complement the Asian paintings on the walls. Exposed brick and orange 8” x 8” ceramic tile tie the rest of the interior together very well (except that huge television between the two levels). The interior is reminiscent of minimalist versions of Phillipe Stark’s restaurants in Paris and New York or any simple, yet hip, lounge bistro in many large cites and Europe. In many case, there is little reason for a restaurant to be over designed or have the fast food treatment. Just a little thought and style will do. Thaiphoon accomplishes this well while others think that money and glam buys culture and style. I beg to differ.
On the bright orange tables sits a laminated drink menu and what looked like, from a distance, to be a DVD case with the phrase Thaiphoon Bisto on the cover. This is the menu and it’s the most creative idea I have seen for a menu at any restaurant in Raleigh (or any city for that matter). The exterior is already laminated, therefore easy to clean and the size is very compact and efficient. Opening the case you find more 3 or 4 laminated pages which comprise the equally efficient menu. There are a good number of vegetarian dishes and appetizers as well as duck, shrimp and chicken entreés. Your normal Thai dishes are present, as well as a few in-house specials. Beer is served with a mason jar, which is a quirky reminder of the fact that although you do have Thai food on your plate…you are still in the South. Quite a nice touch y’all.
For appetizers it was the Crunchy Cups which are small fried flower-shaped cups with veggies, chicken and shrimp packed in them. The presentation was fabulous and the flavor was good. A sauce could have added a bit more taste, but no complaining here. The Tom Yum soup was sweet and very flavorful. The shrimp were large and delicious. After the soup, crunchy cups, and couple of mason jarred Singhas, it was time for the main course.
The Shrimp Massaman Curry was very beautifully displayed and it had a colorful and rich flavor. The curry was a bit smoky and it was served with a small amount of rice as well as rice noodles. This combination of both rice and noodles added an extra layer to the already stacked meal. The Pad Thai paralleled the curry in flavor as well as color. Both dishes had a slight kick in spiciness and the portions were perfectly sized. It is some of the better Pad Thai I have had in Raleigh. Not too much peanut, as you can add your own amount, and the perfect balance of ingredients. The prices for entreés range from the low teens to the mid twenties and are well worth it. The duck dishes are the most expensive with the vegetarian ones being the lowest.
Thaiphoon is able to blend nicely organized furniture and decor with beautifully displayed food that tastes as good as it looks. The staff is friendly and the space is very urbane. Many restaurants take a couple of weeks before they excel in atmosphere and food, but Thaiphoon Bistro has hit the mark in the first few hours. Thaiphoon is a great place for a date or just dinner (or soon lunch) with friends and family. I will be the first to declare myself a Thaiphan.
Welcome to New Raleigh. We welcome your participation in the ongoing discussion. Before posting we ask that you read our Comment Policy and we invite you to register with our site. If you want to keep up with the news on our blog, subscribe to the RSS feed or get emailed every time we post.