Before I start even talking about Thai Paradise, I think you probably already have a question about this place. And that is, what is that plaque in the photo above?
Well, what it says is "Certificate for Quality Thai Cuisine- This is to certify that Thai Paradise Restaurant is a restaurant approved by Thai Select- December 15, 2003".
Nearby President Thai also has this type of distinction. But both restaurants seem to cater to a different crowd.
You see, President Thai mainly has coupons and ads in your local magazine. However, Thai Paradise looks more for the Asian community- putting commercials on the Chinese TV Channels, et cetera.
Certainly, there are some differences too other than the crowd. The food is slightly different in terms of ingredients and preparation.
Which place we have been to longer? Well...about the same- we used to only just visit here, but then we then started only visiting President Thai over this place due to that Thai Paradise usually had problems with their meat (off tasting). But recently, we went back to Thai Paradise to check out how things were now.
Right when we entered the restaurant, we could already see many decorations in the restaurant. This cabinet was right next to the door and housed many cups, jugs, and things of the like. Very pretty too- and very detailed. You can also see that plaque that was in the first photo too.
The cabinet is not just the only special thing about the interior. Right ahead from the entrance is this sculpture, which President Thai also has. Again, it's another piece of detailed work- does anyone know what it mean's though?
The cabinet is not just the only special thing about the interior. Right ahead from the entrance is this sculpture, which President Thai also has. Again, it's another piece of detailed work- does anyone know what it mean's though?
Still, there is more. There are small figures and decorations, as well as exceedingly large and intricate U shaped sculpture. It looks like a ship to me. There's even details about it (a plaque was made for it) which you can read if you plan on visiting here.
Our table was also very pretty. A set of menus were already fanned out across the table when we sat down. There were the plates which you also saw in my President Thai post. And there were also ads on their food products.
Dinner started out with a hot pot of Tom Yum Seafood soup. Although we had asked for mild, this was not really that "mild". It was probably even spicier than the Tom Kah Chicken Soup at Lotus of Siam, which we had also ordered to be served mild.
The soup had a great abundance of flavors from the giant amount of lemongrass, spices, and other ingredients that were put into it. There was also plenty of button mushrooms, as well as a variety of seafood like crab, imitation crab, shrimp, squid, fish, and more...
What arrived next was a plate of their combination fried rice, which had plenty of different meats like shrimp, beef, and chicken, as well as several different veggies. It was very flavorful, but it was also a tad oily.
In addition, we also ordered a fishcake and bamboo stir fry. The serving was plenty, and it was a bit spicy too. There were many pieces of the bamboo shoots as well as the fat pieces of fishcake which were very tender and also had a bit of young soybean in them. Scattered around the dish were also some bell peppers. As you would expect, this dish was a perfect match with some rice.
Lastly came a plate of Rad Na, which at first looked like an exceedingly tiny portion. Although it was spread throughout the whole dish, the noodles were not piled up as one would expect- it was a very flat layer. However, when eating it, it started to feel more like a big portion. The noodles were very good- they were not mushy or overcooked, and were also not burned as well. It went well with the gravy which was very flavorful and also had some fermented soybean in it for some savory flavor (other restaurants also do this too- including President Thai and Sampan Thai Cuisine).
To end the meal, everyone also got a complimentary bowl of a dessert soup which had coconut milk, black rice, and corn. It was a very creamy and sweet soup, and it was pretty thick as well. You don't just get it for dinner only; they also give it out at lunch. It is a great way to end a meal here at Thai Paradise.
Overall? A great experience. Every item was as good or better than we expected. Plus, there were no problems with the meat (which happened often with this location). We have no hesitation to not go back again now.
Thai Paradise
909 W. Las Tunas Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 570-8887
Our table was also very pretty. A set of menus were already fanned out across the table when we sat down. There were the plates which you also saw in my President Thai post. And there were also ads on their food products.
Dinner started out with a hot pot of Tom Yum Seafood soup. Although we had asked for mild, this was not really that "mild". It was probably even spicier than the Tom Kah Chicken Soup at Lotus of Siam, which we had also ordered to be served mild.
The soup had a great abundance of flavors from the giant amount of lemongrass, spices, and other ingredients that were put into it. There was also plenty of button mushrooms, as well as a variety of seafood like crab, imitation crab, shrimp, squid, fish, and more...
What arrived next was a plate of their combination fried rice, which had plenty of different meats like shrimp, beef, and chicken, as well as several different veggies. It was very flavorful, but it was also a tad oily.
In addition, we also ordered a fishcake and bamboo stir fry. The serving was plenty, and it was a bit spicy too. There were many pieces of the bamboo shoots as well as the fat pieces of fishcake which were very tender and also had a bit of young soybean in them. Scattered around the dish were also some bell peppers. As you would expect, this dish was a perfect match with some rice.
Lastly came a plate of Rad Na, which at first looked like an exceedingly tiny portion. Although it was spread throughout the whole dish, the noodles were not piled up as one would expect- it was a very flat layer. However, when eating it, it started to feel more like a big portion. The noodles were very good- they were not mushy or overcooked, and were also not burned as well. It went well with the gravy which was very flavorful and also had some fermented soybean in it for some savory flavor (other restaurants also do this too- including President Thai and Sampan Thai Cuisine).
To end the meal, everyone also got a complimentary bowl of a dessert soup which had coconut milk, black rice, and corn. It was a very creamy and sweet soup, and it was pretty thick as well. You don't just get it for dinner only; they also give it out at lunch. It is a great way to end a meal here at Thai Paradise.
Overall? A great experience. Every item was as good or better than we expected. Plus, there were no problems with the meat (which happened often with this location). We have no hesitation to not go back again now.
Thai Paradise
909 W. Las Tunas Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 570-8887
Comments
I'm aware that a lot of Thai restaurants have the "Certificate for Quality Thai Cuisine".
Free desserts, especially those that involve black rice, rock!
Really! Maybe many restaurants hide it in our area...
noobcook,
Pretty much was....but I still need to try some more items next time I visit to gauge how good it is. But from what I had now, I would say it is good and authentic!
elmomonster,
I thought Lotus of Siam was the most authentic :). Thai Nakorn I have wanted to try these days. Maybe this Saturday if I can.
Ha. I agree. Black rice desserts rock!
Tom yum looks clear and mild-i think i will like the stir fry fishcake and bamboo shoot.
Nice observations :). The tom yum had more fresh chilis though which probably made it more spicy.