Friday, August 10, 2007

The best Thai restaurant in the Seattle area?

Twenty years ago there weren't very many Thai restaurants in the Seattle area. They were a novelty and they were fun to go to, and the food tasted good, but nothing satisfied the flight crews of Thai Airways and their need for good and authentic cuisine. Then there was Bai Tong. It was located back then on the ground floor of the Jet Motel near Sea-Tac airport, and was started by a Thai Airways flight attendant to serve the pilots and crews of Thai Airways. Top chefs were flown in from Bangkok to keep the flight crews happy. The place later relocated to a former root beer stand on Pacific Highway South also near the airport, and they stayed there for almost twenty years.
Light rail construction has recently displaced them, and they have now relocated to 16876 Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila, near the mall. phone 206-575-3366 in swankier digs in a strip mall near Toy'R US.
I like Thai food , and feel lucky that we in Renton have Thai on Highlands and Royal Orchid.
They're good, but they're no Bai Tong. Bai Tong is pretty amazing, and very reasonably priced.
The place is very pretty and comfortable, and very professionally run. Menu items and flavors are different that most other Thai places, for example they feature a steamed salmon curry in banana leaves. Sauces are more complex than at other Thai places, and the place is just a notch or two better than most anywhere else. If you like Thai food, you'll love Bai Tong.
Prices are also a dollar or two per entree LESS than other Thai places. Go there!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Glad you mentioned this. Bai Tong is great and I haven't eaten there in years as it was off my normal commute circuit. But Southcenter is a whole different story. Great news!

Anonymous said...

I had no idea of the history and how long that restaurant had been around - thanks for the info! I never got a chance to check em out and thought they just closed up shop, but now that I know they've just relocated, I still have a chance.

Anonymous said...

Thankyou SO MUCH for posting that!!!!! My girlfriend used to eat there frequently back in the day when she worked at the airport. She introduced me to it just once - must've been just before it closed - and the BAM, its gone.

Thanks to you, now we know where to go!

Anonymous said...

Great restaurant! The ingrediants are fresh. The only complaint was that the atmosphere felt rushed - the waiters all have ear pieces and are quick and efficient. While get you quick service - it's could be hard to relax with all the activity going on around you.