Personal Review :
The Thai Restaurant is yet another of the establishments close to the Space
Telescope Science Institute that has been a favorite of employees here for
many years. A recent visit found the fare just as good as it has always
been, perhaps even better than I last remembered. The decor and general
atmosphere is very pleasant. On this visit I had a lunch combination which
started with the excellent and tasty Kang Liang soup (shrimp with mixed
vegetables) followed by the Kaeng Ped Gai (Red Chicken Curry). It was all
great, not completely filling, but very tasty nonetheless. This selection only
had one star beside it, so it wasn't particularly hot. I like it hot, though
many don't. Prices were very reasonable for the lunch menu.
---H. Lanning
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baltimore Magazine, January 1998 -- "The 75 Best Restaurants", edited by
Cynthia Glover and David Dudley
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}
There are other fine Thai restaurants in town, but there is still only one Thai Restaurant. The original Waverly storefront dates from a time when no further clarification was needed. Now joined by a passel of assorted upstarts, the original endures in fine understated style, still a sentimental favorite for all the former Hopkins undergrads and faithful Charles Villagers who swear by the high-voltage lemon-grass buzz of the squid yum and the gentle fire of the coconut-milk-laced yellow curry.
Do: Park in the hidden lot behind the restaurant.
Don't: Be shy about asking for extra steamed rice. With all this heat, you'll
need it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baltimore Magazine, August 1996 -- "Bargain Dining, Feasts From the East"
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}
The cooking at Thai Restaurant and its sibling, Mai Thai, reads like comfort food, as if there is a gentle spirit in the kitchen that seeks to soothe rather than startle. That's not to say that some of this food isn't spicy--the laarb neua, a hot-and-sour beef salad, will set your ears on fire--but still, it is more circumspect than most. The menu is arranged traditionally, giving a choice of various meats and seafood to match with a list of preparations, whether curried or stir-fried. The yellow curry with coconut milk, green peppers, tomatoes, and pineapple is always a winner, especially when paired with chicken. Yum hed koong, hot-and-sour shrimp with mixed mushrooms, and pad woon sen, a bean-thread dish with pork, shrimp, and squid, are house specialties.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baltimore Magazine, February 1996 -- "Where To Eat Now"
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}
Your carnivorous friends will feel right at home in this paneled parlor, but so will you. When you order the pad thai with tofu, the waitress automatically asks "Are eggs okay in that?" Always, always get the pra. Inexpensive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baltimore Magazine, February 1995 -- "75 Restaurants We Love"
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}
Inexpensive. Though its quaint menu plugs several different dishes as Thailand's "most famous," we favor pra: hot spicy lettuce, lemon grass, pomegranate seeds. It's delish, but don't gobble--this airy storefront restaurant near Johns Hopkins's Homewood campus is a favorite with undetectable celes (critics, poets, etc.), so you never know who's watching. Don't fret Greenmount's formidible traffic, either. There's free parking tucked behind the building, plus a nook in back to hang your coat. Just drive north beside the Waverly library, then wend the alleyway east.
SIGNATURE DISHES: buk choo chee (curry duck), seafood a la poo ket
(sautéed in garlic sauce).
MOST POPULAR: shrimp pad thai, fish with chili sauce.
WHO GOES THERE: intellectuals, pseudo-intellectuals,
anti-intellectuals.
WHY GO THERE: swift service, memorable spices.