Restaurant Review: “Pure Thai” in Point Loma

“Pure Thai”
3704 Voltaire St.
San Diego, CA 92107
619-542-9499
www.purethaisd.com

So many people have recommended the restaurant “Pure Thai” to me in the past few weeks that I can’t begin to tell you how many there are. People that were upset with my review of another Thai restaurant in the Pt. Loma/Ocean Beach area have actually called and asked me to do a review of this new restaurant. Before I do that, I would like to have you read what the owner of the restaurant has posted on his own web page:

“Pure Thai is a new Thai restaurant in Point Loma that was founded on the dream of Apisith Dischan, who grew up in a family that is accustomed to Thai food. His Father was a manager of Food and Beverage for over 30 years at the 5 star Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok. His mother also owned a Thai restaurant in Bangkok. He started cooking as an apprentice cook helper for his mom.

Fresh salad rolls. (all photos by Judi Curry)

 This experience taught him a wide range of cooking techniques. He learned how to keep up with a busy kitchen and soon cooking became almost second nature. When he got older, he joined the Dusit Thani hotel in the food and beverages department and refined his skills for more than five years before he left to pursue his dream in America. He has spent time study-ing the eating habits of Americans for many years. And when the time was right, he founded Pure Thai in Point Loma.

One of Apisiths main goals is to share with Americans the taste of authentic Thai food. His keys to making Thai food are to avoid MSG, use fresh ingredients and organic vegetables when available, keep everything clean and healthy, offer reasonable prices and be sure his food is always tasty. He sincerely hopes that everyone will love eating his food as much as he loves preparing it and will develop a love for Thai food as a result.”

The garlic pepper.

I had been in touch with Leo, a man that I had corresponded with from Ok/Cupid and asked him if he would like to join me tonight to review the restaurant. He said, in essence, that he never turned down a meal, and we arrived at the restaurant at 7:00pm. There were several tables occupied, and, in fact, I bumped into friends of mine that had just finished their meal. Throughout the night tables filled up; take-outs were plenty; and orders were picked up and/or delivered.

The menu is extensive, and has everything that one would need to start a meal and end a meal with everything in-between.

Unfortunately, Leo did not tell me he was a vegetarian and he let me order the appetizer – which was Fresh Salad Rolls, with the choice of shrimp or tofu. Not knowing his preference, and he wouldn’t tell me what it was, I ordered the shrimp rolls. It was stuffed with shrimp, fresh vegetables, rice noodles, bean sprouts, lettuce, mint leaves, and carrots wrapped in soft rice paper with peanut sauce. The cost was $5.95. They were delicious. Crispy, fresh, and melt in your mouth delicious. The accompanying peanut sauce was bland, and could have been a bit more spicy, but it was also very tasty. I got to take home the leftovers!

Hor-mok

Leo ordered the Garlic Pepper from the Entrée list. It was made with fresh garlic, pepper, cabbage, broccoli, carrots and cilantro. The cost was $7.95 because he ordered it with vegetables instead of a meat. (With meat it was slightly more expensive.) Throughout the meal he was in ecstasy, moaning at the sheer delight of the food. The veggies were cooked to perfection. Not a one was soggy; they were all crispy and made the meal almost an orgiastic performance. He said the sauce was fantastic as was the brown rice we ordered. (More about the brown rice in a minute.)

I ordered one of the more expensive items on the House Specialties menu. It is called “Hor-Mok” and it consisted of fresh shrimps, calamari, scallops, mussels, bell pepper and Thai basil stuffed in a young coconut with homemade curry sauce. It was $15.95, and worth every penny! If you look at the picture of this item you will see just how beautifully it was presented. And there was so much of it.

I took home almost half of what I had been served. Everything was cooked beautifully; the mussels were steamed; the shrimp was not over-cooked; the calamari was chewable; the scallops were succulent; the homemade curry sauce was absolutely delightful. The brown rice was so different than brown rice I have had a other establishments. The grains were large; well cooked; crisp; and truly added to the meal. Would I order the Hor-Mok again? Without question.

It goes without saying that both of us were very pleased with our choices; our taste-buds were satisfied, and the meal was one of the best Thai dinners I have had in a long time. I had also ordered the Thai Iced Tea with Boba ($3.50) and it was good but no different than any other I have had.

When the bill came I was  surprised to see two items at $1 each. Leo and I talked it over and thought that maybe they were charged for the take-out boxes that held my leftovers. That was not the case. When the waitress took our order she asked if we wanted white rice or brown rice. We both said “brown rice.” The $2 charge was an extra dollar each for having brown rice.

We were not aware of that; we were not told of the extra charge; in fact, it would not have made any difference, but I think we should have been told that a bowl of white rice was free – and a bowl of brown rice was $1. In looking over the take-home menu I do find that in very small letters it states that “entrees served with Jasmine rice (Brown rice) add $1.”  However, the printing is very small; the lighting is not conducive to reading a menu, and we totally missed the sentence. I think it should be explained to the diner the additional charge for brown rice at the time of the ordering. A very minor thing, reader, but still should be done. And, as I said earlier, the brown rice was some of the best I have ever had and I would order it again.

There is a dessert menu consisting of 6 items, ranging from $2.95 to $5.95, but we elected not to have any dessert because our meal was so filling.

Our total bill was $38. 18 and we left an 18% tip because the service was excellent; the waitresses and busser were always refilling our glasses; they all had a pleasant smile, and we were very comfortable in the surroundings. I should say there was one television set on showing a football game, but I did not hear any sound emanating from the set. It was an excellent meal and I will definitely go again.