Thai Pavilion - 23-92 21st Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.274.2088
718.274.2088
N/W Train to Astoria Blvd
www.thaipavilionnyc.com
I enjoy Thai food and Astoria has some good options with Wave Thai, Thai Elephant, Bangkok Tasty and others. In addition to these restaurants, I've also heard good things about Thai Pavilion, which now has two locations--one on 30th Avenue and the other near Astoria Park. I recently visited the latter location with mixed results. While I wasn't completely disappointed, I'm not rushing to go back.
Atmosphere:
Located on the ground floor of the large Pistilli building on 24th Avenue and 21st Street, Thai Pavilion is neighbor to Da Franco Italian restaurant. The two establishments are so different that they're not competitive.
The space at Thai Pavilion is really expansive - I think a little too much so, given that it's never full. There's an outdoor area to sit, which is nice, especially on a warm day like today. Interior decor is modern and simplistic but a little devoid of character. I like when Asian restaurants insert their own cultural touches into decor, whether it's through art, music or little embellishments such as good luck charms and symbolic figures. Sadly, this location had none of that.
Food:
I'd call the food mediocre - while there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, it just didn't excite us. I was sorry this was the case, as I usually really enjoy Thai food.
Vegetable Dumplings - We ordered these as a starter and looked forward to them. They arrived piping hot in their full fried glory. While they looked impressive, with a crunchy crust, once we bit into them, Meg and I both thought they were too oily. Of course, I know that when you get something fried, some extra oil is normal but this was too much. The inside of the dumpling was really good, filled with scallions and slightly sticky dough. We each had a small bite but couldn't finish it because of the excessive oiliness.
Pad Khow-Pod - My main course was a stir fry dish, which I ordered with chicken. It consisted of a mixture of sautéed baby corn, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers. The veggies were really delicious and I especially loved the baby corn - it's one of my favorite ingredients in stir fry and I think it goes great with soy sauce. My only complaint was about the chicken (ummm...the main ingredient). It had a weird aftertaste and I question the quality. As a result, I left most of it on my plate.
Eggplant Dish - Meg went all vegetarian and ordered an eggplant stir fry with chili, garlic, onions, basil leaves and bell peppers. Our waiter warned her that it's a bit spicy but she didn't mind. While I didn't try her dish, she said it was just mediocre and the eggplant was a bit tough.
Service and Cost:
I enjoy Thai food and Astoria has some good options with Wave Thai, Thai Elephant, Bangkok Tasty and others. In addition to these restaurants, I've also heard good things about Thai Pavilion, which now has two locations--one on 30th Avenue and the other near Astoria Park. I recently visited the latter location with mixed results. While I wasn't completely disappointed, I'm not rushing to go back.
Atmosphere:
Located on the ground floor of the large Pistilli building on 24th Avenue and 21st Street, Thai Pavilion is neighbor to Da Franco Italian restaurant. The two establishments are so different that they're not competitive.
The space at Thai Pavilion is really expansive - I think a little too much so, given that it's never full. There's an outdoor area to sit, which is nice, especially on a warm day like today. Interior decor is modern and simplistic but a little devoid of character. I like when Asian restaurants insert their own cultural touches into decor, whether it's through art, music or little embellishments such as good luck charms and symbolic figures. Sadly, this location had none of that.
Food:
I'd call the food mediocre - while there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, it just didn't excite us. I was sorry this was the case, as I usually really enjoy Thai food.
Vegetable Dumplings - We ordered these as a starter and looked forward to them. They arrived piping hot in their full fried glory. While they looked impressive, with a crunchy crust, once we bit into them, Meg and I both thought they were too oily. Of course, I know that when you get something fried, some extra oil is normal but this was too much. The inside of the dumpling was really good, filled with scallions and slightly sticky dough. We each had a small bite but couldn't finish it because of the excessive oiliness.
Pad Khow-Pod - My main course was a stir fry dish, which I ordered with chicken. It consisted of a mixture of sautéed baby corn, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers. The veggies were really delicious and I especially loved the baby corn - it's one of my favorite ingredients in stir fry and I think it goes great with soy sauce. My only complaint was about the chicken (ummm...the main ingredient). It had a weird aftertaste and I question the quality. As a result, I left most of it on my plate.
Eggplant Dish - Meg went all vegetarian and ordered an eggplant stir fry with chili, garlic, onions, basil leaves and bell peppers. Our waiter warned her that it's a bit spicy but she didn't mind. While I didn't try her dish, she said it was just mediocre and the eggplant was a bit tough.
Service and Cost:
Our server was nice and treated us well. I liked that our appetizer came out quickly, and the entrees were brought out in good time as well. Once our other friends showed up for cocktails at the end of the meal, we weren't rushed out to leave. It was nice to know that we can just chill and hang out as long as we wanted.
Costs are very reasonable, as is the case with Thai restaurants:
Appetizers: $5-$8
Salads: $5-$9
Stir Fry: $9-$12
Noodles: $7-$9
Lunch Special: $7-$9
1.5 Mmmms
Costs are very reasonable, as is the case with Thai restaurants:
Appetizers: $5-$8
Salads: $5-$9
Stir Fry: $9-$12
Noodles: $7-$9
Lunch Special: $7-$9
1.5 Mmmms
