Where is the Best Thai Food in Columbus, Ohio?
We were delighted from start to finish with our experience at the Hunan Lion. Our first visit was for weekday lunch. Hunan has a white tablecloth dining room, Dockers are probably more appropriate than jeans, but it’s certainly not pretentious by any stretch. Appetizers were Thai rolls with plum sauce, and they were excellent! Our entrees were Hunan Beef and a selection from their Thai menu, Chicken Curry. Both were top quality, and the portions were just right; we had leftovers to take home. Service was very good also – we did struggle a little with the language barrier. Most of the clients during lunch appeared to be local businessmen, with a mix of locals. Overall, the best Chinese (and Thai) I have had so far in the Columbus area.Pros + Quality of foodCons – Location in a strip mall
Although this restaurant is one that caters to the carry-out Chinese dining set, only the most snobbish sort would fail to enjoy the gentle attention of the host in any setting. But what most of us go to a restaurant for is the food, and if you are a connoisseur of Thai curries or just enjoy the exotic, you will not be disappointed.
For appetizers, we chose Chicken Curry Puff, which was a yellow chicken and potato curry encased in the perfect crispness of puff pastry served with a refreshing salad of cucumbers and ground peanuts in sweet vinegar. Our only complaint was that we finished it too quickly! (You might want to order two if there are more than two of you dining.)
For soup, we ordered Tom Kah Gai, which is chicken in coconut milk with lemon juice and galonga (a fibrous root reminiscent of ginger–nibble for a flavor burst, but don’t try to eat it). There were also mushrooms and a few fresh tomato wedges. This soup surpassed any soup I have ever eaten! It is
My husband and I just went tonight and I had to write a review b/c it was a nice experience! We started w/Thai Iced Tea -you have to try it. You can order the dishes any spiciness you want – from mild/not spicy to knock-your-socks-off spicy. We had the Tom Yum chicken soup – delicious stock with mushrooms, chicken, tomato, and green onion garnishing. For entrees, we had Gang Dang w/ chicken – red curry with bamboo, green peppers, and another curry with potato and carrots (cannot recall the name). We went all out and also got dessert this time too – fried bananas (so good, my fav) and fried ice cream (my husbands fav)! The service from our waiter was excellent as well – he made the experience extra special. We will definitely be going back again soon.Pros + Service, Quality, ValueCons – Take out takes awhile, Not enough booths
I’ve been to Lemongrass numerous occasions. The crowd there has both younger professionals, as well as occasional families. They’ve been much busier lately and although I never make reservations, they can normally seat us in a timely manner. The kitchen closes pretty early, so late late dinners are out of the question. The staff there is friendly, but at times slow. The kitchen is fast though, so our wait time for our en trees to come out is typically short. The pad thai there is phenomenal. I’ve been to Thailand and had traditional pad thai and still find lemongrass’s pad thai delicious. Tip: Ask for extra ground peanuts and it makes the pad thai even better! The mango mousse dessert is delicious as well. Good atmosphere, reasonably priced.Pros + Variety of meal choices, great prices, friendly environmentCons – slow servers at times, kitchen closes early
I’m not crazy about Thai Orchid. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just didn’t much like the atmosphere; a little pretentious somehow. My husband loves the food (he used to go there for take-out all the time before we met) but I find it too spicy, even when I order something they say is mild. The service is very good, however, and you are waited on hand and foot. It would be a nice place for a romantic date or anniversary.Pros + Romantic & elegant, Excellent serviceCons – Not v good value, Parking
