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What's the vibe?
Romantic
1 of 1 said Romantic
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How much is an average meal?
Steep $$$$
1 of 1 said Steep $$$$
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What meal do they do best?
All of them
1 of 1 said All of them
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What makes this place special?
Vegetarian-friendly
1 of 1 said Vegetarian-friendly
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What's the dress code?
Casual
1 of 1 said Casual
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What's to drink?
I was sober
1 of 1 said I was sober
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Who would you bring here?
First date
1 of 1 said First date
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Can you order out?
Not sure
1 of 1 said Not sure
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Where's the best place to park?
Lot
1 of 1 said Lot
aunderscorek wrote about Nattiya Thai Restaurant
Walking in, I was reminded of walking into my Japanese and Korean neighbors houses when I was young, how the oily smells of East Asian cooking stuck to the walls in a fond, pleasant and comforting way. For a non-corner spot in a strip mall, Nattiya's did a lot with what they were given, decorating with beautiful lighting, tasteful wall art, smoothly linen-ed tables....
Now, going forward, it will hopefully make some more sense as to why each meal at this particular Thai restaurant is about $4-$5-per-plate more expensive than a similarly situated Thai restaurant.
A curry dish that cost $7-$8 elsewhere in San Diego would cost $11-$12 at Nattiya's. That's what that means.
Fortunately, Nattiya's is making very good Thai food. Is it $4-$5 better than another Thai place? I can't make that call, so make sure that this is a consideration.
The Thai iced tea arrived unsweetened with a small decanter of simple syrup. Thoughtful, since Thai iced tea is usually sweetened at the staff's discretion and not the customer's. Another touch of class that might be driving the bill up... just to consider...
I had Pad See Ew with mock duck, and asked for spiciness at a 6 (out of 10). It was warm, with lingering spiciness, well-rounded flavors, sticky noodles, and high-quality mock duck. The wife ordered green curry with mock duck, also terrific, very sweet with snappy, fresh vegetables and bamboo shoot. Her spiciness level was at a 4, and she'll likely go higher next visit.
The table was all smiles after the meal, but that bill was awfully high. Can you put a price on food that makes you smile? Again, this is just something to consider. However, also consider that there is probably no better place to get Thai food in San Marcos. In this regard, they've cornered the market and can price their food however they like, with little consumer backlash. Good for them. They could have also relaxed their standards and the quality of the food with such a position, but they still care. Beautiful restaurant with great food.
posted on March 28, 2011