Beau Thai

On one of those "we're way too exhausted to cook" nights, B said he was in the mood for Thai food.  Thankfully, our friends had just mentioned that they really enjoyed Beau Thai in Mt. Pleasant.  Remembering that they also have a Shaw location, I called them to see if they'd deliver to us on the outskirts of Shaw.  They happily agreed to deliver and I happily set about ordering a random assortment of dishes.

About 30 minutes later, the delivery driver called and dinner was ready.  It was a little awkward because the driver didn't get out of his car and I had to look in the windows of three different cars in our building's driveway to see who had my food.  Most drivers wait in the lobby, so he gets a few minus points for that.  However, I'll overlook it because they were speedy and I like that they take credit cards.

The food arrived hot and in sturdy non-styrofoam packaging.  The crispy tofu wrapped in sesame seeds retained its crunch, which is no small feat for delivery food.

Two thumbs up (awww, RIP Roger Ebert) to their signature Beau Thai Chicken: lightly battered chicken tossed in a spicy garlic sauce and string beans, served with white jasmine rice.

The papaya salad was a little heavy on the Thai lime dressing but otherwise a refreshing way to end the meal.

We were happy with our first Beau Thai delivery experience. One thing to understand before you order is that it's not cheapo bulk Thai food.  You aren't going to get days of leftovers for $5.  Instead, it's high quality food served in smaller portions than we're used to for takeout.  If you want mega American-style portions, it's probably a good idea to order more dishes than you normally would.

Have you been to Beau Thai?  How is the dining-in experience?

Second Thoughts From B

Half the fun of having Thai or other Asian food delivered to your home is the next day's leftovers.  The business model of inexpensive mountains of food piled high over rice or noodles is well known.  But Beau Thai seems to be trying to break the mold.  Is there such a thing as "gourmet delivery"?

Call me old fashioned but as good as Beau Thai was, I missed the delivery experience.  I missed the enormous portions of mystery meat slathered in overly sweet or hypersalty sauces that mixed perfectly with white rice.  I missed the soggy vegetables and copious amounts of individually packaged condiments.  I missed the gluttonous waddle to the kitchen to find 47 pieces of mismatched Tupperware to store the rest of our bounty.  And most of all, I missed the soupy, mushy, deliciousness reemerging from the fridge the next day on the fast track to the microwave.  That is what delivery is in my mind.  It is not good for you and it certainly isn't gourmet, but it is familiar and wonderful.  I missed that with Beau Thai. 

Beau Thai should be commended for trying to elevate delivery.  They were effective in bringing the restaurant experience to our home.  But it seems that my little reptilian brain couldn't handle it.  So I guess we'll have to enjoy their food in their restaurant next time because as disoriented as I was, it was tasty.