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Sawatdee Thai Restaurant

karameister
karameister
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
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Editor Pick

Sawatdee

  • November 14, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
This Thai restaurant is located in a former warehouse on the north side of Washington St. It’s not far from the new Guthrie, and a short walk from the Depot hotel where we stayed on our most recent visit. I had two meals here on separate trips, walking from both of those locations.

Both featured great food and so-so to poor service. This is one of several locations scattered throughout the metro area by Thai entrepreneur Supenn Harrison, who claims to have opened the first Thai restaurant in the upper Midwest in 1983. The name comes from a Thai phrase that is roughly equivalent to ‘aloha’. The central Minneapolis location has several booths in the large front windows, with a fairly extensive and carefully decorated interior behind these front row seats. These booths were great for an early evening summer meal, with the late afternoon sun bringing out the colors on all the brick buildings nearby.

On my first visit, I had the Massamun Curry with Beef, which I selected after wrestling with the extensive menu. There are upwards of 40 entrees, and everything seemed like a good choice, so I ended up hurriedly picking something from near the top of the menu when our server came (the peanuts caught my eye). This stick-to-your-ribs combination of beef and potatoes came without the more liquid sauces of traditional red or green curries, and I later learned (not surprisingly) that it’s actually an Indian dish.

On the more recent visit, our group of eight was seated in a table halfway back along the wall. Even though it’s a large, spacious and high ceilinged room, we didn’t have too much trouble hearing each other. We started with appetizers of fresh spring rolls (fantastic) and chicken satay (I think it was good, but ask my kids—they finished most of it). This time I had the red curry with shrimp, which had an ample serving of the little critters in a mildly spiced sauce. My wife ordered the Pad Thai, which was also delicious. The servings were very large, and my kids didn’t come close to finishing theirs, allowing for a healthy sampling of several other dishes.

The only drawback was the service. Our server was dressed in a traditional Thai outfit, and was friendly and attentive until she’d taken our orders. It was difficult to get her attention after that, and we had to ask more than once for the second round of beverages we’d ordered. When the bill came, it had eight entrees when we’d only ordered seven, and she wasn’t terribly friendly or helpful about correcting the mistake (or accurate). My brother, a soon-to-be-former local and frequenter of this place, smiled knowingly when I described our problem. Nonetheless, I’d come back for the food.

From journal Gotta Eat, Gotta Sleep: Lodging & Dining in Minneapolis

Sawatdee

  • July 27, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by karameister from Saint Paul, Minnesota

Even though Sawatdee is a local chain, which some may shudder at, they do great Thai food. Sawatdee’s dishes have just the right amount of spice, are well-proportioned between meat, veggies, and noodles, and leave you feeling full.

Sawatdee has several locations stationed throughout the area, but this particular location is my favorite. It is dimly lit, with fantastic decorations. The inside looks like it was an old warehouse, with very high ceilings. The restaurant is quiet enough that conversation is very easy.

The beautiful thing about the food at Sawatdee is the spiciness. They ask you how spicy you would like your dish and try to get it as accurate to your specifications as possible. The Pad Thai is excellent - they use their red peppers well and don't skimp on vegetables! They have somewhere between 40 and 50 choices for entrees and many appetizers.

Sawatdee's chefs also offer cooking classes on a regular basis. Visit the Sawatdee website for more information.

From journal Eating up the Twin Cities

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