Traditional Thai cuisine is balanced with an industrial nouveau decor at this small SOMA restaurant.
(510) 343-6953
1175 Folsom St
(Eighth Street)
San Francisco,
CA
94103
37.7753
-122.4093
Neighborhoods: Central East, SoMa, SoMa (South of Market)
Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:45pm, 5pm-10pm
Fri 11:30am-2:45pm, 5pm-10:15pm
Sat 5pm-10:15pm
Sun 5pm-10pm
Basil Thai Restaurant & Bar
Last updated 9.05.09
What People Are Saying About Basil Thai
The Owner
Basil Thai
Owner
What sets this Thai restaurant apart is its stylish interior crafted by co-owner Todd Sirimongkolvit, an architecture student at UC Berkeley. The wall between the restaurant and the building next door has been opened up with floor-to-ceiling glass bricks, and the large expanses have been broken up with yellow columns. The concrete-topped bar is backed with a midnight-blue wall; the same color is picked up on the glass shades of arched chrome wall sconces on the opposite wall. White tablecloths covered with white paper, bistro-style chairs, a dark wood floor and huge flower arrangements at the…
The Editor
Chelsea Lin
Citysearch
Good Thai food is not hard to come by in SF; good upscale Thai food--the sort to impress those out-of-state visitors who expect such things in the city--is. Challenging the high-end Thai hegemony currently held by the Osha empire is this Folsom restaurant, stunning in it's modern decor and appetizing in its affordable, authentic Thai cuisine. The airy, minimalist eatery is anchored by a glass brick wall that lets lunchtime crowds bathe in afternoon light while dining on specials of grilled chicken with papaya salad, yellow curry and rice or pan-fried noodles. Dinner is frequently less crowded…
05/12/09
One of the worst meals ever
by rakeshlobster
I don't think I've been to a restaurant this bad in a long time. The skirt steak with peanut sauce arrived cold. The meat was charred (ordered medium) and the peanut sauce was a goopy mess.
Other food on our table was similarly bad.
- Cons: Awful, overpriced food.
12/27/06
Unimpressive food, bad service
by jmand
Lacking in flavor and authenticity. They bring out shrimp chips when you sit down, which was tacky. Unless they are for kids, shrimp chips are really only good as a garnish. Our appetizer, the corn and bean cake fritters, was tasteless and cold. I ordered vegetables in green curry for my entree. The curry should permeate the vegetables and provide rich flavor when it's done right, but these vegetables were tasteless. Even worse, the curry did not contain the spices typically found in curry--it was more like sauce with lots of pepper. Worst of all, however, was the service. When you go to an American restaurant, the waiters don't take away your bread basket. These guys wanted to take away the shrimp chips after we ordered. Also, we had a lot of leftovers at the end of the meal, and the waiter never asked us if we wanted a box, just started gathering the dishes without a word. When we informed him that we wanted to take the leftovers home, I mentioned that I wanted to bring my rice as well. The rice never ended up in my box. Avoid this place. There are much better Thai places in the city, like Narin on Clement.
- Cons: Poor service, pretentious
08/21/06
great music, great food
by akfj
My husband and I just went and really enjoyed it. They have a jazz trio that plays on Monday nights which was a total surprise especially when many restaurants are closed on Mondays. We loved the corn bean cakes for an appetizer. I had the pad see ew which was great but my very-picky-Thai-eater husband had the lamb curry and though he said it could've been spicier, it didn't stop him from wolfing down the whole thing. We parked easily one block away. And then continued on to the Metreon for a movie. Great night!
The Details on Basil Thai
Know Before You Go:
Basil has a sister restaurant at 1489 Folsom St. (just a few blocks away) that focuses more on Bangkok-style street food.
What to Drink:
Thai iced tea and iced coffee is almost sickeningly sweet on their own, but combined with some of the spicier dishes, they're a welcome reprieve.
Category:
Thai, Banquet Rooms, Restaurants
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Cuisine:
Message from Basil Thai
- Authentic Thai cuisine
- Modern bistro-style decor
- Wine & dessert offered
What sets this Thai restaurant apart is its stylish interior crafted by co-owner Todd Sirimongkolvit, an architecture student at UC Berkeley. The wall between the restaurant and the building next door has been opened up with floor-to-ceiling glass bricks, and the large expanses have been broken up with yellow columns. The concrete-topped bar is backed with a midnight-blue wall; the same color is picked up on the glass shades of arched chrome wall sconces on the opposite wall. White tablecloths covered with white paper, bistro-style chairs, a dark wood floor and huge flower arrangements at the door complete the modern look.
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