Thai Basil

In less than a year, the number of Thai restaurants in Central Phoenix has doubled. Newcomers Thai Hut and Thai Elephant have joined the established favorites Wild Thaiger and Thai Rama in providing curries, satay, and other flavor from southeast Asia to heat-seeking diners in Downtown and Midtown. The latest addition is a location of Thai Basil, a small local chain that originated in Tempe and has now spread to Chandler, Ahwatukee and its latest location at Park Central in Midtown, approximately halfway between the Osborn / Central Avenue and the Thomas / Central Avenue stations.

The Park Central location is an interesting and somewhat bold choice. Park Central was the area's first suburban mall at a time when Thomas Road was considered the northern frontier of Phoenix. Since then, it has declined as a shopping center while the Midtown business district has grown up around it. Despite periodic announcements of ambitious redevelopment plans, Park Central has largely been converted to call centers and an extension of St. Joseph's Hospital, which is located immediately to the west. Only a restaurant row facing Central Avenue reminds customers that this place was once a retail mecca. Thai Basil sits right in the middle of that restaurant row and offers more flavorful food than most of its neighbors.

If the menu at Thai Basil's Midtown location appears remarkably familiar, it's because it is not only virtually identical to the one seen at other Thai Basil sites, but also at its sister restaurant Thai Elephant on Adams Street in Downtown. All of these restaurants, which are reportedly owned by members of the same family, have a broad menu based on a modular approach. Basically, customers choose a sauce or preparation style and then select a protein source to go with it. The only real difference is that Thai Basil at Park Central seems to tap the brakes on the spice a little more than its Downtown counterpart.

Still, the food usually achieves the balance between salty, sour, sweet, and spicy components that characterizes Thai cooking. There are the usual red, green, yellow, and massaman curries, along with a panang (right photo below) that is rich in peanut flavor. The stir fry dishes include the restaurant's namesake dish with abundant leaves of Thai basil, a close relative of the more common sweet basil known to most Americans from Italian cooking. The restaurant also makes impressive stir-fry dishes with slender, purple-skinned Japanese eggplant (center photo below). Noodles are not neglected, with pad thai and pad see ew both available with a variety of meats and vegetables.

Most dishes are served in full sizes suitable for sharing at dinner. At lunch, the same dishes are presented in smaller portions with rice, a small vegetable spring roll, and an almost pointless iceberg salad. Better a-la-carte salad options include the green papaya salad, and a similar salad made from mangos when in season. Thai Basil does not yet have a liquor license, but the limeade, which balances a slight saltiness with sweet and tart flavors is a good non-alcoholic beverage choice. Thai Basil is open for lunch and dinner throughout the week. The interior of the restaurant is small, but the extensive patio seating is cooled by numerous ceiling fans and remains reasonably comfortable even in 110-degree summer heat.

3110 N. Central Ave., #181, Phoenix, AZ, 85012 | Map
(602) 274-5020

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