Thai Angel

Thai Angel
1968 Lombard St (Buchanan/ Laguna), 415 674-8091, open 7 days, lunch 11:30am-3pm, dinner 5-10pm.

There is a profusion of Thai restaurants in San Francisco, in a wide range of prices. We visited Thai Angel after two fans that read my reviews regularly recommended it. In other words, they considered it not only very good but affordable. We had a little trouble finding it, since it is in a location that is easy to overlook. We found the food as good as in our favorite Tai restaurants, but we also found it a little pricier than Thai restaurants with comparable good cuisine. Also, I was disappointed that they do not have a special lunch, as do most oriental restaurants. When I voiced this to the cook-owner, he immediately said he would give us a free salad with our entrees. This made the lunch more or less affordable. A plus was the large and tasty portions. I believe that 4 persons could eat a reasonably priced family-style meal by ordering one soup, appetizer, or salad, and 3 main dishes, plus rice. Tea is on the expensive side, at $1.50 with refills. A dessert of coconut ice cream at $3.00 could be shared. The total bill would be not be much more than $10.00 per person for a tasty repast.

I found some prices too high, e.g., local beer $3.50 ($2.50 in most restaurants), Chef’s Suggestions’ jumbo prawn dishes may sound high at $12.95, but each contains 7 tiger prawns, is unusually good and ample, and can easily be included in a family dinner for 2-4 persons. (Incidentally, these prawns cost $1.00 each at local fish markets).

Lunch – two persons who order two main dishes, e.g., one curry and one special plate, plus rice, would receive a free salad. I guess this would also be good for dishes ordered a la carte at dinner. Ask.

Appetizers include spring rolls (4 pieces) stuffed with vegetable and glass noodles and served with a sweet and sour sauce $6.50, Thai Angel wings (8 pieces), served with a special sauce $6.95, marinated grilled chicken satay, served with a cucumber salad $6.50, deep-fried shrimp wrapped in an egg roll, served with sweet and sour sauce $7.50, sliced boneless duck in spicy lime dressing, onion, and chili oil $7.50. All these are large portions and can be shared.

Soups and salads, include spicy and sour soup with mushrooms, tomatoes, chicken or vegetables, and lemon grass $7.50, with prawns instead of chicken add $1.50, mild soup with coconut milk, lemon grass, and galanga $7.50, with prawns add $1.50, salad of combination seafood with lemon grass, mushrooms, basil, fresh chilies, tomatoes, and roasted peanuts $7.50, papaya salad with shredded mixed papaya mixed with tomatoes, green beans, garlic, and roasted peanuts $6.85.

Curries (Thai specialty), six kinds, all with chicken, pork, beef or fried tofu, and all with coconut milk, include green curry with zucchini, eggplant, and bamboo shoots $7.50, with prawns add $1.50, Penang curry with bell peppers, broccoli, and baby corn $7.50, yellow curry with mushrooms and onions $7.50, red curry with eggplant, zucchini bell peppers, and bamboo shoots $7.50, roasted duck curry with sliced boneless duck, in red curry sauce, tomato, zucchini, pineapple, and bell peppers $9.50, with prawns add $1.50.

BBQ – charbroiled marinated pork, served with sweet and sour sauce $7.50, charbroiled marinated top sirloin, served with a spicy lemon juice sauce $7.50.

Fried rice and noodles include Angel fried rice with pineapple, jasmine fried rice with egg, prawns, onion, tomatoes, raisins, and cashew nuts $6.85, Pad Thai (recommended) rice noodles stir-fried with egg, green onions, bean sprouts, topped with ground peanuts $6.85, stir-fried silver noodles with tomatoes, onions, egg and shittake mushrooms $7.50.

Thai Angel Plates, 10 choices, include Imperial beef sautéed with broccoli in oyster sauce $7.50, spicy basic eggplant sautéed with fresh chili, garlic, bell peppers, basil, and black bean sauce $7.50, steamed spinach, mushrooms, topped with peanuts, and choice of chicken or fried tofu $7.50, spicy chicken sautéed with basil, chili, garlic, bell pepper, onions, baby corn, and mushrooms $7.50, with prawns add $1.50, chicken with cashew nuts, sautéed with onions, garlic, bell pepper, dried chili, scallions, and cashew nuts $7.50, asparagus spears sautéed with whole shittake mushrooms, zucchini, cauliflower in a garlic sauce $7.50.

Chef’s Suggestions include fried jumbo prawns (7 pieces) in a choo chee curry sauce with peas, zucchini, bell peppers, and Kirfir leaves $12.95, garlic prawns sautéed with garlic and black pepper $12.95, Phuket Island seafood sautéed with a garlic curry sauce, bell peppers, and lime leaves $12.95.

Side orders include jasmine rice $1,00 per person, cucumber salad $1.50.

Beverages include hot Thai tea or coffee $1.50, Thai iced tea or coffee $1.95, Thai or import beer $3.50, local beer $3.50 (overpriced!). Wine $6.50 a glass, is expensive, but a bottle of good California wine at $18.00 is acceptable.

Desserts include cheesecake or coconut ice cream $3.00.

Conclusion. I debated about including a review of this restaurant in a column called “affordable dining”, but concluded that the cuisine was so good, and the portions so large, that it is worth doing. Add to that, the anonymous recommendations of diners who have read a number of my reviews and who respect affordable dining.