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A new Thai place opened last month in a shopping center known as Rosanna Square at 119th and Blue Parkway (Metcalf). Tried to go there last week on Monday, when it's closed, and ended up at El Cipote instead.

Made it back for lunch today with Geo, and my moderate expectations were pretty much met. It was a fine lunch, and there is some promise, but I'm pretty sure I haven't found the Thai I've been looking for.

We ordered three dishes to share: hot basil wings, yum neua nam tok, and a fried catfish dish.

I had a chance to speak with the owner on our previous failed visit, asked about the availability of some traditional Thai dishes, and he said that, while they may not be on the menu, they could usually make them. He suggested I call ahead, which I didn't do today. They had no Isaan sausage or papaya salad makings on hand, unfortunately.

The hot basil wings, I asked our waitress if they were similar to kai thawt, or Thai fried chicken. Not quite, she said, but still very good. They were okay, I thought. The saucing was too sweet for my taste and the skin wasn't as crisp as I would like. Seemed probably satisfying in a P.F. Chang's kind of way (though I've never been to P.F. Chang's).

There was a Grilled Mint Beef Salad on the menu, which sounded like yum neua nam tok ("waterfall beef") and I asked if it was the same thing. No, but they could make the nam tok. This was my favorite dish, a spicy combination of beef, lime juice, fish sauce (not too noticeable here), mint, cilantro, chiles, and toasted rice powder. I'm not sure how many places in town you could get this, and it was served with sticky rice, a Thai staple that they've not had at Thai Place, Thai Paradise, or Thai Orchid.

The crispy catfish dish I'm not seeing on the takeout menu I have. The fish was very delicately fried, thoroughly crisp, and clean tasting. Liked that part. The sauce (a curry, maybe they called it?) was thick and sweet and reminiscent of Americanized Chinese. I can see how a lot of people would find it appealing, but it didn't seem very representative of Thai cooking to me, and I thought it a bit bland and sweet.

They brought out a couple bowls of tom yum soup before the meal, which was a nice touch.

The space is pleasant, with white tablecloths and a prominent, though small, bar in one corner. There are a couple large flat screens. The owner said he helped with the Thai Place chain, way back when, and there are certainly similarities. Again, he seemed willing to serve non-Thais the kind of food he makes for himself, so I find that encouraging, and it will probably warrant a return trip.

Hot Basil Thai Cuisine
7528 W 119th Street
Overland Park, KS 66213
913-451-3713

Also went there and the menu and flavor were Thai Palace all over. Had the Panang and it tasted the same... I was looking for it to be different in some ways but it was not. The price was a little on the expensive side for lunch. Not a bad place by any means, but until I have some of the dishes I cannot have in another Thai restaurant locally, I am going to call this one average.

LOL @ the P.F.Changs comment... I think I get what you are trying to say about a place you never eat at!

On the recommendation of Charles Ferruzza I checked out Hot Basil with a few friends last night. It was very good. I'm not Thai (and I don't play one on TV) so I don't know from authentic but I know what tastes good to me. We sampled a trio of apps (spring rolls, fried spring rolls, crab rangoon), a panang curry, cashew chicken w/veg and a beef pad thai. All were good with layers of fresh, bright flavor. My only complaint was that they could have been hotter - temperature-wise. They provided a nice set of the usual condiments so those of us who like heat could share with the wimps; that kind of heat was in good supply. I also got a papaya salad to go - since that's my litmus test for Thai restaurants. I had a few bites when I got home and it seemed to hit all of the right notes too. We'll definitely go back, although it's not exactly in our neck of the woods.

Thai food is my favorite and I've been wanting to try this place since hearing about it the board. I was recovering from a few nights of concerts (I know one of you on the board knows who was playing at the Midland!) with a well deserved day off so we ventured over there yesterday. Both of my friends ordered the Pad Thai Chicken and I ordered the Thai Cashew Chicken. All of our lunches included a crab rangoon and choice of salad or hot & sour soup - go for the soup - actually the best hot & sour soup I've ever had. Typically not much of fan but I found this excellent - spicy, but not ridiculous hot w/ small chucks of tofu, mushrooms and scallions. The Pad Thai was good, not as sweet as others I've tried - and they both ordered it mild so a little light on the spices for my pallet. Mine was a mixture of chicken, onions, carrots and cashews in sweet & spicy brown sauce served with rice.

The only negative was the table layouts... the place is small and the tables are fairly tight together. However, that won't stop me from returning!

"Seemed probably satisfying in a P.F. Chang's kind of way (though I've never been to P.F. Chang's)."

I feel like i've seen that statement before, probably from another one of Aaron's reviews. I've been having some issues trying to decide what that means. It means something different if your view of PF Chang isn't the same as everyone elses.

Are the things satisfying because you think they'll always be the same? or is it because its like eating comfort food? or is it because its a fried chicken wing and no matter what else you do to it, its hard to screw up?

Fair question, if I read it right. Tough to qualify since, of course, I haven't been to P.F. Chang's. I have been to a place called Big Bowl, a pan-Asian concept with a handful of outlets in Chicago, and though they are a little more noodle-oriented, seems similar in an Americanized, somewhat upscale American chain kind of way.

And that can be satisfying. Kind of like Houlihan's...probably not my first choice, but I like it better than Applebee's, say. More specifically, Asian places that dial up the sweet and dial down the hot or sour or fermented funk or places that use chunks of chicken breast instead of ground meet in the nam sod--they are sacrificing the flavors that I would prefer to find when I eat out. But I can still find a hot crab rangoon in sweet-and-sour sauce satisfying, even if it's not my first choice.

Does that make sense?

Aaron, Big Bowl is *infinitely* better than Chang's. I've tried Chang's on the Plahzah twice—I thought I must have hit them on a bad night the first time through, so I gave them another chance; unfortunately, I hit them on two bad nights in a row, as it turned out. Think homogenized then sweetened; think Stauffer's frozen entrée heated, not microwaved. Really mediocre. Lest I get them on three bad nights, I've given up giving them a chance.

In Kansas City, you want Asian? then go to an ethnic resto. That's your only chance to get representative food.

BTW Aaron, I'm back in Montréal at the moment, for the week. Yesterday I went to the best little dumpling shoppe I've ever found. Oh yum!

Back in KC next week.

Geo

Big Bowl? Ehhh! Have you been to the one downtown, just north of Rush? Nothing says "tasty Asian food" to me like a bowl the size of a Toyota.

Anyway, my post here is to let folks know that, for those of us who use travel a lot and use 'dining-for-miles' programs (United, Delta, American - it's actually all the same company), Hot Basil has just been added as a participating restaurant.

So has Sobahn Korean Restaurant, the next stop on the Great KC Korean Restaurant marathon.

Houlihans is a fine example of what is meant by "like pf changs. " I gotta admit, I'm a bit of a chinese food nut and pf chang's pisses me off...but that doesn't mean it isn't tasty. I find that to be true with all chop suey type places. It isn't chinese food but it is still very good. Americanized or not, who doesn't like fried cream cheese dumplings?

greasy, deep fried and covered in gravy....comforting? you bet!

and yes, i think we all like houlihans better than applebees. I believe its a slightly more acceptable version of the fast casual applebees/chilis places. Its clean, it looks nice, and the thai chicken wings are fantastic.

Had another lunch at Hot Basil this past week with the kids.

Crab rangoon (a must for the boys), chicken satay, spring rolls, green chicken curry, and pork laab.

Definitely a satisfying meal. The green curry was excellent. Interesting that rather than quartered Thai eggplants (which maybe are difficult to get?) they use a regular eggplant, skinned and chopped into chunks. Works pretty well.

The pork laab was okay, but the dressing was only one or two notes (sweet, hot), without the wonderful medley of sour, funky, or citrusy that elevates a first-rate rendition of the dish. Very fresh, nevertheless.

Remains a solid spot.