5 out of 5 stars

Peking Garden was a great find- I daresay a hidden gem. Though it lies on the corner of a not-so-savory strip mall, the interior has a kind of log-cabin vibe with a pretty koi pond. It would be a great date location.

Kung Pao Chicken

I ordered hubby some Mala tofu and some hot and sour soup to take home. He enjoyed both and found them quite spicy! So if they tell you something is spicy, don’t doubt it, but you can certainly order it mild like my mom did. Both the brown and white rice were an ideal consistency, slightly sticky and not dry at all.

I look forward to my next meal here- I’d love to try one of the specialties. News and Observer recommends many of the dishes, including the sweet Peking Shredded Pork.

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4 out of 5 stars

Stopped here for lunch with co-workers – the caveat is that I ate at the buffet, which we all know is not something you should judge a place on. While the decor is somewhat typical – mismatched pastels and randomness, service was brisk.

What I liked about Fortune Palace was that they have a different take on the classic entrees, it has a more authentic feel (what am I, an expert?) and was fresher tasting. The dumplings were better than many I’ve had here, but that doesn’t say much because the selection of chinese in Raleigh is pathetic.

A random selection of comments from table mates would include – spring rolls were too greasy, hot and sour soup was just ok (a usual occurrence around here as well), love the fried green beans. We loved the basil beef in the buffet, as well as the other options which were less memorable but the meat was tender and the veggies were varied and tasty, not wilty and damp like you often see.

I’d go back, for sure, and am giving them the benefit of the doubt because of the buffet handicap. Brad tells us that dinners are delightful and they make an art form out of carved veggies on your plate. He also often sees people roping off the front section for asian banquets, which has to be a good sign.

Fortune Palace Chinese Restaurant
2815 Brentwood Rd
Raleigh, NC 27604
(919) 850-0086

4 out of 5 stars

This is the best of the Raleigh area Thai I’ve had so far, but admittedly that doesn’t mean much since I’ve only been to one other place. However once I managed to find my way to this tiny little place in a neglected strip mall, I was impressed by the bright decor and the very fast speed with which the entrees arrived. I ordered pad thai and was very happy with it, the ingredients were extremely fresh. The steamed dumplings were also tasty, with a bit of a crunch to them. I can’t wait to go back and try some of the other dishes.

Sawasdee Thai
3601 Capital Blvd Ste 107
Raleigh, NC 27604
(919) 878-0049

4 out of 5 stars 

This place is hip and has a great amount of selection of interesting Japanese and Thai food.  My husband and I tried mostly sushi selections, including their interesting take on dynamite (a non-spicy version with tasty smoky freshly grilled fish).  I had a great time trying to photograph my husband as he ate the wasabi roll, which is incredibly spicy with wasabi.  He loved it but it was pretty intense.  We ordered a traditional homemade dessert – small sweet potato balls in a warmed sweetened coconut milk with freshly shaved coconut on top.  Not very sweet but very interesting!

I also enjoyed my drink, a purple haze martini in a pretty glass.  It looks like the lounge in the section next to the dining room would be a fun place to meet friends for drinks.  Service was great also.  I can't wait to go back here and try some of the cooked dishes.

5 out of 5 stars 

Cafe Siam – Delightful New Thai Place

I took a chance on a new local Thai place with some coworkers and we were pleasantly surprised. They have a menu with lots of choices, and different prices for lunch entrees and dinner entrees. Bu tthe best deal is the lunch special, which gives you a choice of two entrees. It comes with appetizer or salad, soup, and dessert for only $8.95.

Our choices that day were chicken pad thai or sweet and sour beef. I chose the pad thai and thought it was delicious, with plenty of sauce, tender chicken and egg bits, and of course bean sprouts and some ground peanuts. It was a plentiful helping that I couldn't finish. A friend ordered the beef and thought it was delicious as well, it included some very fresh-looking red and green peppers and onions in a reddish sauce with a side of rice.

Here are pics of two of their dishes:

Shrimp Salad

Chicken Pad Thai from Mealme.com (my favorite)

I thought it a little odd that they didn't have any limes when I asked for one, but other than that the meal was wonderful. The salad was small but with a tasty dressing which tasted peanutty and with a ginger flavor. The soup was good, with ground chicken and cilantro and rice.  On another visit I have tried a coconut chicken soup with a little bite to it that was also delicious without being too rich.  The wontons were ok, with just a little bit of filling, but the curry puffs are amazing, with some sweet potato and a lot of savory curry flavor. The dessert was a nice touch, it a small coconut custardy pudding. They also have ice cream if you prefer that.

Since my first visit I have been back here many times, and I love it.  Service is great and the staff are very friendly. 

Hours:
Monday through Saturday
11 AM to 2:30 PM, 4:30 PM to 10 PM
Sunday
4:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Cafe Siam

802 SE 5th Avenue (southbound Federal Highway)

Delray Beach, FL 33444

(561) 279-4199

4 out of 5 stars

Tasty affordable Thai in an unexpected spot

I had never tried this Thai place because it is in one of the most unattractive shopping centers in the area. The shopping center was hit hard during last years' hurricanes and they are only now starting to renovate and improve it. But a colleague tried this place out last week and wanted to return already!

Chaiyo is in a building that used to be a Miami Subs, but has been wonderfully redone inside. The booths and walls have artistically carved wooden sculpture and colorful tapestries hang from the ceiling. The tables all have fresh flowers as well, and guests have the option of sitting at the traditional tables, sitting cross-legged.

I was here for lunch and had prawn pad thai, which comes with soup or salad for $9.95. It was very good, with large shrimp that were tender and fresh. The soup is a slightly sour chicken soup with mushrooms.  My friend ordered the drunken noodles with beef, and the flavor was good but we found the beef a little "wilty".  It probably would have been better with chicken or if the restaurant used a higher quality beef.

This place has great service and is definitely worth a shot, especially for their affordable lunch specials.

This website has a picture of the inside decor.

Chaiyo Thai Bistro

14800 S.Military Trail

Delray Beach, FL 33484

2 out of 5 stars

Asian Fusion Hit or Miss

I've spoken to a number of people who are gaga about this place, but I have been here twice and had completely different experiences both times. The first time I went with my husband, we ordered a sashimi appetizer that comes with a hot rock that you use to sear your own fish on top of. It was slightly messy but a fun experiment, and tasty. Then for our entrees, we ordered two different noodle dishes. I didn't especially enjoy mine, but I thought it was because I experimented too much with a peanut concoction. Husband loved his meal. This was also shortly after Lemongrass opened, and before it was discovered by locals and tourists alike.

The next time we went here we had a gift certificate. Hubby ordered a lobster dish (in fact, it was recommended to us by the giver). His lobster was tough and flavorless. Not a good thing for such an expensive dish! My dish was just okay, but nothing worth taking leftovers home for.

For such an expensive restaurant, I feel that Lemongrass should get their act together. Many people who love this place only order sushi here, so that may be more of their specialty. The sushi here is more expensive than most places, so I haven't tried it. Lemongrass is also guilty of crowding tables together. We were practically in our neighbor's laps on our last visit, and it's uncomfortable being so close to another party that you almost want to jump into their conversation and tell them to shut up. Of course the space is so small, that without crowding the guests, they wouldn't really be able to fit many tables inside. So perhaps outside seating is a better choice here.

Still, this place packs them in every night. Whenever I drive past, there are always tables full of people. So perhaps I've judged it too harshly. But I don't have the finances or the foodie patience to give it another shot for a while.

5 out of 5 stars

This is my favorite sushi restaurant in Delray Beach. They have consistently excellent Thai and Sushi dishes, focusing more on the Thai selection. The sushi is always fresh although the variety of rolls offered is not very large. They do have a decent selection of sashimi, though, and will make different types of custom rolls if you ask them.  The thai dishes and cooked dishes in the lunch combos are suprisingly good. The service is normally very good here (no problem with subsitutions or separate checks) and the decor is very modern and zen-like. They even keep fresh floral arrangements at all times.  Even the bathroom is like a spa inside!

For a place that looks so beautiful on the inside, the prices are very reasonable. My accomplices and I used to go here once or twice a week but have not been in a while because the last two times I have gone service was not as good and the sushi chef had changed, leading to the dreaded mayonnaisey volcano roll.  If you'd like to try them out you can get a discounted gift certificate by going to Southfloridadines.com .

Ziree Thai & Sushi

401 W. Atlantic Ave

Delray Beach, FL 33444

(561) 276-6549

4 out of 5 stars

Bluefin consistently performs

I can only comment about the sushi at Bluefin because I have never ordered any of the cooked dishes. Bluefin is normally packed by noon because it is near many corporate complexes. They satisfy time after time with a wonderful sushi selection, the freshest fish (including bluefin tuna of course), and good service. They have decently priced (for sushi) lunch box selections, including unagi don, my husband's favorite. He just loves eel!

Bluefin has a contemporary interior with mostly comfortable seating. They play food network constantly on a nicely sized lcd screen. They have a neat arrangement so that the kitchen as well as the sushi prep area is partially open to the dining room. Parking is difficult at times, try the back side or parking in the Grille's lot.

(561) 981-8986

3 out of 5 stars  

Only on Sunday

Sushi Toi has gone from being our number one place to go to being our last resort only-on-Sunday-when-nothing-else-is-open option. We seem to always get sushi cravings on Sunday in the middle of the afternoon. Because this place is near the movie theater, it has better hours than many sushi places.

The lunch box prices are decent here. I find it interesting that the roll specials have never changed in the two years I have been going here.

I'll admit to you that there are only a few things I have problems with, my most commonly ordered roll always turns out fine (JB). Don't order the volcano roll here, it is normally a mayonnaisey mess, and it's very inconsistent. A friend ordered the pad thai beef from here and it honestly smelled like wet dog. They replaced it for him with the chicken version which wasn't as awful, but they didn't seem suprised at all to have it sent back. Since then I have never brought anyone back here, and limit my own trips.

This place does deliver to your house, which is a bonus. In fact the owners own some better sushi joints, mostly similarly named things like Toi and Boy or having Toi in the name. The Boca one and the Boynton one on Gateway are both better than this location.