The reality of moving to South Florida has become more permanent as we purchase a home in a new neighborhood. With that comes more exploring of the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood food scene, although the Miami Eats will surely continue.
One easy way to dive into a new food scene: Thai food! Whether it’s sit-down or street food, it’s distinct and delicious. That’s why our new neighborhood food crawl starts at Red Thai & Sushi Restaurant in downtown, right on Hollywood Blvd. The menu reads like a greatest hits collection: curries, stir-fries, and noodle dishes all promising a sense of warmth and satisfaction.
And the go to dish to evaluate a Thai restaurants chops? Pad Thai of course. Add chicken.
To start, this looked awesome. Very full and vibrant with plenty of vegetables, chicken strips, and those pan-fried noodles. Pad Thai is the soul of any Thai restaurant, so this looked promising.
The balance of tamarind tang, fish sauce depth, sweetness, and a touch of nuttiness is what makes any Pad Thai so beloved. At Red Thai, the dish was competent but muted. The noodles were cooked well, but the sauce lacked that essential spark. It needed the brightness of lime, the umami punch of fish sauce, or even just the comforting nuttiness of crushed peanuts to lift it into memorable territory. Instead, it was safe, bordering on bland.
It was a Pad Thai you finish because it’s there, not because it’s calling you back. There’s just not much to say, it’s mediocrity offers few words.
My partner ordered the Mixed Vegetables from the Thai Main courses with chicken.
Stir-fried mixed vegetables in brown sauce, served with jasmine rice.
The vegetables arrived fresh enough, and plentiful. As you can see they’re the star of the plate, as they should be. At first bite though, the dish felt flat. It’s almost as though the sauce had been watered down or stripped of its usual character. Thai stir-fries typically hinge on a sauce that clings to the vegetables, coating each bite with a punch of flavor. Here, the sauce was present, pooled at the bottom of the plate, but uninspired. It was neither garlicky nor savory enough to pull you in for that next, eager forkful.
Walking into Red Thai & Sushi, I carried with me a standard: Thai food should feel warm, a little messy, and full of whispers of fragrance you can’t quite name but belongs specifically to Thai. My meals didn’t reach that mark, and I wasn’t alone in that disappointment.
But first, I must mention, if you’re not adding a beer and a bottle of Plum Sake, you’re doing it wrong! The elite combo when having Thai food, a TsingTao and any plum sake on offer. Never mediocre:
Now, I hate to start on such a negative note, so here is a bit about what the locals say. Another take for your consideration:
What Others Praise
- Service warmth & hospitality: Many reviewers highlight how the owner and staff make guests feel like family. On TripAdvisor, one long-time patron says, “the service is excellent, specially when the owner is there, she treats you like family.”
- Menu variety & freshness: The breadth of choices earns favor: diners appreciate that the menu spans Thai and Japanese, with “fresh food” often coming up in reviews.
- Sushi & specific dishes get praise: Some guests call the sushi “amazing.” Others point to the sushi combo plate and tuna jalapeño roll as standouts.
- Charm in character & atmosphere: Several reviews mention a cozy ambiance and a sense of intimacy, as well as outdoor seating when weather allows.
So the restaurant isn’t without strong defenders. Many locals swear by the place, commending the warmth of the staff, lively sushi rolls, and the sheer number of menu options. Patrons regularly talk about the sushi in loving terms, and some claim the chef remembers names. But those notes of praise belong largely to the sushi offerings. When it comes to Thai dishes, opinions tilt toward inconsistency.
Perhaps that’s the best review context I can offer, hope it’s helpful!
PS, never have I missed Thai food in NYC more.
