Immediately upon entering Royal Orchid Thai on University Avenue, we were struck by the small, yet cozy restaurant space. With enough room for roughly six tables in the dining room, Royal Orchid keeps its space limited, yet comfortable with the warm lighting, hardwood floors and well-placed utensils, plates and tables. Golden Buddha statues and waving cat figurines were seated atop the cashier’s desk, from where the host managed tables and payments with smiles and speediness.
From serving locals chatting with their families to fellow university students grabbing a hearty meal before grabbing dessert at Tim Boba, the spot creates a safe and welcoming environment for those who dine there.
For this year’s Earth Week we wanted to try a restaurant known for its vegetarian-friendly items and alternatives. For most items on the menu, you can choose tofu as a protein option but there are several meat-free options such as the green papaya salad or the Thai egg rolls. We chose a blend of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals to review for our entrees, main courses and of course, dessert.
Vegetable Soup
Price: $13.95
Rating: 3/5
It’s salty, tangy and sour, with just the right amount of vinegar. Classic Thai flavors were enveloped in the clear broth, creating an exciting yet soothing taste perfect for chilly weather. Vegetables such as baby corn, carrots, broccoli, mushroom and cabbage were cooked to perfection. The vegetables were just tender enough to not feel unpleasant and uncomfortable to eat and have the perfect bite. I do feel as though the soup could have done with an extra something special whether that being in the form of an added protein or spice to the broth, but it still stands strong on its own.
Pad Thai
Price: $14.95
Rating: 3/5
The thin rice noodles were cooked to perfection with the classic chewy al-dente texture combined with the solid crunch of the bean sprouts, vegetables and crushed peanuts. Pad Thai is meant to be a textural explosion of soft and sturdy ingredients, so this rendition of the dish accomplished that perfectly. The tanginess of the tamarind and the lemon shined, creating the punchy taste that Pad Thai is known for. The chunks of Tofu were deep fried superbly. They were not too tough and not too soft; I could tell the tofu was freshly prepared and served with the noodles. My one gripe with this Pad Thai, though, was its sweetness. The signature tamarind paste gives it a tanginess but at times creates a sweetness that borders on overwhelming. While Pad Thai is meant to be sweet, in this particular version it was somewhat distracting. In short, if you like your Pad Thai sweet, this is the spot for you.
Homemade Sticky Rice with Mango
Price: $8.95
Rating: 5/5
Heavenly! Sweet, light, warm, nutty and fresh. Everything that you could want in a mango sticky rice delivered on a plate. The rice is cooked to chewy perfection and filled with delectable coconut flavors. The coconut cream added on top also adds a fattiness to the already indulgent dessert, and adds a coolness to the cozy. The mango creates a freshness, balancing out the sweetness and starchiness, while adding a bright pop of color to the dessert. This was a phenomenal sticky rice that everyone who visits Royal Orchid should try.
