Lifespan of a Chennette

So far I’ve been reporting on my excellent dining experiences. And why not, right? Share the good stuff. But, lest you think I am not a discerning diner, I have had some disappointing experiences. So let me share one of those.

Asian Palm Thai Restaurant, Holetown, St James, Barbados

Asian Palm is described as a Thai and Chinese restaurant and is situated in the same street as the very nice Sitar Indian Restaurant. Little narrow 2-storey house, very unprepossessing on the outside. We decided to go there, because we were in the mood for Thai, but were in St James and didn’t feel like heading all the way to Tamnak Thai in Christchurch. Plus, we wanted somewhere a little cheaper. So, fingers did the walking, found a Thai place, and out we went.

Well, it wasn’t a particularly fancy restaurant, but that’s never a problem if they have good food and service. The only guy we saw was friendly enough and led us upstairs past the empty bar/downstairs area (no real need for a reservation in the middle of the week, perhaps). The decor could have been really great – nice curtains and colours on the walls. Asian bamboo touches etc. Ruined completely by a blue-ish tablecloth that clashed with the other colours, and covered in plastic!! Sigh. Could still have good food, right?

I ordered the shrimp and pineapple Red Curry. I had not had Thai food in sometime and a red curry with pineapple sounded great. But it wasn’t really a red curry – it didn’t taste particularly Thai, and wasn’t very red. It looked like it had been made with regular curry powder ingredients, and not the red curry paste, which starts with red chillies. It didn’t taste bad, but it wasn’t anything special or Thai. I had egg-fried rice, which was standard Chinese takeaway type fare. My friend had Pad Thai, since she loves loves that dish, but she was also disappointed. Yet again, not a very authentic flavour. Now I do accept that Pad Thai and even curries can vary from cook to cook, but I am sure you get the idea – the food didn’t blow our minds or satisfy the particular craving we’d been having. Now, my experience with Thai restaurants before this is mostly from the UK, while my friend would have enjoyed hers in the US. And both of us were left wanting. Tamnak Thai on the other hand, in Christchurch, meets our Thai needs.

Of course, this is not to say that I am advising that you avoid this restaurant. The service was friendly, although not particularly attentive. The food is not bad, just not particularly special or noteworthy. Just be forewarned that it is more akin to your standard Chinese restaurant fare and not really Thai. Also, the menu has flying fish options, so you get a Bajan-Chinese-Thai kinda food. I would probably go there again and try some of their other dishes. And it isn’t overly expensive or formal, so it was a good liming dinner. We actually stayed there really long. Long enough to get past the usual “work people crazy. What is wrong with all these lunatics?” and move on to normal conversation. And trust me, my life right now, the work-people-crazy talk can go on. And on.