NOTE: To-go'd on 4/11/21. Yeah, it was good enough for me to sit down and write a review on the same day that I ate it. Order online and do curbside pickup unless you want to make some loops around for parking. Regular spice packs a decent amount of heat, so order mild if you're spice-intolerant.
Thai food has achieved universal acceptance across America over the years, clearly evidenced by the fact that you can find Thai restaurants in every metropolitan area of the U.S. The benefit is that more people are exposed to the unique blend of flavors that Thai cuisine has to offer, but the downside is that it's hard to tell which restaurants prepare certain dishes the best. This creates a wide spectrum of expectations based on which versions of dishes that one is exposed to. If you enjoy pad thai at one restaurant, you may or may not enjoy it when its prepared somewhere else - or you might not want to try other places when you're content to hit up the most convenient restaurant.
I will admit that I've been guilty of doing this myself for years, never going out of my way to try restaurants that specialize in particular dishes from certain regions of Thailand. Always thinking that the more popular dishes like pad thai or drunken noodles had a ceiling to how good they could be. Well, dear reader, if you find yourself in the same position I was in until recently, lemme tell ya something: Whatever you thought about these "basic" dishes and how they couldn't get any better, throw those expectations out of the window and go try Holy Basil now.
I ordered three items:
Moo Krob - This is pork belly that's been sun-dried and then deep fried. There are a couple of variations of this - one is where they deep fry strips or chunks of the pork entirely so that there's a big crunch with every bite. Holy Basil's rendition is more akin to pork belly lechon kawali, which is actually roasted. Imagine having tender, clean-tasting, pork that has a satisfying chew that doesn't overstay its welcome. The portions of fat are a welcome addition to the party in your mouth, as each bite coats the lean parts of the meat. The best part is the bit of super crispy skin on the top, though. It's bursting Only downside is that it's a little pricey for what amounts to be maybe 1/4 a pound of meat. Also comes with a side of the amazing Holy Sauce! It contains garlic, makrut (a citrus fruit that is commonly used in Thai cooking - especially the leaves), chili, lime, fish sauce, cilantro, and palm sugar. It tastes mostly like a sweet and sour variation of fish sauce with a slight kick. It's not pungent, so even if you're not normally a fan of fish sauce, give it a try!
Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) - Prior to trying the drunken noodles here, I had (incorrectly) assumed that this is the kind of dish that's very difficult to mess up and that it can't be THAT much better here. NOPE! This is by far the best rendition of this dish I have ever had. Every bite was jam-packed with flavor from the combination of basil, oyster sauce, scallions, chili, soy sauce, and whatever else was in that addictive sauce. The noodles were firm enough to provide a bite, but then softly dissolve into your mouth once chewed - perfect. The best part is that there isn't an excess of ingredients, such as a mountain of bean sprouts that other restaurants provide. You get to enjoy each component of the dish in reasonable quantities and the flavors gel together ridiculously well. I ordered my drunken noodles with moo krob in it. Unlike the a la carte order of moo krob, this is thinly slices into small strips, which in theory works well with this type of dish by providing crunch and a bit of savory goodness. Unfortunately, the moo krob is dry and I believe it was overcooked. I'll have to give it another try next time to see if it was just off today. Overall, if you want something that'll fill you up (or if you're hungover), order this.
Tom Yum Goong - I know that pad thai is Thailand's national dish, but I've always had a soft spot for Tom Yum. It's a perfect example of the amalgamation of flavors that can be incorporated into one dish - sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. I believe that the shrimp variation is the best choice (if you aren't vegetarian, of course) since the shrimp is left with the head on, which allows the juices to soak into the broth. If you're not familiar with Tom Yum, you'll taste sweetness from the shrimp and fish sauce, sourness from the lime and makrut leaf. There's also roasted chili jam, lemongrass, galangal, scallion, cilantro, and cream (instead of coconut milk? Wasn't sure if I tasted coconut milk in this version). There are also oyster mushrooms thrown in there, which really absorb the flavor of the broth. There's an option to order wild rice with berries, but I had unfortunately neglected it. I'll have to try that next time! read more