Irene and I love Thai food but since Lauren does not, we hardly eat it. We’ve read and heard good things about Basil and after passing it a few time, we just had to make time to visit during lunch after doing some errands in the Katipunan area. From the and logo alone, you’ll know its inspired by the fragrant and sweet herb, the Thai basil.
Basil used to be a garden supply store and you can see it in the architecture of the building as well as the layout of the property. Opening its big metal and glass doors, I was quite surprised at the rock and water feature which made the mainly wood structure homier. There’s also an al fresco area for those that prefer the “fresh air”.
Since there was only 2 of us, we could only order a handful of dishes. Its easy to negotiate the menu since dishes are written in English and Thai, no need to guess.
For Irene, no Thai meal is complete with out Tom Yum Ta Lay (P298). A spicy and sour seafood soup cooked with shrimps and straw mushrooms. I’ll give the presentation a big thumbs up, not only is it visually appealing, it keeps the soup nice and warm.
I’m not really always gung ho about this as some restaurants either make it too sour or too spicy but Basil’s version is spot on. There are also generous amounts of Shrimps and mushroom, as well as some squid and fish fillets. It’s so good we finished the whole order.
Pad Thai (P325), another Thai dish that we always seems to order. Served in an intricately designed silver plate, made us feel extra special. There’s peanuts and chili flakes on the side to customize to your liking, we used all the peanuts and a smidgen of the chili. I actually liked the bean spouts, giving the noodles a crunchy compatriot. The noodles were well coated with the sauce.
Wagyu Beef with Holy Basil (P355). I was in the mood for beef but since Irene does not eat beef, I polished off the whole dish. The beef was very tender and was perfectly matched with the slightly crunchy and sweet basil leaves. Wished they had a lamb or pork version of this, so Irene could taste it.
Grilled Pork Ribs with Honey (P235). When we were eating it at Basil, it was nothing exciting so we decided to just take it home. A little time in the fridge made the meat better absorb the honey and the smokey flavor. It also had a better partner in plain white rice.
We loved our relaxing lunch at Basil, and will definitely be back to sample more of the dishes her amidst the lush greenery and the serene sounds of water. The food was delicious and the service was good.
Basil
White Plains cor. Katipunan Ave.
Quezon City
911.4158
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Yeah it is good noh? If you loved how it looked during daytime, you will be floored when you see the well placed accent lights at night :) The indoor pond enhances the dining experience.
If there is one thing they need, though, it’s more parking space :P