Address: 2724 Erie Boulevard E, Syracuse, NY
Neighborhood: Salt Springs (Erie Boulevard East)
Website: www.erawan-inc.com/home.html
Menu: View Menu
Cuisine: Thai
Alcohol: Beer & Wine
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM, 5 PM to 9:30 PM
Parking: Private lot
Accepts credit cards: Yes
I pulled into Erawan on Erie Boulevard on a Tuesday evening. Parking is available in front of the building and in a private lot in back. Inside the restaurant, you'll find tables and friendly servers ready to seat you. The decor of Erawan is a little under par, in my opinion. My guess is they haven't changed the look of this place in quite some time, as it looks a little drab and dark. But sometimes you don't need to change things like that if you serve great food. And Erawan definitely proved that point.
The order...
Singha: $3.85
Paw Peea Sod: $1.49
Panang Gai: $10.99
Total cost with tax and tip: $19.47
Paw Peea Sod (Spring Roll: Fresh rice paper roll stuffed with pork, shrimp, lettuce and coriander, accompanied with dipping sauce)
Fairly simple ingredients, but all fresh and served cold. The rice paper was very chewy and the dipping sauce, which I'm guessing was some mixture of rice wine vinegar, sugar, ginger, and topped with peanuts, was tasty - almost like a sweet and sour sauce but thin and tangy.
Panang Gai (Chicken in a red curry paste, coconut milk, green peas, lime leaves, and sweet basil leaves)
They do spiciness on request here. I asked for "medium" and boy am I glad I did. This was soooo good. Just the right amount of heat with perfectly cooked chicken and peas in a hot and sweet sauce with curry and coconut milk. I really could have eaten the entire thing, but thought I should conserve some for tomorrow's lunch. My experience with Thai cuisine is somewhat limited, but this was the best Thai dish that I've ever had. So good.
I also loved the serving dishes, especially for the rice. Very unique.
Things of note...
- Erawan has gift certificates and does take-out as well. Call for details.
It's really hard to rip on Erawan about anything. The service was friendly and the food was excellent. The only thing that's lacking is the interior of the restaurant, but that really doesn't matter when you serve such a flawless meal.
My rating of Erawan Thai Restaurant:
