Another new restaurant let us crash their soft opening, this time it was a new Thai restaurant in Semmes, Alabama (our home base) called Sabai Thai Cuisine.
We have been very anxious waiting for this place to open. Heather is a lover of all things Asian noodle bowl with an especially intense love for Vietnamese Pho. My current culinary-crush is the coconut based curries of Thailand. Sabai has both as well as Stir Frys, Fried Rices, Sushi, and a vast selection of noodle bowls including several Pad dishes.
The first thing one can’t help but notice is how sleek and modern it looks. Especially to anyone that visited the previous restaurant at this location. It was cool shades of grey with an ethereal blue light that greets you when you first walk in the door. It was peaceful.
They have an impressive appetizer selection with offerings from across Southeast Asia including satay, spring rolls, shumai, Boom Boom Shrimp and Heather’s favorite gyoza (fried dumplings). They have a large selection of soups and salads that really have me wanting to go back soon. There are so many enticing offerings on their menu that have my interests peeked that it may be a while before I get the Curry again. And I loved the Curry!
Check out this salad: Larb Chicken – marinated ground meat, mixed with roasted rice, lime sauce, red and green onion, and cilantro. They also have a papaya salad calling my name. Another dish of note if for no other reason than the name sounds like it’d be fun to say, Goong Ob Woonsen. It kind of sounds like the name of a Jedi Knight but instead it is steamed glass noodles with shrimp, mushrooms, pepper, ginger, green onion, and coconut milk.
Enough about what we didn’t eat. On to what we did try. Our favorites: gyoza, Pho and curry. The gyoza was crispy and succulent. A fine representation of this staple of most Asian cuisines. I had the Pineapple Curry with Pork. It was perfect. Just what I crave when I get in that Coconut Curry mood. Heather’s Pho was the game changer.
Most Pho either of us have had has been beef broth. Beautiful, rich and deep beef broth. Well, there was this one Vegan Pho broth we tried once but it was terrible so we don’t count that. Sabai’s Pho is built on one of the richest chicken broths I’ve ever encountered. It was silky and smooth. It was a revelation.
Our server, Cora, was a delight as well. She had this almost hippy like vibe in her demeanor. She was very enthusiastic and seemed to handle the crowd well despite the wild fluctuation in ages from table to table. Or just at ours for that matter. She brought us a plethora of spicy condiments so we could each crank the heat to our heart’s desire.
We look forward to sampling more from the menu at Sabai. It is totally a place to save in Google maps if you have a road trip that brings down US Hwy. 98 between Hattisburg, Mississippi and Mobile, AL. It is just off “Bloody” 98 at 4154 Wulff Rd Suite A, B right behind the CVS Pharmacy in the heart of Semmes. I’m sure I’ll talk about it more this Sunday at 8 AM CT on Sip & Chew with Mike and Stu.
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Road Trip Worthy Restaurants 