Thai Landing

Thai Landing
1207 N. Charles St.
Mount Vernon, Baltimore
410-727-1234
www.thailanding.us
Thai
Cost: $$
Reservations: Not Needed
Date of meal: Monday, September 10, 2007
National Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It
Baltimore Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It


Thai Landing is a perfectly adequate Thai place in Mount Vernon. The space is small and narrow, with decor that is pleasant but nothing special. The walls have some Thai art and objects, but decorations are less extensive than at Thai Restaurant.

I ordered the Pad Thai and chicken green curry ($12 each). While the menu is fairly standard, these are about the most boring things I could have ordered. This is mostly by design; every Thai restaurant offers these dishes and this makes them easy to compare. The portions were relatively small, so that a hungry couple would not be out of line to order three entrees.

While not gross or horrible, I was a little disappointed with the entrees. The Pad Thai lacked punch; it was light on sugar and fish sauce and heavy on a brown liquid that I can only guess was oyster or soy sauce (two things you don't really expect or want in Pad Thai). The green curry was made with string beans that tasted like they were right out of the can; I suspect they were. The basil wasn't flavorful, and the curry also seemed to be missing any sweet or sour elements to add subtlety to the flavor. This is what Thai cooking tastes like if you have to make do without sugar, fish sauce, and fresh vegetables.

If I lived in Mount Vernon and craved Thai food, I'd be open to Thai Landing. However, I absolutely would not travel across town for it. Thai Restaurant in Waverly has better flavors and ingredients with (slightly) nicer decor at the same price point. While Thai Restaurant could survive in a competitive market for Thai food (e.g., Seattle or Philadelphia) with a 20% price reduction, Thai Landing could not.

Thai Restaurant

Thai Restaurant
3316-18 Greenmount Ave. (at 33rd St.)
Waverly, Baltimore
410-889-6002
Thai
Cost: $$
Reservations: Not Needed
Date of meal: several
National Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It
Baltimore Price-Quality Frontier: On It


Yes, that is really what this restaurant is called: Thai Restaurant. I guess this does not bode well for creativity. I've done take-out from this place several times, and eaten in a few times as well. Thai Restaurant is supposed to be the best Thai place in Baltimore. This is a better-than-average Thai place but is far from earth-shattering or original. Like the Ambassador Dining Room (which serves solid Indian fare), there are dozens of equally good Thai places in most major cities. Ambiance too is pretty standard for decent Thai places. Whereas comparable places would have $10 entrees in other cities, entrees here are in the $13-16 range. If one thinks of this as the premium for quality food in Baltimore, then pricing is about right. Outstanding Thai places in other cities (Djan's in Seattle comes to mind) have better food, nicer atmosphere, and lower prices. Still, I'd be happy to order take-out from there or wanted casual Thai food.