Basil Leaf

Disappointing Restaruant Experience. Last week my fiancee and I had dinner at your Basil Leaf Thai Cusine restaraunt in Mandeville, Louisiana between 7:00 and 7:45. The food was good but we were very dissapointed with some things that took place both while we were trying to enjoy our meal, and also afterwards when we had signed our bill and were waiting to leave.



There were only two tables in the restaraunt that were occupied while we were there, ours and another table (two tables over from ours) with four people being served. The couples began asking the waitress questions about her work there, and the waitress politely tried to answer them, however the waitress went on and on about all of her job duties (while we were trying to enjoy our meal). Her response included everything from waiting tables, to preparing sauces, to CLEANING TOLIETS, and a discussion on a previous manager's routine and salary, etc. This conversation (between the patrons questions and the lengthy replies of the waitress) spanned the entire duration of our meal. It was not a pleasant dining experience, to say the least. We were appalled and very dissatisfied.



In addition, when we finally did receive the attention of our waitress and let her know that we would like to pay our bill and leave, she returned with the receipt for us to sign, and went back to the other table and continued in another lengthy conversation with the other patrons. We were paying with separate credit cards and wanted to confirm this with the waitress. After five minutes of waiting and then finally waving the card receipt holder in the air for over a minute, did our waitress come back to our table. We were extremely disappointed in our experience at this restaraunt. WILL NOT RETURN OR RECOMMEND.…

Good Food - Nice Ambiance - A Bit Pricey. I generally like the food there, the service is very good, and the ambiance is relatively warm and quiet. While it may not be "authentic" Thai food, I rather like what I'd term their California Thai cuisine. While the prices are a bit steep, I find it's worth it from time to time.…

sublime asian haute cuisine in N'awlins. We have savoured Kelly (Metairie native) and spouse Bank's restaurant since they started in Metairie about 10 years ago. When we return to N'awlins, it is our one "must do" restaurant. The service complements the sublime, distinctive Thai cuisine. Fresh ingredients contribute to alive flavors, and Bank brings back selected spices and seasonings from his native Thailand. A meal of multiple appetizers is a very good idea, but save room for dessert (e.g., sticky rice). Not typical N'awlins fare, but worthy of a cherished place amid the haute cuisine. As info, we lived in N'awlins for 5 years and were inveterate, assiduous fine diners... Basil Leaf ALWAYS impresses new friends/guests. Our college-age prodigy progeny have also loved it for years.

Holly and Craig S.…

BIG Disappointment. This restaurant is in my neighborhood, so I was anxious to try their food. I LOVE Vietnamese food, and after relocating from Hawaii, where good Vietnamese food is easy to find, the only place I really had enjoyed was Nine Roses on the West Bank. I took a stroll over to the Basil Leaf a few weeks ago, and while I was encouraged by the gracious enthusiasm of our server - the food itself fell far short of the mark. First of all, there was not a fresh basil leaf (or any other herb, for that matter) in sight!

The food was under flavored, boiled, over (or under) cooked and just generally yucky. I ordered the "Laab" first, because it is one of my favorite dishes - usually full of fresh herbs and chilies and topped with toasted ground rice. This boring version was practically inedible - I asked for fresh lime and hot chili paste and fish sauce to try and coax out some flavor, but the absence of fresh herbs (or toasted rice) made it impossible to acheive. We also tried that evening's special - something with coconut and eggplant (undercooked) and served in a half coconut shell. It was just awful - we took one bite and that was enough.

Our waiter, who was so terrific at the beginning, never returned to the table once our order was placed. He wasn't busy helping other diners - he was just lurking in the back. A very polite non-English speaking busser (not Vietnamese) dropped off the check.

I will never go back and I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone, ever.

I am so surprised that this restaurant has ever won "Best of" anything. Maybe it used to be good?…