Critic's Review
My quest for authentic Pad Thai brought me here, a place a block from where I live that I haven't been to since a week after they opened in 2013.
On a perfect 77 degree day, I opted to sit outside; plenty of tables available. No hostess outside, so I had to wait for a server to let them know I was here.
I knew what I was ordering so when he came over I ordered iced tea and the Pad Thai lunch with chicken.
Lunch comes with "mini apps", and mini they are.
The point of an egg roll is the stuff inside; the smaller you make them the more dough and less stuff. I would have rather have gotten 2 pieces of california roll or something. Better than the soup however.
No music outside; the view of Las Olas is becoming less and less favorable and they turn Fort Lauderdale into Brickell. So much traffic and construction.
The food came out in 8 minutes.
A decent portion; kind of skimpy with the scallions. After I took the picture I realized I didn't have chopsticks. I had to wait for my server to ask for them; he had them in his apron. So they don't give you chopsticks unless you ask for them. See why I like the buffets better?
This was a very pedestrian version of pad that. No spice; just a sweet mild sauce. The chicken was dry and flavorless. As I was eating this I wondered why I had to go to a Thai restaurant to get this; I could get this at BJs or Big City.
Not what I hoped for by going to an actual Thai restaurant.
Conclusion
I live nearby and never eat here, because frankly it's just not that good. Thai food doesn't interest me that much; and what I've gotten here isn't really Thai food anyway.
10/9/13
Believe it or not; Sky Thai Sushi is open for business. You'd never know it; Their web site says "Coming Soon", No posts on their facebook page, and there's no sign in the window. If I didn't see the hostess in the window I would have thought that they weren't open yet.
It's a nice place inside, with one big open room with a bar up front. They have a TV but I doubt I'll be watching the games here. The bar seems comfortable enough if you're on your own to stop in for a snack or some saki.
The dining room is a long room with a sushi bar in the back. It seems like they could fit more tables in the middle but it's nice not to be rubbing elbows with people. Since nobody knows that they're open, the place is pretty empty at 2pm.
They have unsweetened iced tea, lemon and Splenda; the tea is very weak as to almost appear clear.
I thought about Red Curry, but instead went with the #3 combo; Sushi, Sashimi, 1/2 California Roll and Chicken Teriyaki. It's comes with soup or salad; I don't like Asian salad dressings so I went with the Miso soup.
I'm not a big fan of Miso soup either; they had some bits of silken tofu and big pieces of green onion. I could do without the soup. Dishwater.
The music here is funky jazzy; Mr Kitty, In the Sunshine, Aganju. Different to say the least. They have the purple lighting like Sushi Rock but it's not as dark. The combo came out quickly.
The edamame was too close to raw for my taste. The teriyaki was non-traditional in that it was just sauce over grilled chicken. Not bad but not the sticky, cooked-in version you may be familiar with. One thing I liked was the rice; there was some taste to it and it made the California Rolls and Nigiri taste particularly good. Usually California rolls are a non-event but these were good. The sashimi was average quality at best: Tuna, Salmon and Escolar. The tuna sashimi was sinewy; you shouldn't want to pick tuna sashimi out of your mouth.
From a value standpoint, considering the location, a fair value. Prices here seem fair for lunch; you'll pay $9 for Red Curry just about anywhere and this is Las Olas.
Service was expectedly uneven; it took too long for them to take my initial order and too long to get my check; and I had to flag someone down to get chopsticks. After 2 days open it's not unexpected.
Overall, this is a pleasant addition to downtown Las Olas thats better than the place that was here previously. Another place to get a $20 lunch.