Thai Orchids, located in Stoneybrook Kroger/H.H.Gregg shopping center at corner of Taylorsville Road & Hurstbourne Lane, is now open. This is the former Sala Thai location. We live in Jeffersontown and were probably once a month regulars at Sala Thai. Hated to see it go. My wife & I ate at Thai Orchids last night.
First the facts - pricing. We have a Sala Thai carry out menu. I assume it was current. Sala Thai Pad Thai with Chicken, Beef or Pork $7.95; Thai Orchids $9.99. Sala Thai Gaeng Daeng (Red Curry) with Chicken, Beef or Pork $8.45; Thai Orchids $10.45. Sala Thai Pad Pla Saam Rod (Three Flavored Fish) $16.95; Thai Orchids $19.99. NOTE: portions for our entrees were identical, Sala Thai versus Thai Orchids.
We started with our regular sampler appetizer. Sala Thai's had Po Taud, Chicken Satay, and Kanom Jeep, served with sauces, $5.95. Thai Orchids adds a fourth item, Fried Wontons, $7.00. Appetizers were identical in size & flavors. Sala Thai's sauces were much better. Susan & I used to joke that if any of Sala Thai's appetizer sauces were left over, repeat, if any, we would drink it, they were that good.
For our first visit we stuck with our favorites. Susan got the Pad Bai Ga-prow (Spicy Basil chicken Stir-fry), Sala Thai $8.45; Thai Orchids $11.45. I got Gaeng Daeng (Chicken Red Curry, Sala Thai $8.45; Thai Orchids $10.45. I ordered my Thai 5 hot. Susan did not specify her heat. At Sala Thai, if I ordered mine hot, her dish always came at the same "heat" level.
Both of us agreed. The two dishes were identical to Sala Thai's, I mean identical, except for the "heat" on Susan's dish. Both these dishes looked and tasted the exact same as Sala Thai's. We have been to all(?) the Thai restaurants in the Louisville area, and visited other Thai restaurants on our vacations. Yes, Pad Thai is Pad Thai, but like any dish, there are differences between restaurants. For these two dishes, not here, and that is a good thing as far as we were concerned. Turn up the heat a bit on the one entree, a favorite Thai complaint by several forumites, and Thai Orchids is a perfect replacement for Sala Thai. (I withhold judgment on pricing. Maybe my Sala Thai carry-out menu was old & outdated; and no need to discuss cost crunch on restaurants and on all of us and rising prices everywhere. It is what it is.)
Not very crowded. One table next to us was associated with owners/managers. Friends of that table stopped in and owners/managers helped them order. I would say there were four to five other tables with diners around 7:00 p.m. Saw several carry-outs go by.
Long review short. Thai Orchid is now open, and we will be back.