Bangkok Balcony, Squirrel Hill

Spring Rolls

Bangkok Balcony, Squirrel Hill

Bangkok Balcony is located in Squirrel Hill.  If you’re walking on Forbes Avenue, hang a left at 5846, and head upstairs.  I can remember my first time there; I didn’t expect to see a larger sized restaurant.  Seating capacity is around 75 people, with additional chairs at the bar.  The atmosphere is nice and uncomplicated- if you get a seat near the window you can people-watch everyone on the Avenue below.

The décor is nice, but not memorable.  My impression was that more attention was paid to the seating layout rather than space and interior design.

We ordered drinks first; a ginger ale for me (lame right?) and a blood-orange martini for my girlfriend.  The martini was excellent- very tart and strong; no skimping on the vodka here!  We also ordered an appetizer; Fresh Rolls- fried tofu, rice noodles, carrots, lettuce, mint basil, and rice paper served with brown dipping sauce and crushed peanuts.  I’ve had fresh rolls (or spring rolls) at many different restaurants, and these were just ok.  The one thing that really stood out was the thickness of the rice paper.  They were difficult to cut…too many sheets of rice paper.  Summer rolls should be light and fresh…and easy to eat, these were not.  That being said, the sauce was good.

For our entrees: Praram Chicken; grilled chicken on a bed of steamed spinach with peanut curry sauce.  My girlfriend ordered the Green Curry Veggie Style:  broccoli, green beans, snow peas, eggplant, basil leaf, and bell pepper in a coconut milk and green curry sauce.  The chicken tender, and moist.  The spinach was flash sautéed, and not overdone.  What I really love about this dish is the addictiveness of the peanut sauce.  It has a bold flavor with hints of coconut and ginger.  The green curry was equally good.  In lieu of meat, my girlfriend decided to add tofu.  The tofu absorbed the flavors of the sauce quite well, as did the vegetables.  Her entrée was also served with white rice that was cooked to a satisfactory doneness- not too mushy, with the grains of rice easily separating.  There are many choices here, especially if you’re a vegetarian.  If you’re a non-meat-eater you may want to consider: Spicy Tofu with Mixed Vegetables $11.95, Praram Tufu $10.95, Tofu Eggplant with Basil Leaf $11.95, Tofu Platter $11.95, and the Tofu with Bell Pepper Dish $11.95.  When ordering, be sure to specify degree of spiciness, from 1 to 10.

The wait staff at Bangkok Balcony is competent, just unenthusiastic.  Our orders were taken in a timely manner, and the food arrived correctly, but there just seemed to be something missing- almost as if they were disinterested and ready to leave before they started their shift.

The food at Bangkok balcony is good.  I wish they could re-work those Fresh Rolls!  Overall our experiences at this restaurant have been nice.  The food is consistently good, and you can always count on getting a table if you arrive before 6pm.