Thai Suan Thip, Pittsburgh

Thai Suan Thip

Thai Suan Thip, Pittsburgh

I like doing things by myself: going to movies, going to bars, going out to eat. I’m a loner, Dottie. A rebel. Monday night I decided to take a drive to Bellevue to check out a new Thai restaurant that I’ve been hearing a lot about. Thai Suan Thip may be located off the beaten path, but it’s worth driving a few minutes out of the city for a high quality Thai dining experience.

Upon entering Thai Suan Thip, I was greeted by the owner, who was also the only front-of-house person on duty. He was the host and the server. I took a little table in the window, so I could keep an eye on the happenings in the restaurant. I noticed the diverse clientele enjoying their dinners. A good-looking 60-something couple enjoyed the wine they brought to go with their meals. A man wearing a mullet and a Canadian tuxedo seemed happy having dinner with his overweight wife. A couple of hipster guys drank pop and shared a plate of Pad Thai. In other words, PITTSBURGHERS seem to like Thai Suan Thip.

The place has cultivated a very pleasant atmosphere. Fancy chandeliers provide warm lighting, and the walls are covered with mirrors and abundant Eastern art. The soft music sounded like something by The Decemberists or an Asian Emmylou Harris. Cool.

I started with the Crab Delight appetizer, and I was only moderately delighted. The artistic presentation nearly made up for the crabbies’ coldness. (Were they supposed to be cold?) I wasn’t nuts about ‘em, but I ate all four of them anyway.

Of course I had to order the same thing I order at every Thai place, Green Curry (with Chicken). Again I was wowed by the presentation! Big purple pieces of eggplant were arranged on top of the curry and a little basil leaf served as a delicious garnish. I love hot n’ spicy food, but I tend to be cautious when I’m eating at a new restaurant for the first time. I chose spicy level 4 out of 5, and next time I’ll go for the full tilt. The curry was excellent! All of the vegetables were fresh and perfectly cooked. I ate up every last bit of my green curry and Jasmine rice!

Thai Suan Thip is a very quaint restaurant and it’s very good at what it does. It can absolutely stand up next to Babcock Balcony or Thai Me Up. The wonderful service at Thai Suan Thip is what makes this place better than others. Grab some friends (or don’t) and get in the car. BYOB (or don’t). This place is definitely worth the trip!