Over the weekend I had lunch at Bangkok Cuisine in Midtown. Located at 55 Mt. Rose Street, this cute little red restaurant has ample parking for the area. Upon entering, the restaurant boasted an elegant vibe. Thai music played on the speakers and the inside was carved with wood and covered with beautiful artwork. The hostess seated us quickly and we sat at a little table against the wall. It was tiny, but perfect for two people. On the wall to my right was a gorgeous dragon tapestry.

Our waiter was attentive and quick; he approached the table rather fast with our drink order. I ordered myself a coke and began to look at the menu. It was rather large and had an assortment of foods to try: fried calamari, shrimp rangoon, sweet crispy noodles, Bangkok beef strips, Thai meat brochette. And that’s just the appetizer menu.

The restaurant had wooden archways carved into the door frames. All different tapestries were woven out of beautiful colors and gold, each one different and more ornate than the last hung up on the walls. The front of the restaurant was to my back but had windows with gorgeous window treatments in burgundy which matched the tablecloths. The shades were drawn closed and the lighting was dim and romantic.

Only a few minutes after looking over the menu, a woman at a table near us began to fight with our waiter. She claimed her shrimps were undercooked and she refused to pay. She continued to carry on and began to get louder, so the waiter took her to the front of the restaurant. There, she argued with him for a good three or four minutes, yelling and refusing to pay for her meal, but she still wanted to bag it up and take it home.

After looking at the menu for some time, I decided on the Bangkok beef strips: “Beef strips marinated with soy sauce, garlic and black pepper then deep-fried.” I figured I couldn’t go wrong with this dish.

Without skipping a beat our waiter handled the woman and brought out the appetizer. I smelled it before it even got to the table. It was as delicious as it looked. Presented on a leaf of lettuce, the beef strips were fried to perfection. They were crispy on the outside but tender and extremely flavorful on the inside and absolutely delicious.

I ordered my own pineapple-fried rice thinking it was a side dish and I was very wrong. A mountain of fried rice arrived at the table that I could not finish alone. Garnished with cucumbers cut in half moons and cilantro on top. The flavors were all there and delicious but something was missing. It tasted a little bland. I personally enjoy a touch of soy sauce on my rice and found the missing ingredient after adding a dash of soy.

Finally came the main event: Pad Thai. It smelled heavenly as it came out of the kitchen. The flavors all melted together in the most wonderful way in the first bite. Between the smells and flavors of the peanuts, egg, chicken and scallions the dish came alive. I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a nice Pad Thai.

I would definitely recommend this place, especially if you don’t mind sharing dishes and enjoying a nice ambiance while eating an affordable meal that can be split between friends. If you’re thinking of going on a date, save up, but know the food is worth the price. They’re open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday’s 4 p.m.-10 p.m.