Jasmine: a new venue for Thai food lovers
By Megan Zehnder
With its modern decor, fully stocked bar and fusion inspired dishes, Jasmine Fine Thai Cuisine is unique among Thai restaurants.
If you're familiar with the nearby Thai Pepper, you should know that despite the differences, Jasmine has the same owner.
Compared to Thai Pepper's laid-back, intimate feel and very quirky decorations, Jasmine, which opened in September of this year, is spacious and modern.
Both restaurants are located in Franklin Mall, so if you're in the area and in the mood for the rich spices of Thai food, consider your options.
For a traditional Thai experience, stick with Thai Pepper.
Jasmine would be best if you are trying to impress someone on a date or if you would like to have a couple of drinks at the bar before or after your meal. It might also be better for larger groups, as it is about twice the size of Thai Pepper.
Blake Ziolkowski had one complaint about the atmosphere at Jasmine. "The music sucks," he said. "I love the food, and I really like the people that work there, but the music's awful. Bring your own iPod." The night he ate there, a variety of '80s and '90s slow jams played, which clashed slightly with the rest of the atmosphere.
Jasmine definitely puts a twist on normal Thai food expectations. Both restaurants offer the staples, including pad thai, pad see ew and green, yellow and red curry. But Jasmine has some additional choices that fuse Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese flavors.
Try Jasmine's Miss Saigon appetizer, which is a fresh spring roll with tofu, shrimp, vermicelli and cabbage that comes with a sweet chili sauce. Thai Pepper's version of this appetizer, the fresh spring roll, is similar, but comes with a darker peanut sauce instead.
For the main course, try pad puk ruam mid, or mixed vegetables with tofu, which includes broccoli, carrots, eggplant, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts in a light soy sauce -- a larger variety of vegetables than Thai Pepper's mixed vegetable plate, but a similar taste. The tofu at Jasmine was just the right texture and mixed very well with the vegetables and sauce.
In both restaurants, virtually all dishes can come with your choice of chicken, beef, pork or tofu. Scott Dow, who ordered the basil eggplant dish with chicken, was more enthusiastic about the eggplant than the meat.
"The chicken was good, but I could have gone without it," he said. "But, the flavor of all the veggies was pretty awesome."
Jasmine also offers a wide selection of seafood dishes, such as prawns and scallops, sea bass delight and crispy catfish.
After your meal at Jasmine, the waitress may surprise you with a free sample of their dessert offerings, which include ice cream and some amazing fried bananas.
Both Thai Pepper and Jasmine offer a great lunch special, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with slightly cheaper meals, plus soup and salad.
The average plate at Jasmine is about one or two dollars more expensive than Thai Pepper, but it's possible to get a meal for under $10 at either restaurant.
If you can bear the background music, it's probably worth the extra dollar to go to Jasmine. You'll get a menu with more unique choices, a full bar and a more pleasant atmosphere. But, if you're partial to the traditional and intimate feel of Thai Pepper, then you know your decision.
It is generally not necessary to make reservations at either restaurant. There are usually plenty of open tables on nights during the week. Both restaurants are open daily 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Contact Megan Zehnder at mzehnder@scu.edu.