Health & Fitness
Basil is Date-Night Perfect
The Mount Pleasant location of Thai food restaurant Basil cooks up some decent flavors in an atmosphere that caters to both couples and families.
One can take only so much turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing this time of year. When my palate had reached rich food overload recently, I headed over to Basil for lively curries to wake myself up from a tryptophan haze.
The Atmosphere
The Mount Pleasant location of Basil has a very hip, zen vibe. The large stone Buddha statue and sand garden as you walk into the front door only reminds you of where the chef got his inspiration for your meal. The décor is clean, minimal and relaxed but not sleepy.
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The Staff
Basil’s staff was very attentive and gracious but not as warm as I’d expect from a restaurant located in Mount Pleasant.
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The Food
Famished, I downed an order of Fresh Basil Rolls ($5.50) which didn’t really do much to take the edge off. Though the rice paper wrapped appetizers are tasty there’s not much to them. Though, the Thai basil really sings against the rice noodles, shrimp, bean sprouts and spicy and sweet dipping sauce.
As an entrée I ordered the Basil with beef as my protein ($15.50), which would have been enough for two had I not still been ravenous. The beef was very tender but the entrée lacked star power. In fact, there was nothing memorable about the dish flavor-wise.
I was lucky enough to sneak a few bites of Pad See-Eu ($15.50), a dish of flat rice noodles stir fried in a slightly sweet soy sauce with broccoli, garlic and, in this case, tofu. I absolutely hate when fried tofu arrives soggy. This is not the case with Basil. The dish arrives with crispy tofu beautifully incorporated into a lightly sweet sauce that’s got a lot of balance. It’s one of few noodle dishes you’ll walk away feeling satisfied without feeling heavy.
The Verdict
Basil, for what it is, is expensive. Though I’m sure I’ll be back, I was expecting a much livelier set of flavors, with the exception of the Pad See-Eu. With quite a few delicious sounding cocktails (all around the $10 mark) and a certain degree of panache Basil is a great Mount Pleasant venue for date night. Alternatively, the restaurant definitely is capable of accomodating families.