1124 N High St
Columbus, OH 43201
Miller-Stein Ranking
Our food experience | 4.32 Buckeyes
Quality | 4.5 Buckeyes
Cost | 4.2 Buckeyes
Character | 4.5 Buckeyes
Beverages | 4.2 Buckeyes
Service | 4.2 Buckeyes
EGG ROLLS (Two) | $4.50
Crispy spring roll wrappers stuffed with ground chicken,
vermicelli noodles, carrots and bean sprouts, served with sweet & sour
sauce
SWEET POTATO FRIES | $4.50
Thin cut sweet potato deep fried in batter until golden
brown; served with Thai dipping sauce.
CRAB CREAM CHEESE WON TONS (Six)| $6
Crispy wonton wrapper stuffed with a mixture of crab and
cream cheese. Served with sweet & sour sauce.
CRISPY CHICKEN TOAST | $6
Ground chicken, egg and green onions layered on a toasted
baguette; deep fried until golden and served with sweet Thai sauce.
CASHEW CHICKEN
Sliced chicken, cashews, bell peppers, dry chili and onions,
stir-fried in Chinese wine.
PAD THAI | $9.50
Thin rice noodles, egg, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, green
onions and your choice of meat or tofu in a tasty Thai sauce.
NOODLE KEE MOW | $9.50
Soft wide rice noodles (crispy add $1), onions, tomatoes,
Thai basil and bean sprouts in a tasty sauce.
Short North Adventure
With The Chavan-Surovjak Duo
Our good friends Chavan and Surovjak asked if we were interested
in meeting them for dinner. Never turning down an opportunity for a great meal,
Stein and I were in. We threw around a couple of ideas but ended up deciding on
Basil, a Thai restaurant in the Short North.
Luckily we decided to eat early, so parking was easy as pie,
we metered right outside the restaurant and headed in. Upon entering we waited
for a few moments while the hostess seated the large family ahead of us. Once
we were greeted, we were quickly escorted to our table. The ambiance was
excellent, the lights were dim, the mood very inviting and warm. A large bar
takes up about a fourth of the restaurant and the remaining area is dedicated
to seating; booths and tables.
Chavan and Surovjak arrived right after we arrived and we
took a few moments to catch up. We were greeted by our waiter who took our
drink order. Chavan was hoping for a glass of sweet red wine, but her first
selection and second selection were sold out, so she ended up going with a
recommendation from the waiter, sauvignon blanc mixed with sprite. Surovjak and
Stein both went with a 312. I decided to go with my usual, a glass of sauvignon
blanc.
Our drinks arrived in a timely manner and we ordered several
tapas to share for our appetizers. We went with egg rolls, sweet potato fried, won
tons with cream cheese and crab, crispy chicken toast and cashew chicken. The
appetizers arrived quickly, which was great because we were starving.
Admittedly we were a little shocked that everything we ordered was deep fried
in a thick batter; I think we should have read the descriptions more carefully.
We weren’t too fazed because we dug right in. The egg rolls were probably our
favorite; they were crunchy on the outside and full of fresh flavor on the
inside. Also very delicious were the fried sweet potato fries, they were
accompanied by a sweet vinegar sauce which once dipped on the sauce, has a
powerful and delicious salty taste. The won tons were also fantastic, once you
get passed the outer layer of fried dough the inner pocket is creamy and soft;
who would have thought of cream cheese and crab… delicious! The crispy chicken
toast was another deep and thick fried dish. The flavor was good but the fried
aspect was a bit overwhelming. The cashew chicken was also great, the cashews
were lightly seared and the peppers were extremely fresh.
After we finished up our appetizers we didn’t wait long
before ordering dinner. Chavan ordered the noodles and was very satisfied.
Chavan said the flavors all melded together nicely and that the fresh vegetables
mixed with the Thia sauce was a great combo. Surovjak went with noodles and steak,
which was delicious. The meat was tender and juicy and the rice that came with
it gave the meal substance. The dish wasn’t too spicy and allowed for a lot of
flavors to stand out. Stein decided to go with the noodle Kee Mow which is
prepared with a thicker noodle. Per usual, Stein went with one of the hottest
levels of spice and wasn’t disappointed. The tasty sauce didn’t shame its name;
the sauce gave the dish the spice and life it needed to be considered
“delicious.” I went with the traditional Pad Thai which also didn’t disappoint.
The sauce was sweet and the crunch from the vegetables made for a fun
experience. There was plenty of food left over by the end of dinner because we
had had so many appetizers. With plenty of leftover we were all full, satisfied
and pleased with how our dinner was prepared and cooked.
We weren’t too shocked by the prices, Basil is a nicer
restaurant and we were able to get our drinks during happy hour, a discounted
rate. All of the prices were clearly labeled on the menu so when our check
arrived we weren’t too taken aback.
Our server was very attentive throughout the night and
wasn’t overwhelmed by the fact that the restaurant got very crowded as the
night went on. We sat for a while and enjoyed the company of the
Chavan-Surovjak duo. With great ambiance, good service and fantastic food, it’s
safe to say both the Miller-Stein and Chavan-Surovjak duos would recommend
Basil to other and would visit again!
