Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine: Greenville, SC

Having cravings for Thai food at least once a week, Sweet Basil on Pelham and 14 was this week’s restaurant of choice. Not really knowing too much about it prior to walking into the strip mall restaurant, I had very high expectations instantly. As I walked in I was overwhelmed, it wasn't like anything I have ever experienced in Thai dining before. The restaurant was actually nice and the wait staff actually was "REAL" wait staff. They were friendly from the second I walked in the door to the second I steeped foot out the door.

After having issues with the spice level at so many Thai restaurants in the Upstate, I decided I would go back to my roots and just order my food "Thai HOT" rather than this silly 1-10 scale that actually can go up to 30 at select restaurants, but only if you are in the know.

The online menu shows a lunch menu option, but I was given what appears to be just the standard dinner menu without any lunch options. This was fine by me as this menu is simply amazing. It is like nothing I have ever seen in my life. It is a combination of all of my favorite Thai restaurants rolled-up into one menu. The fresh seafood items, duck, all the different curry options along with Chef Mana's Specials make this the most complete and interesting menu I have ever come across.

I knew that I needed some good Tom Yum and ordered myself a small bowl of Tom-Yum Goong, Thai spicy shrimp soup with lemon grass, lime juice, chili paste, cilantro, red onion and mushroom. $5.95. Unfortunately my picture never made it onto my phone, but let me tell you, this soup was amazing and I have been craving it ever since. The server even asked me how spicy I would like my soup as this place is the real deal. It was a very nice size portion and included three perfectly cooked jumbo shrimp. If you have never tried Tom Yum or never have had good Tom Yum, this is a must try if you never try anything new again.

For my main entree, I decided to try something from the Wok menu and ended up with the Pad Prik-King. A choice of meat (beef) stir-fried in Thai wild curry paste (no coconut milk) with red/green bell pepper, green bean, and kaffir lime leaf. $10.95. I was quickly brought this beautifully presentation of an egg roll and sauce on a miniature platter. Normally egg rolls don't do too much for me after being spoiled for so long with fresh made egg rolls back in Minnesota, but I can honestly say this thing was good. So good in fact I actually wanted more of them. What a wonderful way to start off the perfect meal. As soon as I finished with my little appetizer, my meal had arrived. At first glance and a few smells of the plate full of spices, I knew I was going to be in trouble. "Thai HOT" is how I like almost everything I eat regardless of what it is. And I could see that this plate had a hand full, if not two of fresh Thai peppers, both green and red chopped up and incorporated throughout the entire meal. What a wonderful addition, usually I am used to a restaurant just throwing in some additional cayenne or crushed peppers with some sriracha to spice it up for the crazies.

The dish itself was extremely spicy and I loved every single bite of it. My only complaint would be that the kaffir lime leaves were not present at all in the dish, but that is probably due to all the Thai chili peppers I had consumed. The beef was perfectly cooked and tender as could be. The portion size was decent, although for $11 I would have liked to see a little more beef on the plate, but I won't be too picky as this was seriously one of the best Thai meals I have ever had. Not only was the food perfect in every way, the service and environment in which you dine in was everything I have been looking for.

Bottom line: If you love Thai food or hate it, Sweet Basil has something on the menu that will satisfy anyone. The elaborate menu to the truly authentic Thai dishes makes this place a must visit for everyone and one place that I will be returning to as often as possible. It is worth a stop just for the Tom Yum and make sure you order it however spicy or not spicy you like it.