Star Rating: 2.5
When something is said to be relative, it means that its value depends on what you're comparing it to. For example, if someone were to say, "Who serves the best Thai food in the RGV", you may want to ask them, "Compared to whom? And, therein lies the problem of not having more diversity/competition, and our moral dilemma in justifying why we couldn’t give Sasi’s Thai Restaurant in Brownsville more than a 2.5 Star Rating.
We first visited Sasi’s when they were located off Ruben Torres Blvd; word has it that they closed shop, went back to Thailand for about a year, then returned and re-opened shop on Frontage Road, where they now have their current location.
So, why such a moral dilemma in writing todays review? You see, though we personally don’t know the husband-wife team that owns Sasi’s; we do know that they must work hard and have sacrificed everything to pursue a dream. No doubt, they get up every single day and stress over how to pay the bills, the staff, and all the countless people who get paid before they can even claim a profit. And although we state that it’s all about the food, we know better - behind the food are the true stories about the people who gamble everything for the spoils of our patronage.
We’re not exaggerating when we say we love Thai food; The beauty of this cuisine is that its philosophically grounded in a balance of sour, sweet, salty, and spicy. And, compared to other Asian cuisines, way more exciting to the palate in ways that words will never convey. Yet, there is a lot of bad Thai food around the world, and some of the food served in Thailand is bad too, when it’s churned out for tourists or people who don’t know any better. But when done right it’s simply incredible, and many people consider it the most delicious food in the entire world. It’s light, healthy, delicately fragrant and full of vegetables – a combination of ingredients and flavors unlike the rest.
By now you must be asking, how was your experience at Sasi’s – how was the food? Well, we can start by saying that the food is authentic; The menu is straight forward and simple, listing most of the popular dishes Thai cuisine is famous for. For example, we sampled the “Spring Rolls” with all the right ingredients, but too greasy and bland – even with Sasi’s very own sweet and sour sauce. Then we sampled the “Chicken Satay” – which if prepared properly, is made from marinated chicken strips that are perfectly grilled and skewered, served with a creamy peanut butter sauce that should render flavors that are uniquely sweet and spicy to the palate – in our case, the chicken strips seemed pre-grilled and then possibly steamed to reheat, rendering our experience to that of biting into shoe leather.
Additionally, we sampled the Fried “Shrimp Rolls” – they were good, but unremarkable. Afterward, we sampled a bowl of “Tum Kha” – a delightful creamy soup with coconut milk, bell peppers, baby corn, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, carrots, onions, and generous slices of chicken breast – perhaps the most unique tasting dish on the menu. We also sampled the “Chicken Panang Curry” a similar, but spicy, thicker and less soupy version of the Tum Kha above – very savory, but nothing special. Afterwards, we tried the “Grilled Pork Spare Ribs – Thai style” – lacking flavor and not very appetizing. Finally, we shared a plate of “Shrimp Pad Thai” – the most renowned dish in the Thai cuisine - It was good, but not great, and compared to whom?
It all points back to our core-belief: Eating out should be a treat, and if you’re like us, struggling to live within a budget, your hard-earned cash should go towards eating something better than what you can cook at home. And, therein lies the rub and the moral dilemma - think about it. As foodies, with our love for food, we can easily search the internet for great recipes, and challenge ourselves to come up with a passing meal. But, why? When the most compelling reason behind going to a restaurant in the first place, is to pay for the privilege of being served something better than what we can cook at home.
For “foodies” the difference between a cook and a chef is not always between a degree or one’s pedigree – ultimately, it’s still about whether you can prepare and serve the very best food to your customers – the prices should reflect the value that they’re willing to pay. See our guest check for two below.
With that said, our only wish for Sasi’s is for this establishment to succeed; consider our review, and don’t interpret this critique as a judgement. Instead we ask that you study your competition throughout the entire RGV market. Find out who’s cooking better Thai food than you, and decide to raise the bar by competing to be the best! Show the RGV why you’ve sacrificed so much, why you’ve dedicated yourself to sharing a bit of your culture, a bit of your soul, with our community - It's about personal pride and the joy one receives, when one is committed to excellence!
