Driving down St. John's Ave this afternoon saw a couple of trucks outside the former Restoration Chop house. Caught a glimpse of a sign that said ##### Thai Restaurant. Couldn't catch the name. Does anyone know what's going on? Whose is involved? Hope Lek and Russell are opening a second location.
Will be great to have a Thai restaurant in Riverside/Avondale and all of the good ones are too far away for an impulse decision for dinner.
*Preservation Tap & Chop House ;D
I hadnt noticed something new. I'll have to check it out. Thank God its Thai and not another dang sushi place!
Thanks, Compound. The synapses aren't what they used to be. Too true about another sushi place or even another Chinese.
Great news (if it's true). With the loss of Pom's, there isn't really any great Thai outside of Baymeadows. I agree that Avondale is a bit saturated with Sushi.
Basil Thai in San Marco is really good. I can only afford lunch there though. Their prices double for dinner, ouch.
Both Thai Palace (Mandarin) and The Thai Room (Jax Beach) are very good.
I'm excited to try Basil Thai for the first time this weekend.... mmm massaman curry
I drove by the old Chop House last night and there is a sign advertising a new Thai restaurant. I guess that means it's official.
They are from Hilton Head, Ruan Thai, here is the link to the website, opening in a month or so,
http://www.myruanthai.com/main.html
Oh boy! $14-15. pad thai and fried rice. Never mind. I don't care how good it is. Gotta pay for that uber cool website somehow.
Good thai restaurant, and cheap, next to Tijuana Flats, close to Hurricane's on Roosevelt, just south of the Winn Dixie. Can't remember the name, but good place.
Tuptin Thai is the restaurant you are talking about and it is indeed a good place. Obviously family owned and run. The service, decor and food are all GOOD!
What was the deal with Preservation Tap & Chop House?
Quote from: Captain Zissou on February 11, 2010, 05:01:07 PM
I agree that Avondale is a bit saturated with Sushi.
LMAO, understatement of the year...
Quote from: copperfiend on April 18, 2010, 02:40:30 PM
What was the deal with Preservation Tap & Chop House?
In a nutshell, it sucked, and so it went out of business.
QuoteWhat was the deal with Preservation Tap & Chop House?
Great bar area, but inconsistent food. The damn kitchen was upstairs, was rediculous to send people up and down stairs with food, they eventually had an elevator for plates installed, dumb waiter, but by then it was too inconsistent, no parking, and anal neighbors who had cars towed which did them in. First Guarantee held the note on the building too. Part of their real estate woes.
QuoteThe damn kitchen was upstairs, was ridiculous to send people up and down stairs with food, they eventually had an elevator for plates installed, dumb waiter, but by then it was too inconsistent, no parking, and anal neighbors who had cars towed which did them in.
That said, should we expect significant changes?
Looks like they've invested in some nice changes to the interior. It appears to have held its opening night this evening--a ton of cars (nice ones, too) outside. If their green curry is any good, I'm all over this place.
Also, looks like Benham Howard's 'town opened last night--big crowd there, too. Super cool interior.
This Thai place was open when I drove by tonight.
Grimms, The lady friend and I went to Biscottis for desert LAST Tuesday night and noticed people were in " 'town " so we went in. It was really cool in there! They have an open kitchen and seating at the kitchen. Apparently it was their soft opening and we weren't necessarily dressed for or invited to the occassion so we kindly walked back out and went to Brick for a drink, lol.
QuoteAlso, looks like Benham Howard's 'town opened last night--big crowd there, too. Super cool interior.
TOWN opened up last weekend. Their soft openings were last Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Fun place, but it only holds 60 people. It can't decide if it wants to be a restaurant or a shoe store.
Shoe store???? Please elaborate. Curiosity is killing! LOL!
We just got back from grabbing lunch there. Not too many people in at the time, food came out very quickly. We all enjoyed the food, and we'll be going back for sure.
I had the curry with the cashews and avocado, really recommend it.
TOWN is part restaurant and part store- in the left side of the space they feature items that are sold next door in Emily Benham's retail space. I'm not sure if she is going to keep both open, or if she was looking to downsize her shop.
Just got back from late Sunday lunch at RUAN THAI in Avondale. Very, very good. Absolutely will return.
Had pad thai (shrimp): wonderfully tangy and a large portion, panang curry (chicken) with black sticky rice:excellent. The green papaya salad: light and fresh and grandma had the beef and noodle soup: very large portion, tasty. All dishes had a unique taste, extremely important in a place like this. Service was prompt.
Definately recommend. Complimentary individual small egg roll for all 3 of us, also light and crunchy. I'm looking forward to going back.
Whats the price ranges at Ruan Thai?
Quote from: The Compound on May 12, 2010, 03:01:33 PM
Whats the price ranges at Ruan Thai?
Between $12 and $25. I went and loved it. I had the crispy duck, DELICIOUS. The service is excellent and the food was great. The whole experience had all sorts of extra touches that made it wonderful. The owner/ manager stopped by our table twice to check on us and chit chat, very pleasant guy. I'll be back soon.
Ate at Ruan Thai the other day. The food was good, and the service was great. But (as seems to be the case with a lot of the Thai food in JAX) the prices are steep. People keep saying "$15 to $25" but in all honestly most things seemed to be in the $20+ range. Add in an app, the tip, and a drink or two, and this winds up being a $40-$50pp dining experience, speaking realistically.
I'm usually not one to moan about money, but having made Thai food myself before, I know that it just doesn't cost that much to put a plate of Padt Thai together. I suppose they do have to cover the expenses associated with the new building and renovations, and all that kind of stuff, so I'm pretty understanding about it. Still, I wish there were a decent Thai place in Riverside that wasn't so expensive.
There is Thai place in the southside/baymeadows area with great food and the same dishes are each about $10 less (but of the same quality) and then there's another one in Arlington (can't remember the name at the moment) that also has excellent food and is even cheaper. But they both have much less expensive real estate. And both are a pretty good hike from my house, so I suppose Ruan does have its place. That's my $0.02 anyway.
You're talking about my friend Russ' place, Pattaya Thai on Baymeadows in the same shopping center CJ's used to be. They've been doing it a long time(in that location, and formerly on Atlantic Blvd adjacent to the Subaru dealership). Pattaya is by far the best bang for the buck in Jacksonville... very good food that isn't priced too high.
Russell learned the business from his mother, Lek, who has to be one of the best chefs in the city. She can cook any cuisine, add her on twist to it and make it better than the original. Even her Southern fried chicken (not served at the restaurant) is the best I've ever tasted and she has an entirely original take on kimchee.
Pattaya Thai is highly recommended. Just wish it wasn't so far away from me!
Honestly, the new Thai place in Avondale just really isn't that good. I'm a huge Thai fan, and actually enjoyed their restaurant in Savannah. Big disappointment.
1) It's overpriced
2) The food isn't too authentic.
The mango sticky rice wasn't sticky, wasn't fully cooked, and the sauce wasn't sweet enough. My drunken noodles also weren't cooked authentically. Too much fusion action going on...and I know that wasn't their goal either.
I prefer Pattaya Thai, Tuptim Thai, or Thai Room at Jax Beach
Quote from: fieldafm on June 07, 2010, 06:32:37 PM
You're talking about my friend Russ' place, Pattaya Thai on Baymeadows in the same shopping center CJ's used to be. They've been doing it a long time(in that location, and formerly on Atlantic Blvd adjacent to the Subaru dealership). Pattaya is by far the best bang for the buck in Jacksonville... very good food that isn't priced too high.
Yeah Pattaya that's the place, thanks for reminding me. The food is excellent, and the prices are about 1/2 of any of the Thai places in/around Riverside. You're not eating in a million-dollar building since, as with everything on the Southside, it's located in a strip mall. But the food's excellent and the prices are reasonable. If you're really going for the food and you like Thai, this place should be at the top of your short-list.
Ruan is more about the dining experience as a whole, I think. Which some people get into, so not knocking it. But I find that, as I've moved into my late 20's, I just don't care about the "vibe" or any of that "see and be seen" stuff anymore. If I am feeling like good Thai then I just want some good Thai, I don't really care who sees me there or whether there's a $5k handblown milkglass chandelier over my table. Ruan's food isn't bad, don't get me wrong, but the prices are up there and it's not the food that you're paying for, if you get my drift.
Ruan Thai sucks, don't bother. For $19, they attempted to serve me tough, MICROWAVED duck (the "Crispy" Duck, more like "CRUSTY Duck" in this instance). It probably tasted ok before it sat out and then was over re-heated in the microwave, leaving the telltale uneven juicy to leather inconsistency in the meat. The ginger/garlic sauce that came with it tasted very weird, too. The Tom Kha Gai appetizer was actually pretty tasty, if not exactly a traditional TKG. It's a shame, because it's actually a nice looking place, aside from the weird kitchen arrangement.
On the west side of the river, Tuptim Thai on 17 south of Timuquana is easily the best, and the second best Thai restaurant in Jacksonville, IMO, just behind Pattaya Thai, and as a fanatical Thai food junkie, I've tried every place in town more than once, except for Lime Leaf, which I might finally get around to checking out this weekend. Ruan or as I now to refer to it, "RUIN Thai", won't get a second shot with me.
Quote from: Sheik_Yerbouti on July 02, 2010, 06:48:21 PM
Ruan Thai sucks, don't bother. For $19, they attempted to serve me tough, MICROWAVED duck (the "Crispy" Duck, more like "CRUSTY Duck" in this instance). It probably tasted ok before it sat out and then was over re-heated in the microwave, leaving the telltale uneven juicy to leather inconsistency in the meat. The ginger/garlic sauce that came with it tasted very weird, too. The Tom Kha Gai appetizer was actually pretty tasty, if not exactly a traditional TKG. It's a shame, because it's actually a nice looking place, aside from the weird kitchen arrangement.
On the west side of the river, Tuptim Thai on 17 south of Timuquana is easily the best, and the second best Thai restaurant in Jacksonville, IMO, just behind Pattaya Thai, and as a fanatical Thai food junkie, I've tried every place in town more than once, except for Lime Leaf, which I might finally get around to checking out this weekend. Ruan or as I now to refer to it, "RUIN Thai", won't get a second shot with me.
Agreed on Tuptim and Pattaya. Two best Thai restaurants in JAX.
I second or third or whatever that Pattaya Thai is THE best in Jax. I went to Ruan a week or so after it opened and had a pretty good time, the service was pretty spot on. I had the lemon grass chicken, which was yummy. My sister in law had the sweet and sour pork, everything was good with that except the pork was really tough.
Sad - Ruan Thai is set to close at the end of the month. I actually came to enjoy both places that were in this location......
QuoteAvondale restaurant Ruan Thai Cuisine plans to close by month's end.
The restaurant, located at 3951 St. Johns Avenue, made the announcement in an advertisement of this month's edition of Resident Community News, a neighborhood newspaper.
In the ad addressed to the its fans and friends, the restaurant cited "factors beyond the scope of our control" for the pending closure. It also invited those fans to visit one more time before the closing. (For reservations, call (904) 384-6665.)
The restaurant opened in April 2010 in the building that formerly housed the short-lived Preservation Tap & Chophouse, which opened and closed in a 6-month span in 2007.
Despite an unflattering review by a Times-Union reviewer a year ago, the restaurant had its fans, based on comments left on the original review and others posted on Urbanspoon and Yelp.
The restaurant is one of four Ruan Thai restaurants in the Southeast, including Hilton Head Island, S.C., Bluffton, S.C. and Savannah, Ga.
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/423471/gary-mills/2011-07-12/avondale-restaurant-plans-close-months-end
A 'chain' reaction-
Hmmmmmm....one of .....four.
Perhaps they needed them a Whiskey Bar!
give me a Whiskey- shot of Jim Daniels,Moss Fire ash and something off that wait tray next to me,next to them stairs where all them waiters are streaming
WE be outa there after the third try.Live within a few hunert feet of the place.
Espito is the answer
And we love Thai. not there
All of the owners have been too quick to brag on political connections/shoe horn zone efforts.
Quote from: blizz01 on July 12, 2011, 12:09:23 PM
Sad - Ruan Thai is set to close at the end of the month. I actually came to enjoy both places that were in this location......
QuoteAvondale restaurant Ruan Thai Cuisine plans to close by month's end.
The restaurant, located at 3951 St. Johns Avenue, made the announcement in an advertisement of this month's edition of Resident Community News, a neighborhood newspaper.
In the ad addressed to the its fans and friends, the restaurant cited "factors beyond the scope of our control" for the pending closure. It also invited those fans to visit one more time before the closing. (For reservations, call (904) 384-6665.)
The restaurant opened in April 2010 in the building that formerly housed the short-lived Preservation Tap & Chophouse, which opened and closed in a 6-month span in 2007.
Despite an unflattering review by a Times-Union reviewer a year ago, the restaurant had its fans, based on comments left on the original review and others posted on Urbanspoon and Yelp.
The restaurant is one of four Ruan Thai restaurants in the Southeast, including Hilton Head Island, S.C., Bluffton, S.C. and Savannah, Ga.
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/423471/gary-mills/2011-07-12/avondale-restaurant-plans-close-months-end
To each his own, but personally, I thought the place was terrible. Not authentic, spotty service, bad food. OY!
can we say cursed location?
Quote from: fsujax on July 12, 2011, 02:01:23 PM
can we say cursed location?
I agree.
Ruan Thai was a solid restaurant. There were times when it was absolutely amazing. Other times, not so much, but it was always a decent meal and the staff was always very accommodating.
I think that if the restaurant was in a different location it would have survived. I know people who live within a half mile of the restaurant that don't know it exists. That shouldn't be. Whoever takes over that space, they need to somehow get the word out and generate buzz.
They need to generate better food at better prices than they did. Harpoon Louies just a stones throw away stays jammed all the time.
Quote from: fsujax on July 12, 2011, 02:01:23 PM
can we say cursed location?
Yes.Location made "viable" via jumping through zoning and community interest hoops.Compounded by building design limitations.Tremendous debt incurred through the previous "owner" in making this flower shop into .....
Hint to investors- going this direction,shoe horning,is a predictable notch in the failure/no go post.
There should be a plate named in Michael Corrigan's honor.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on July 12, 2011, 02:04:13 PM
Quote from: fsujax on July 12, 2011, 02:01:23 PM
can we say cursed location?
I agree.
Ruan Thai was a solid restaurant. There were times when it was absolutely amazing. Other times, not so much, but it was always a decent meal and the staff was always very accommodating.
I think that if the restaurant was in a different location it would have survived. I know people who live within a half mile of the restaurant that don't know it exists. That shouldn't be. Whoever takes over that space, they need to somehow get the word out and generate buzz.
I really thought the food was average vs. tuptim or pattaya, but I still would have gone often since it was so close if it weren't for the $20 entrees and $10 appetizers. Restaurants make this mistake of saying well an average entree price is $XX at nice restaurants everywhere else so I'm going to set mine there, but customers also take into account the type of food it is and what goes into it, or at least I do. I get why the chataeubriand at ruth's chris is $48, it's at least a $20 cut of meat. But Thai food is another story, it's exceptionally cheap to make. Most people aren't going to pay $19 for something that costs $0.80 to make, and that all the other Thai places sell for half the price. It was OK, but everybody I know who went there including myself thought the price point was way too high.
Quote from: north miami on July 12, 2011, 09:12:50 PM
Quote from: fsujax on July 12, 2011, 02:01:23 PM
can we say cursed location?
Yes.Location made "viable" via jumping through zoning and community interest hoops.Compounded by building design limitations.Tremendous debt incurred through the previous "owner" in making this flower shop into .....
Hint to investors- going this direction,shoe horning,is a predictable notch in the failure/no go post.
There should be a plate named in Michael Corrigan's honor.
I do think their overhead cost was likely outrageous. My understanding is that the building is owned by FGB after that Preservation place (which closed for the exact same reasons; overpriced mediocre food) went under, and they were the lender. Not sure what the rent was, but knowing FGB management's general attitude I can't imagine that foreigners from out of town got a particularly good deal.
The other issue in that location is parking. That huge restaurant only had like 8 parking spots. Unlike the rest of Riverside, there is no street parking in that area, and the Commander apartments wouldn't let them use their lot across the street and put up towing signs. I think that building is really a poor candidate for a restaurant space, it seems more suited to offices or something. There isn't any street parking, it only has a handful of spots available, and there is no place to add parking.
Quote from: ChriswUfGator on July 13, 2011, 08:32:53 AM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on July 12, 2011, 02:04:13 PM
Quote from: fsujax on July 12, 2011, 02:01:23 PM
can we say cursed location?
I agree.
Ruan Thai was a solid restaurant. There were times when it was absolutely amazing. Other times, not so much, but it was always a decent meal and the staff was always very accommodating.
I think that if the restaurant was in a different location it would have survived. I know people who live within a half mile of the restaurant that don't know it exists. That shouldn't be. Whoever takes over that space, they need to somehow get the word out and generate buzz.
I really thought the food was average vs. tuptim or pattaya, but I still would have gone often since it was so close if it weren't for the $20 entrees and $10 appetizers. Restaurants make this mistake of saying well an average entree price is $XX at nice restaurants everywhere else so I'm going to set mine there, but customers also take into account the type of food it is and what goes into it, or at least I do. I get why the chataeubriand at ruth's chris is $48, it's at least a $20 cut of meat. But Thai food is another story, it's exceptionally cheap to make. Most people aren't going to pay $19 for something that costs $0.80 to make, and that all the other Thai places sell for half the price. It was OK, but everybody I know who went there including myself thought the price point was way too high.
I agree that this was the main problem. I don't mind paying $20+ for an entree, but not when I feel like it's marginal and I know I can get better down the street for less. I went to Ruan once or twice, but I when I was craving thai I tend to drive down to tuptim.
Chris, I'm never taking you out to dinner.
If memory serves, the Chicken Pad Thai was $13.75. A number of other dishes were below $15. Unless you got the sampler platter, appetizers were from $4-$8. So you getting the Crispy Duck and the Combination plate puts you at $35 for the night, while i'd get take out for $16 and have enough for 2 meals.....
Believe it or not I'm really a cheap date, I don't order the really expensive stuff. Well, unless my family is taking me to out dinner for some reason, then it's game-on. Lol. I always get that yellow curry chicken and some rice whenever I go for Thai food, and that's what I had there. I forget what they called it on the menu, they had some name for it like Ruan-something. I think somebody else ordered some spring rolls and a beef padt thai, but it was all real pricey compared to Tuptim, mine was like $17 or $18 and the same thing at Tuptim is around $11.
But I went during opening week, they probably dropped the prices between then and when you were going there. That happens a lot, the same thing happened to me with O'Brothers. I went during opening week and was pretty amused at $14 hamburgers, $6 beers, and $9 for 6 tiny buffalo wings. I bitched about it later and everybody said they had dropped the prices and it's reasonable now, so I have to remember to go give it another shot. But once you go somewhere and it's way overpriced, then I tend to write it off in my head unless somebody says something. So I guess it's an exercise in marketing, if I ever open a restaurant I'm going to start off real cheap and then ease the prices up if it gets popular. If I ever have enough money I wouldn't mind opening a red robin franchise here.
Quote from: ChriswUfGator on July 13, 2011, 08:43:59 AM
but knowing FGB management's general attitude I can't imagine that foreigners from out of town got a particularly good deal.
FGB is such a mess, they don't even treat the locals to a particularly good deal either anymore.
I'm surprised the FDIC hasn't gotten them yet.
How bout a good Mexican restaurant? Better than La Nopalera and with good cheap margaritas. We really don't have one in Riverside Avondale (Mossfire needs updating big time). You have to cross Roosevelt for La Nop as it is, and let's be honest, no one wants to do that.
RIP Ruan Thai. I enjoyed your wine specials and quiet dining room!