Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant in Meridian has certainly made a place for itself in the pantheon of fine Asian restaurants covering the Treasure Valley. Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese restaurants all offer nice tastes of Asian here in the Boise area. Walking in, Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant in Meridian is not a large place, but still has plenty of seating for everyone. On a Wednesday late afternoon visiting there, it was easy to see how popular the place was—-most of the tables were filled. As it turned out, they have a popular Happy Hour featuring a nice selection of cocktails and several appetizers including sushi rolls at Happy Hour prices. So who doesn’t love a Happy Hour?
After perusing the menu, cocktails were ordered. The Manhattan was very good and their creation the Twisted Cosmo seemed very popular, being recommended by the friendly people at the next table. The bar drinks are reasonable and well-crafted. Happy Hour price and selection make this one of the better places in Meridian to go for a nice Happy Hour drink and appetizers. They also have a nice beer selection including Thai beers. Even though Sa-wa-dee is a Thai restaurant, they also have a good sized list of sushi rolls and Japanese noodle dishes. Passing on the sushi rolls in favor of Thai appetizers on the regular menu, we ordered the Thai Dumplings and the Fried Tofu.
When trying a new restaurant of any type, there is usually one dish that I use as a benchmark for comparison. With Asian restaurants, that dish is Fried Tofu. Common throughout Southeast Asia and Japan, good Fried Tofu is crisp on the outside and meltingly soft on the inside. The big difference is the sauce it comes with, elevating the somewhat bland canvas of the tofu to a wonderful taste sensation. Sawadee’s version was excellent, coming with a delicious sweet chili sauce and topped with chopped green onions, cilantro and crushed peanuts. It was tangy and a little spicy with nice textures from the different ingredients, certainly one of the better versions of this dish around.
The Thai Dumplings at Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant in Meridian were essentially a Thai version of the Chinese dim sum staple shu mai. A stuffing with ground shrimp, chicken and veggies is stuffed into a wonton skin and steamed. Again, a lot of this dish is about the sauce; and the house black sauce had just the right tang to make these dumplings very flavorful.
A must get dish at any Thai restaurant is a nice soup. Tom Kha is always a good choice, a light brought enhanced by the flavors of coconut milk, lime leaves and juice, lemongrass and herbs. The soup can be ordered with either chicken or shrimp. The shrimp were plump and had a nice contrast to the mushrooms and veggies in the soup. With several soups on the menu, it will be worth trying a different one on every visit to see what the chef does with the other popular Thai soups too.
There are several salads on the menu which will bear trying on another visit. The Green Papaya Salad is the most popular salad in Thailand and a refreshing dish to have. There are also salads with beef, salmon , shrimp and chicken or ground pork and chicken that can themselves make a nice light meal for those who want something light.
Being a duck fan, one of the two entrees that evening had to be a duck dish. After a tough decision the Basil Duck was ordered. The tender slices of duck came on a bed of green beans and other vegetables, mushrooms and basil. It was a truly delicious dish, spicy but still allowing the flavors of the ingredients to shine through. Later on, curiosity was satisfied when the next table ordered the other duck dish I had considered, Duck on the Beach, a duck dish with scallops mussels and shrimp stir-fried together. That dish got a thumbs-up from the person eating it at the next table.
There are many other main dishes, including vegetarian, seafood, chicken, beef and pork. Salmon seems a popular fish here and appears in many ways on the menu. There are also several vegetarian dishes for those who prefer that, with a separate vegetarian menu offering some great options. .
Noodles are a big part of Thai cuisine and Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant in Meridian has a lot of good choices. Passing on the national dish of Thailand, Pad Thai, we opted for another dish Thailand is noted for, Curry Noodle. The flat rice noodles came in a wonderfully spicy curry sauce. With a choice of meat, beef seemed an excellent way to go for this hearty dish. Vegetables and egg rounded out this spicy, flavorful dish. They do ask you about what spice level you want so you can order any of the dishes to the level of heat that you enjoy.
Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant in Meridian also has a menu of lunch specials that are reasonably prices. At dinner, there are several combination meals on the menu for those who want a simpler way to order or just a way to customize a meal if you’re not into sharing dishes. If you’re not into leaving home, Sa-wa-dee has you covered through Uber Eats and Boise Food Express for home delivery options. The entire menu is also available for pickup and they even do catering for events.
Desserts include Fried Banana and Ice Cream or Coconut Ice Cream with Jackfruit, a delicious fruit from Asia. The traditional choice is done very well here and is certainly worth trying. It is Sweet Sticky Rice with Sweet Mango, a very popular Thai dessert. The sticky rice, similar to that used in sushi, is sweetened with coconut syrup and topped with toasted sesame seeds. Fresh sliced mango accompanies yet, making for a wonderful sweet dessert that is the perfect ending to a great meal.
One pleasant surprise that was completely unexpected was live music. The Lyle Sinclair Band has been playing there for a while now, playing a mix of tunes they call American music, with songs that can please anyone. It was nice to listen to and made a good excuse to enjoy relaxing there, listening to many familiar songs including some originals. The band is very good and Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant in Meridian has really made Wednesday nights into a night when you can spend enjoying fine cocktails, fine Thai food and great entertainment.
Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant in Meridian is a very good choice for Thai food in the Treasure Valley. Service was excellent and the wait staff prompt, knowledgeable and attentive. There is plenty of parking outside so it is easy to get to. For Thai cuisine, Sa-wa-dee certainly gives the Meridian and Boise area a good option for a cuisine that is not only interesting and tasty, but a nice atmosphere and a nice Happy Hour to make it into an evening out rather than just a meal.
Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant
1890 E. Fairview Avenue
Meridian, ID 83642
(208) 884-0701
Sa-wa-dee Thai Restaurant website
Sa-wa-Dee Thai Restaurant Facebook Page
