Thai Battle Roundup: Thai Jasmine vs Thai Gourmet

Ladies and gentlemen, I couldn’t be happier with this month’s battle. Some fights are one handed. Others are stealthy. In this case, I am proud to say we have two mighty, evenly matched and vastly different contenders for Best Thai in O’Fallon.

In one corner we have with it’s Japanese influence. In the other stands with their Indian flare. You can get a great bowl of Pad Thai or plate of Basil Chicken at either, but it’s the extra influences that really set them apart. If you think Japanese and Indian food seem like an improbable combination, take a look at a map. Thailand is smack dab between the two and their cuisine has tasty influences from both.

You’ll have to come back next month for my usual smack talk. I am seriously in love with both of these restaurants. I’ve never had the wondrous glory of a battle where I independently rated both restaurants an A. How can I judge the delightfully unusual peas, carrots and curry stuffed eggrolls against the cool, crisp Boston Sushi roll? They’re equally good and amazingly different. You, my lucky readers, have some truly exceptional food in your future.

I’ve tried, honest, but I have nothing bad to say about either of these restaurants. The food is great, the prices are very affordable, the service was friendly, and the loyal customers filling both dining rooms made it clear these were well loved places. If every family owned restaurant was as good as these two I’d be out of business as a reviewer.

I officially declare this battle a Thai tie. Everybody wins.

MOST ARTISTICALLY CUT CARROTS
Pro: Thai Jasmine cut their carrots to look like crinkle cut french fries.
Pro: Thai Gourmet cut their carrots to look like exploding star discs
Winner: Everyone who loves carrots

BEST SPICY FOOD
Pro: Thai Gourmet stealthily placed a bed of hot sauce beneath the saffron rice so it crept up on me unexpectedly.
Pro: Thai Jasmine’s sauce seemed plenty flavorful, but not terribly hot - until the second, mouth scorching, wonderful bite.
Winner: Everyone who likes spicy food. They take you at your word when you say you want it hot.

MOST INTERESTING USE OF RICE
Pro: Thai Jasmine serves very pretty sushi.
Pro: Thai Gourmet’s delightful saffron rice topped with two kinds of onions seduced me into trying their rice pudding with mango for dessert.
Winner: Everyone who likes rice. The sushi at Thai Jasmine was better than Kitaro while the really interesting rice dishes at Thai Gourmet left me craving more of their tasty grain goodness.

STEALTHIEST WAYS TO SNEAK HEALTHY INGREDIENTS INTO YOUR FOOD
Pro: Thai Gourmet’s curry eggrolls came stuffed with peas and corn. It’s a Hong Kong style of food I haven’t seen anywhere else in St. Louis. It’s also awesome.
Pro: Thai Jasmine has a sushi roll with pineapple, cream cheese, avocado and crab. Then they deep fry it. I’ve never seen pineapple in sushi elsewhere, but this was oh so right.
Winner: Everyone who loves well done, interesting uses of ingredients.

LOWEST PRICES
Pro: $23 got me an appetizer, sushi roll, iced tea and entree at Thai Jasmine.
Pro: $19 got me an appetizer, dessert, iced tea and entree at Thai Gourmet.
Winner: Thai Gourmet, but only by a hair.