Burapa Thai
I went to Burapa Thai recently for a quick lunch. My friend and I ordered the spring rolls to start, and for my main dish, I chose the lunch special, where you have the option of choosing two items (from a list of about 10) for $10. I chose 2 standard “Asian restaurant litmus test” items: chicken fried rice and chicken pad thai for my lunch duo.
Service & Ambiance: It’s a clean, modern-looking restaurant with a fully stocked bar. The service was excellent all around - fast, friendly, and attentive staff.
Spring Rolls: the spring rolls lacked flavor. Even the fish sauce couldn’t make up for the lack of flavor. Lots of cabbage and vermicelli noodle stuffing, but not enough veggies or spices. (I also have a pet peeve of appetizers being served in odd numbers instead of even numbers, but that’s my personal hang-up.)
Pad Thai: It wasn’t memorable or craveable - it was just fine. The sauce was a bit on the sweet side, and I generally prefer more “substance” to my pad thai (eggs, veggies, bean sprouts). It scratches my pad thai itch, but that’s about it.
Fried Rice: My favorite Clarendon fried rice is at Nam Viet, and unfortunately, Burapa’s fried rice didn’t come close to dethroning Nam Viet’s. I will say, all the veggies in the fried rice tasted so fresh, and I really enjoyed the veggies. It was the rice itself (perhaps the type of rice - long grain) that I wasn’t crazy about.
All in all - it was mediocre. It does the trick when you’re craving Thai food, but I can’t say it ranks anywhere higher than that.
