Harris L.
Yelp
We were fortunate enough to be invited to Arunee in mid-December for an unofficial Yelp holiday family-style dinner organized by Jeannie, with an amazing menu curated by Jeannie and Ben.
Food: Very Good (4 of 5). Everything we had was well-executed. There were three memorable dishes for me this evening -- the Happy Hour skewers, an off-menu ceviche, and a beef noodle soup.
Appetizers we shared:
- Kung Chae Nampla: an amazing, off-menu ceviche consisting of raw prawns and Thai chilis. While others noted a significant level of heat to this dish, my portion didn't have any, but was still superb. My suggestion is to pair this dish with an alcoholic drink.
- Shrimp Rolls: Thin crispy shell, not greasy.
- Calamari: standard, well-executed.
- Moo Dhad Diew (Marinated Deep-Fried Pork): a little dry.
- Happy Hour skewers special: This had two skewers each of beef, lamb, and chicken -- the beef and lamb skewers were amazing -- juicy and flavorful, even without the dipping sauces.
Drinks We Had, included:
- Lychee Martini: Happy Hour version. Strong, good lychee flavor.
- Thai Iced Tea: standard, very good.
Main entrees we shared included:
- Crab Fried Rice: Good; could use more crab. Crab flavor was subtle, if present. I thought this particular dish was somewhat pricey for what it offered.
- Pad See Eiw: Good; unnecessarily sweet, in my opinion, due to added sugar.
- Fish In the Garden: The fish was slightly overcooked, but beautifully presented, with a great range in flavors due to the lemongrass and sauce on the bottom of the plate.
- Guay Tieow Nuea (Beef Noodle Soup), with Cow Blood: Superb. The common description across our tables was that this dish was similar to a Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, but with intensified flavor.
Of the desserts we had, I liked the Thai Ice Cream the most.
- Thai Ice Cream (Coconut and Green Tea): Both flavors were creamy. The Green Tea didn't have its usual bitterness, while the Coconut was very flavorful.
- Fried Banana with Honey: A nice combination of thin crunchiness from the thin deep-fried shell and mushy sweetness from the banana.
- Pumpkin Custard: an understated dessert.
- Fried Ice Cream: very good.
Service: Very Good (4 of 5). The staff made sure we were happy, by giving us a change of plates, refilling our water glasses, and helping us take a group photo. Suggested tips on the bill were inconsistent, however, based on percentages somewhere between pre-tax and post-tax subtotals.
Atmosphere: Very Good (4 of 5). Comfortable, moody atmosphere. There are two unisex bathrooms, with one having ADA grab bars. VPN-friendly Wi-Fi from the Starbucks next door is accessible through the walls, though it isn't particularly fast due to their volume of customers.