Thai Basil

Denver’s Best Kept Secrets

Thai Basil

By: Amy Green

If you are looking for a more quite and intimate setting then Thai Basil is the perfect spot for you.  With an extensive menu ranging from beef to seafood, noodle dishes to more Chinese influenced dishes, everyone is bound to find an item they love.

Thai Basil is nestled between a steak house and a shopping center on Havana’s Asian strip of restaurants. The building standing tall with decorated windows, large stares leading to the doors and a bright purple sign. Once you walk in you are greeted by a host and seated at large wood tables with the stump as the legs, with large chairs, and excellent service, everyone feels like royalty. The bar sits in the back of the restaurant with lots of seating. The wine list is very extensive to pair with any meal. They also have many signature drinks like the Thai Sunrise with white rum, pineapple vodka, blue Curacao and orange juice ($7.00), and the Thai Basil Volcano, a great balance of Malibu Rum, Dark Rum, Orange Juice and Pineapple juice is big enough to share with a friend ($12.00).

With many specials sure to meet anyone’s budget and a menu to please everyone’s palate, Thai Basil has it all. They have $2.00 Blue Moon, Fat Tire and other beers all day every day, and a three course meal for $9.99 as their dinner special on a daily basis.

The appetizers range from Satay chicken, marinated strips of chicken grilled and served with a Thai Peanut sauce ($4.95), to lemongrass Mussels, stir fried in a citrus lemongrass sauce ($7.95). And if you cannot decide there is the Appetizer Sampler that feeds two people, and an eggroll, crab cheese wanton, Vietnamese egg roll, hot wing and satay chicken ($8.95).

If you decide to do the three course meal you get a choice of wonton soup, hot and sour soup or salad. The salad is basic iceberg lettuce, carrots and some cabbage topped with a sweet peanut dressing. The wonton soup is a great pork filled dumpling in a very rich well rounded broth. There are multiple choices for entrees, both hot and mild. The royal chicken is a stir fry of succulent chicken, mushrooms, water chestnuts, carrots and fresh bell peppers, tossed with a sweet soy sauce and topped with cashews to add that final nutty crunch element and served with steamed rice (normally $8.95 for dinner and $6.50 for lunch). There is also the Sesame chicken, pieces of chicken breasts dipped in a tempura like batter and fried, tossed with a spicy honey sauce and finished with sesame seeds and served with steamed rice (normally $8.95 for dinner and $6.50 for lunch). A great balance of sweet and spicy, crunchy and juicy sends your mouth on a vacation to Asia.

There are many other options for beef lovers and seafood lovers. The Tequila Lime Beef, strips of beef marinated with tequila and lime, grilled and served over steamed vegetables or the Satay Beef, sliced beef marinated and stir fried with onions and tossed with their Thai peanut sauce ($9.25 for dinner and $6.75 for lunch).

There are also choices for noodle bowls, all contain rice noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts, mint and peanuts and served with a chili-lime sauce, with your choice of chicken, beef, pork or tofu( $7.95 for dinner and $6.75 for lunch) or shrimp or a combination ($8.95 for dinner and $7.50 for lunch).

While the dessert menu is limited it includes a great tiramisu. This dessert is a layered cheese cake style, with layers of a thick mascarpone cheese mixture and espresso soaked lady fingers and topped with coco powder (price unknown).

If you are looking for a great American Thai fusion restaurant, navigate your way down Havana’s Asian strip to Thai basil, a great place to try new food with great company.

Thai Basil

American Thai Fusion

22710 South Havana St, Aurora, CO 80014; (303)369-8889; Dinner $8.95-$12.50 and lunch $6.50-$7.75 for entrees; Hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday 11am-10:30pm, Saturday 12pm-10:30 pm and Sunday 12pm-10pm, lunch hours are open until 3 pm; all major credit cards accepted; small parking lot and there are multiple locations across the Denver metro area, some with parking lots and others without.