MAI THAI

Hoppen Hierarchy:★⭑

Authentic Thai Cuisine

Standout Dishes: Angry Ocean; Bangkok Noodle

Chef Preeda Joynoosaeng was tired of the Americanized versions he found of Thai food in the U.S. So passionate was he about expanding American palates that he opened Omaha’s first Thai restaurant straight out of high school in 1993, eventually opening Mai Thai in 2007 and later expanding to a second location.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found Mai Thai’s offerings to be all that different from most of the other Thai restaurants in Omaha.

That is not meant as a dig at this restaurant or an indictment of Preeda’s skills; I’ve really enjoyed my trips to Mai Thai, and don’t have many complaints. And maybe I just don’t understand Thai food well enough. But when it comes to authenticity, I have trouble saying Mai Thai stands out for its authenticity.

The menu certainly speaks to the authenticity Mai Thai is striving for. It has 40 dishes, ranging from familiar meals like pad thai, fried rice, and peanut butter chicken to more traditional Thai recipes such as pad prik khing, duck on the beach, pho, and several different styles of curry. Most dishes are ordered on a heat scale of 1-5.

The Harvey Oaks location is inviting, with a fully-stocked bar, large TVs, and some cool art decorating the walls. It’s a bit cramped, and it’s in serious need of some upkeep. Paint is coming off the walls in multiple areas, and several of the tables are scratched or uneven. These are minor details, but they add up.

The noodle dishes are solid, if a bit one-note. I thoroughly enjoyed both the Bangkok Noodle (shown in the header photo) and the Drunken Noodle, though I didn’t find much difference in them. Both sauces were slightly sweet, and Mai Thai is careful not to overcoat the dish. The sauce sticks nicely to the noodles without turning the dish into a soup. The wide rice noodles are cooked perfectly, tender and slightly sticky.

The chicken is a bit firm, and I’d prefer more of it, but that’s nit-picking. These are both perfectly acceptable dishes.

The Angry Ocean is the most successful dish I’ve had, and it’s all because of the red curry sauce. It’s absolutely delicious, sweet and a bit tangy, and it permeates and soaks into the sticky rice perfectly. It’s a tad oily, but just enough to add flavor without being overly wet and gross.

The seafood is fine, but nothing special. It actually requires quite a bit of work, as the shrimp arrive with tails and the mussels are still in their shells. This is pretty standard, but when they’re already in a liquid curry sauce, extracting them makes for a messy endeavor. The salmon also arrives in one massive hunk and has to be cut apart.

All the individual items (the dish also includes calamari and scallops) are fine, but they really just take on the flavor of the curry and don’t speak much for themselves. It’s a very good dish, but not worthy of the $18 price tag.

Here’s one of my major complaints with Mai Thai: the spice levels don’t seem to matter. On our first visit, my wife ordered a 1 (the lowest level) and I, a spice-obsessed pepperhead, went with a five. But the heat on both dishes was about identical. My wife is very sensitive to spicy food, but she didn’t come close to wincing at my dish.

The Egg Rolls are exactly what you’d expect. The deep fry creates a crispy, oily exterior, while the vegetables on the inside remain crisp and fresh. It’s an excellent version of the dish.

But that goes back to my original point: I just don’t quite get that authentic vibe Mai Thai is shooting for. It’s great, don’t get me wrong. But, of the dishes I’ve tried at least, nothing is especially authentic. The closest are the curry dishes, but even those don’t particularly stand out.

And the service on my visits has been passable at best. On one visit, which I ordered to go, the server barely acknowledged me outside of taking my money. On another, my dining companion and I weren’t asked what heat level we’d like on our dish, and my friend was charged an extra $5 for his meal (though this was corrected when we brought it up).

I don’t bring up these negatives to discourage you from visiting Mai Thai. I thoroughly respect chef Preeda’s work, and I feel confident in saying you will eat a very tasty meal. But it’s not the most authentic Thai food you’ll find, and there are just enough tiny minuses to bring Mai Thai down a few notches.