Top Southeast Asian Restaurant in Thousand Oaks
Exotic Thai Cafe
1930 Newbury Rd #100, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, United States
When I feel like curry for dinner, I go to Exotic Thai. Preferably the location off Kanan Road/Lindero Canyon though. This location, while much closer to home, has much lower quality standards.At my most recent visit, I was served Tom Ka Gai with a chunk of ginger as big as my thumb, and the potatoes in my Karee Gai were undercooked and could have done with being sliced in half. The curry itself was unusually thin as well. My Pad Thai was a bit soggy (still reasonable though). My Pineapple Fried Rice had only a single shrimp. When I placed my order, the employee taking it kept trying to predict what I was saying (out loud) and thus I had to correct her three times.Hopefully they correct course in the future, but they should definitely take notes from the excellent quality and service of the Kanan/Lindero location.EDIT: Ive come back twice since my initial review, and they have gotten worse. Ordered the pineapple fried rice, received it BURNT. Their prices are absurd enough on their own, but compound that with 0% QA and youve got nothing but a recipe for disaster. Sorry, yall lost my business, and referrals, for good now.
Social Monk
4000 E Thousand Oaks Blvd Spc C1, Westlake Village, CA 91362, United States
Well, if I had reviewed this place right after I came here for the 1st time several weeks ago I would have rated it higher. That time everything seemed perfect, the rice was fluffy & perfectly cooked, the chicken sate juicy & tender. It was kind of wow because I had resisted coming here because the menu seem very generic & limited based upon Thai cuisine and there are a lot of good Thai restaurants in the area. Ive eaten here twice since that 1st time and Im sad to discover the inconsistency in service & food prep quality because I thought this might be a place that could become one of my regulars.Today the rice was undercooked to the point of feeling the raw rice kernels crunch in your teeth. And the chicken was rather dried out. The last time I was here several days ago, I got embroiled in a service nightmare. I ordered a salad w/o onions. It came with onions so I sent it back. No problem. Well, the salad never came so I went to the counter and told them, so supposedly they took care of it. Went back to eat my meal. Still the salad never came. Ate my entire meal and waited some more. No salad. So I had to leave. Nabbed a waiter & asked for a refund on my salad. She resisted & informed me that the salad was ready. She went looking, no salad. I said just give me a refund. Well, I have to talk to my manager. She goes away and never comes back. Finally I nab her again & tell her to keep my $7 but Im never eating here again. She goes off again and has a long conversation with another person. Apparently about the salad. But still no one comes back to deal with me. I finally get the 2nd waiter & I get some long unbelievable explanation about the salad. (I mean, cmon, you had 3 chances to get this right & still no salad). To her credit, she did refund my entire meal but even that didnt make up for the hassle.Maybe that whole thing was a one time fluke but probably not. The inconsistency of the food quality, though, I think is a more unforgivable thing. And so disappointing since it was so good the 1st time.
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Ot Bistro
245 N Moorpark Rd C, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, United States
The dreadful experience at this Thousand Oaks restaurant wasnt just limited to poor service and subpar food quality, but also featured a shocking display of rudeness from the chef. When I received my rib eye with garlic noodles, I was taken aback by the overcooked and chewy meat, a far cry from the medium preparation I had requested. Upon speaking with the waiter and eventually flagging down the chef, I was met with a dismissive and insulting attitude.Rather than acknowledging the mistake or apologizing, the chef adamantly insisted that the dish was prepared as requested, despite clear evidence to the contrary. In front of other patrons, the chef proceeded to argue with me, even tearing a piece of meat to demonstrate its supposed doneness. This condescending behavior was not only unprofessional but also deeply disrespectful.Furthermore, when the dish was returned for a redo, the chefs lack of regard for customer satisfaction became even more apparent. The second attempt yielded the exact same overcooked dish, leading me to suspect that they simply reheated the prior meal. It was a truly appalling and off-putting experience that highlighted a severe lack of customer service and basic decency from the chef.Reflecting on this unsettling experience, it is clear that what could have merely been a culinary mishap sadly escalated due to the chefs unprofessional behavior and disregard for customer satisfaction. The disdainful approach and failure to listen or rectify their error turned a simple dinner outing into a frustrating ordeal. This was sadly underscored by an unwelcoming atmosphere created by the chefs demeaning attitude, something no customer should have to encounter. My recommendation would thus be to seek dining options elsewhere, where respect and quality are paramount, ensuring no such grievances overshadow your meal.