New Orleans

Though housed in a shabby, worn-out, haunted looking building, what awaits diners venturing into New Orleans is a pleasant and affordable experience. Beautiful staff greet you at the door, which opens onto an unexpectedly spacious dining space. The décor shifts according to the room. The Louisiana is bright and clean with white designs and glass windows, while the Napoleon is draped in woody hues with posters of various football teams scattered across the walls. The main dining space harks back to the 60s, with old prints of ads and photos of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles and James Brown dominating the walls. In the middle is a stage where live bands serve up an assorted mix of Thai and international hits. The crowd is a diverse blend of families, university students, young adults, tourists and sugar daddies. The huge menu offers something to suit all your cravings, with Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean options available. Though we appreciate the restaurant’s effort to serve almost every dish on earth, it’s just too much. Its assorted pla dib is a bigger portion than what you can have at Zen or Fuji, but ours unfortunately included a few pieces of still-frozen tuna. Do yourself a favor and stick to the cuisine New Orleans does best: Thai. Served in a clay pot, tom saab muu comes hot and spicy with generous amounts of tender braised pork. For adventurous diners, there’s a selection of dishes whipped up from unusual meats such as frog green curry, deep-fried quail with garlic and pad ka phrao muu paa (stir-fried wild boar with basil leaves). A vast range of gaap gleam is also on offer for a relaxing night of imbibing. Deep-fried duck tongues are crispy and addictive. Big enough to be a side dish rather than a gaap glaem, yum phak boong tod krob came on a big plate with hearty servings of deep-fried morning glory and juicy shrimp. The accompanying mango salad needed a bit more tang, though. Lunchers can drop by for a quick one-dish meal, and thanks to its late opening hours, night owls looking for a light after-drink meal can opt for one of their many side dishes served with boiled rice. If you like variety, this long-standing restaurant is the place to go.