Best Bang for The Buck!

One of the restaurant that I probably most frequently visited in the last 2 years is Tai's Asian Bistro. It's a small place on Lane Ave, close to OSU West Campus (click here for map). How frequent did I go? At least once a week, more likely twice a week and sometimes more. I think remember that there were times when I actually went everyday of the week, excluding weekends.

So, why? Is is that good? Cheap? Economical? Fit my taste? What are the reasons that so compelling for me to keep coming back?

Well, the blog title pretty much sums them up, but here are the details about why Tai's Asian Bistro is the best bang for the buck for me (some may not apply for you):

• The food themselves are excellent. If you are a fan of spicy food, you need to try their "Hot Pepper Chicken". This used to be Mark Pi's best, but somehow Tai's makes it better. Read for some of my recommendations.
• It's relatively cheap (between $6 to $8)
• The portion is HUGE, I meant heaping amount of food. For most people, this can mean lunch and dinner (for under $10).
• The food is also of good quality. The breaded chicken is breaded and fried fresh daily - not from frozen, the ingredients are fresh, egg rolls are fried on demand, etc.
• The place is clean, including the kitchen. You can see the kitchen right there and watch your food being cooked.
• The service is excellent. Food being cooked super-fast and if you are dining in, it will delivered to your seat. All the servers are helpful and friendly.
• For carry-out, they give you this plastic tub that is awesome and reusable. So instead of styrofoam that barely holds your food and melted easily, they use good quality container.
• If you are a student, free pop! They also serve beer if you want.
• Did I mention they are generous with their portion?

Tai's has a small selection in their menu, but for each one, they do it extremely well. I have pretty much tried every single item in their menu and in the order of how much I like them here are the top ten items to order at Tai's Asian Bistro:

1. Hot Pepper Chicken (very spicy)
2. Beef with Wild Mushroom
3. Singaporean Rice Noodle (a bit spicy)
4. Cantonese Chow Fun
5. Dan Dan Noodle
6. Pad Thai
7. Tai's Asian Chicken
8. Double Pan Friend Noodle
9. General Tso's Chicken
10. Rice Noodle Salad