Tikim39: Garden Dining at Basil (Katipunan,Quezon City)

I learned about Basil through Evan's friend and the thought of trying out a new Thai restaurant  made me excited. Why? My go-to Thai restaurant is Thai Pan and because of the great experience I had in Basil, I now have 2 favorite Thai restaurants.

Basil is just easy to find. If you know where Corinthian Gardens (White Plains Avenue) is, you'll have no trouble looking for the restaurant because it is literally just a corner away (Katipunan Avenue). Keep an eye for the first establishment on the left if you're coming from EDSA or Mandaluyong because you might think that Basil is a garden shop.

Basil

The interiors inside the restaurant scream indoor lanscaping. Wooden chairs, a lot of plants, and even an indoor pond complete the serene and earthy feel of Basil.

Inside the restaurant

Indoor Pond of Basil

Their menu is pretty simple. I wish they had pictures of the food so that you can see what you'll be ordering. Ordered the following on our table:

Menu

Fresh spring roll por pie koong sod P220

The fresh spring rolls is composed of prawns and ground pork with fresh vegetables rolled in rolled in rice paper, served with a tamarind sauce. It's the healthy kind of spring roll since it isn't fried.

Prawns wrapped in noodles going sarong P395

Going Sarong are deep fried prawns wrapped in rice paper and crispy rice noodles, served with a tangy dipping sauce. This kind of reminds me of lumpia shrimp rolls that my mom cooks at home.

Wagyu beef with holy basil pad gra-prow nua P325

The Pad Gra-Prow Nua are slices of Wagyu beef that are stir fried with Thai wild basil, chili, and garlic. This is my favorite dish that was on the table. It tasted like beef with broccoli in Chinese restaurants with a Thai twist. Also, the beef is tender (should be because it's Wagyu)!

Thai bagoong rice khao kluk gapi P295

I always order Bagoong Rice in Thai Pan, to have a point of comparison I ordered Basil's version of Bagoong Rice. My verdict: Thai Pan's Bagoong rice wins! Basil's version had too many chili in it and it was hard to taste the flavor of the shrimp paste when your tongue is burning :(.

*Bagoong Rice: rice flavored with Thai shrimp paste, thin sliced fried egg, fried dried shrimp and meat (pork/beef/chicken), sometimes slices of green mango.

Thai Ice Tea P95

The Thai ice tea was just like a fruit shake, too much ice (half of it was crushed ice). Nonetheless, the thought of coconut milk infused in this ice tea made me so relieved. I drank half of it to neutralize the spice after eating a spoonful of the spicy bagoong rice. 

Bill

Bill

When you ask for the bill, it will come in a pot! The presentation was amusing!:) All in all, the food and ambiance was great! For sure, I will go back to taste their other specialty dishes.

Taste: 4/5
Quality: 4/5
Ambiance: 5/5

Basil 
White Plains Avenue corner Katipunan Avenue,
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Telephone: 911-4158