Earlier this year, Pusadee’s Garden reopened three years after closing their doors for renovations. In addition to the interior changes, the restaurant made some menu changes as well, giving the eatery a fresh, slimmed-down menu to match their swanky new interior.
When you walk into Pusadee’s Garden, the first thing you notice is that the entire restaurant is filled with glass. It brings in copious amounts of natural light, making you feel as if you’re outside. The bright wallpaper on the walls brings a funky touch to the otherwise uber-modern space. Pusadee’s does have a gorgeous garden patio in the center of the restaurant filled with greenery, but it’s often hard to snag a table there.
While Pusadee’s is still serving up flavorful multi-regional and classic Thai dishes, they’ve refined their menu, so that they can perfect their dishes. Everything that I had at Pusadee’s Garden was fresh and filled with spices.
I started with the herb roasted tiger nuts, which are the perfect salty accompaniment to cocktails. I followed this with the roti served with yellow curry, sweet potato, and shredded chicken, which was one of my favorite items of the night. The yellow curry was thick and creamy, and the warm spices perfectly complemented the sweet potatoes. The chicken paired with the sweet potatoes made the dish hearty and filling, and all of this paired with the roti was pure perfection.
Next up was tum, a spicy green papaya salad. This is one of the few dishes that you can choose your spiciness level. I went with a three out of five, which was a little out of my comfort zone. The spiciness of the dish perfectly complemented the freshness of the papaya and other ingredients. The herbs used in the dish weren’t overpowered by the spice and the peanuts added some crunch. The acidity of the dressing also paired well with the dish’s spiciness. If you have a low spice tolerance, I would recommend a one, though I definitely think it’s worth challenging yourself with a little more spice, which brings this already flavorful dish to the next level.
The main event was the khao soi short rib served with egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, and yellow curry. Pusadee’s has really honed their yellow curry, so it makes sense to include it in a variety of their dishes. The short rib was cooked to perfection and fell apart on the fork. All of the ingredients worked together harmoniously to create a luscious dish.
Another highlight of Pusadee’s Garden is dessert. They only had one dessert when I went, which was the sticky rice with coconut ice cream. The simplicity of this dish was what made it so delicious. The creamy coconut ice cream and the chewy sticky rice were the perfect combination of textures. The coconut ice cream wasn’t overly sweet, which I enjoyed. The addition of mint and peanuts rounded off this refreshing and light dish.
It is difficult to obtain a reservation at Pusadee’s Garden, so expect to make one a month or two in advance. I had success with walking in at an off-peak time and securing a spot that way. I’m looking forward to returning to try some dishes I missed, like the pork belly with sweet chili garlic caramel, the green mango salad, and the jungle curry.