Thai Essence

As a huge Thai food afficionado, I was hopeful that I might find a good place to eat near my new home. Unfortunately, after two visits I have found the food at Thai Essence to be quite astonishingly underwhelming. While I wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as bad, I found it poorly prepared, bland, and overpriced. If you are looking for something edible and inoffensive, then by all means check this place out. However, if you are looking for anything better than a poor facsimile of real Thai food, I suggest you spare yourself the disappointment and eat elsewhere.

Terrible service. I bring my boy have dinner over there. But I wait about 15min that just a lady come to asked my drink and order. After I TAKE ORDER they still nobody bring the drink for me. I wait another 15min and I change my order to go ! Poor service. DO NOT GO BACK!

I’ve gotten take-​out from here twice and will be covering both orders in this review.
First order logistics:
— Items ordered: Yum Nuer (Beef Salad) and Pad Thai (w/​chicken)
— Price: $ 21.90 ($ 9.95+$ 9.95, plus 7% tax)
I place my order over the phone and was told that it would take approximate 10 – 15 minutes for the food to be ready. When I got there 15 minutes later, the Yum Nuer had yet to be prepared so I had to wait an additional 10 minutes or so past the original quoted time.
The food itself was rather disappointing. The Yum Nuer, while plentiful in meat, was severely lacking in lettuce with what was served able to be consumed in 2 – 3 bites. The chicken in the Pad Thai, while also plentiful, was rather dry and bland, and the disappointment meant the noodles themselves were rather unsatisfying. Given the under-​performing food and the delay in receiving my order, were my review based solely on this first try, I would have rated it ²⁄₅ stars.
Second order logistics:
— Items ordered: Thai Fried Rice (w/​pork) and Pad See Ew (w/​tofu)
— Price: $ 21.90 ($ 9.95+$ 9.95, plus 7% tax)
I again placed my order over the phone and was told a similar wait time of 10 – 15 minutes. This time, I got there a little bit after the 15 minute threshold and found my order ready for me.
I decided to try different dishes to see if the shortcomings were only in the dishes of my previous order, or if they reflected on the restaurant as a whole. Surprisingly, I found both dishes to be very tasty and enjoyed them for the most part. The pork in the fried rice was very juicy and not dry like the Pad Thai’s chicken was. The Pad See Ew was also flavorful, though I found it a bit strange that «western» broccoli and cabbage were used when the dish usually calls for Chinese broccoli. The only complaints I had with the food were that the fried rice used a bit too much fish sauce for my taste while the Pad See Ew had a patch of ground black pepper that just stuck to one noodle, making that one particularly difficult to eat. This second time around, the food was much more enjoyable and were my review based solely on my second try, I would have rated it ⁴⁄₅ stars.
With a seemingly wide performance spectrum, it seems fair to average the two orders and score a ³⁄₅ for this restaurant. The prices are a little bit higher than I’m used to and the portions a bit smaller, but with nothing to compare it to at the moment, everything kind of just teeters in the middle. The food seems decent enough, though you may have to try a few items before finding what suits you best.

This is pretty much the nicer version of Thai Basil at Purdue. Nicer in terms of atmosphere and décor. Thai Essence is definitely bigger and classier looking than the crowded, hole-​in-​the-​wall Thai Basil. Food wise, they are the same. Thai Basil doesn’t offer any bubble teas though.
I’ve always liked the pineapple fried rice with tofu. It’s hard to mess up a fried rice. Pad see ew was alright, it came with a variety of stir fried vegetables but the noodles were all clumped together on the dish which just made it annoying to eat. It’s not the best Thai food I’ve ever had but it’s the best you can get in this part of Indiana.

Maybe I was there on a bad day, I was hoping for a wonderful lunch. I tried the Pad Thai chicken it was just ok, average. I was expecting more flavor.

As a Purdue student I truly took for granted the great culturally diverse restaurants that are within the West Lafayette city limits, now as alumni I find myself more appreciative of the authentic cuisine you can find here! I had the pleasure of dining here for lunch today with a friend and was impressed with the quality of the food and service we received. Thai Essence had a large menu that features great options for vegans, gluten avoiders, soy protestors, and carnivores alike. I highly recommend the pineapple fried rice which is a combination of everything you’ve ever wanted a rice to be. The sweetness brought forth from the pineapple pairs well with the coconut curry that it is stir– fried in. Another dish you must try is the gang khew wen or green curry, it is a broth type dish made from coconut milk packed with flavorful veggies and a kick of heat from the chili paste in the broth. Vibrant food that is spiceful, not spicy. If you find yourself in the West Lafayette area and are seeking a restaurant choice that is off the beaten path, check it out!

Food taste good. The serving size are getting smaller. I only had few veggies and piece tofu. Service was weird. You did know who was your server was which made it hars to fiqure tip. Seem like it was hard for wait on you. A lot of rice.

I really liked my yellow chicken curry (and it was a big portion too), but I was a little disappointed it didn’t have white meat, especially because the price is not cheap by any means. My husband’s pad thai was decent but not outstanding. The prices are very high compared to what we’re used to paying in California ($ 12+ for noodle dishes and curries — without rice — as opposed to $ 8 or so), but there is way less competition around here. The ambiance and the service are nice.

I’m from the west coast and there are many great Thai places where I live. This didn’t really hold up. First of all the menu is quite small, with only a few curries for example.
The space is clean and bright and the staff seemed pretty friendly.
I had carry out, it was red curry. That’s about the sum of it. It seemed to not be very flavorful, something was missing. Just… unremarkable. I fundamentally question the wisdom of eggplant in a curry. The one piece in mine was a gross soggy blob and I sent it to its grave with prejudice.

Pros: location, décor, service, food quality, gluten/​dairy– free options
Cons: price
Summary: Recommend!
Details: I felt relaxed as soon as I entered this restaurant. Something about the ambience made me feel at ease. Although the restaurant is not in a busy city center, it just helps build on the serene mood they’re shooting for.
They have a gluten free menu and are mostly flexible with dairy free items which is always a plus for those who can’t do gluten or dairy. The restaurant was very clean and the service was very great.
I was a bit disappointed to hear that the dinner entrees did not include rice as a side. You have to order them separately. Not saying that it’s required, but if they’re charging me between 10 – 15 $ per item, a small side of rice would’ve been nice. We ordered the red curry with chicken and pad ga prow with pork. Both items tasted really good, so I’d give full points for the food quality. We also go the mango mousse dessert which is supposed to be gluten and dairy free. See pictures for the items above.
Besides the price point, the other item that was a let down was the glass (which was in fact plastic) that we got our dessert in. It was poor quality and the stem had cracks in it. See pictures.

Living only a few miles south of Thai Essence, my husband and I have suddenly found ourselves as regulars here. Being huge fans of Thai food, we’ve also been to Basil Thai (sister restaurant to Thai Essence). Both are pretty good, but I personally prefer Thai Essence due to its atmosphere.
My husband and I always order the Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken soup) to start. We love the soup due to its sour notes. The coconut gives the soup a creamy texture without it being sweet. Alongside the chicken, there are some onions, mushrooms, and a pinch of cilantro and scallions. 5 stars in our opinion! My husband always either order the Pad Thai or the Pad See Ew (Thai stir fried noodles). The Pad Thai is really great; however, personally I do feel that it’s too sweet sometimes. The Pad See Ew is another favorite. We love the fat noodles. Stir fry it with some broccolis and beef and it’s to die for! As for me, I’ve tried a variety of different items on the menu. The curries are great and so is the pineapple fried rice. Just be wary of the spicy-​ness. I’m a huge fan of eating spicy food, but I do feel that the green curry and the spicy basil fried rice can get a bit too spicy sometimes!
Overall, Thai Essence is a great place to get your Thai fix — our favorite to go to in West Lafayette. Although we have had better elsewhere, this place won’t disappoint!

Best Thai food in town. The pad kee now, red curry and pineapple fried rice are my all time favorites! You will never go wrong with these!

Great! Ordered Ginger Pad Khing with Tofu Take-​out. DEE-​Licious!

We went for lunch. The food is fantastic. The service was excellent. It’s a little pricey but the quality of the food does not disappoint. My husband and I shared an appetizer of Kanom Jeeb.5 small dumplings with a flavorful soy sauce blend. My husbands entrée was a Tofu Pad kee Mow with extra heat. The portion size was decent and the heat a flavorful slow burn. I had the Moo Ping as my entrée and the pork was phenomenal.
This was by far the most satisfying dining experience they I have had since moving to Indiana.

great food n great desert…
Come from Washington. Try many thai food. This is one of great one I tried.

Ordered the Pad Thai. Tasted funny. like the chef thew in a cup of sea water and sweat. Portion size was more suited for a Vic Sec model than a normal person, for $ 10, I’d rather go to the buffet down the road than to have a coffee plate loosely dotted with over-​sweetened noodles.
Slightly dissapointed as I was expecting a good meal!

We stopped here for lunch on a recommendation from a local. We ordered a mango slushie and a diet coke for drinks. The slushie was a bit sweet and started a little too cold to drink with a straw (we kept making straw core samples rather than being able to draw in the surrounding slush), but we still enjoyed it. Our waitress dropped off an unbidden refill of our diet coke, which was quite welcome.
We had a tofu green curry and veggie Tom Yum soup for our lunch. Heather liked the soup, though I didn’t care for the odd aftertaste. We both agreed that the green curry was a winner.
There’s plenty on the menu for vegetarians, so we’re looking forward to trying other dishes if we have the opportunity to return.

Thai Essence is the brother restaurant to Basil Thai (on Chauncy Hill). Both are very good, and come highly recommended.
I personally prefer Thai Essence for the atmosphere and the menu. While both are similar in terms of food quality, Thai Essence has a much better atmosphere. You don’t have to sit in a small crowded room and are more free to relax and chat after the meal.
The Pad Thai is really good and they have lots of curry options if you are into curry.

We finally made it. This was our third try to eat here, the timing (ours and theirs) hadn’t meshed. We made it for lunch on a Thursday. It was busy and we had to wait a few minutes for a table. The staff was good at checking with us and keeping us updated.
We ordered chicken spring rolls for an appetizer and my wife ordered Thai fried rice with chicken and I ordered the Pad Thai. The appetizer arrived quickly and was delicious. The main courses arrived soon after
My wife didn’t care for her rice so we switched which was fine as I thought it was great. She reluctantly gave me a bite of the Pad Thai and it was also really good, maybe not as spicy as I like, but that is good since my wife is a little wimpy about spice.
Service was fast and friendly.
Also I have to mention that the tea was great.

I had heard good things about this restaurant, so I was excited to try it. I ordered the catfish, thinking it would be pieces of fish with vegetables in a curry.
I was disappointed to be served a single mound of battered fish pieces, with no other ingredients aside from 3 broccoli florets for garnish.
The taste was pretty good (coconuty and spicy), albeit on the salty side, but simply not a good meal to finish alone. Like I said, it literally is just pieces of battered fish… not exactly a balanced meal.
I would come back to try the other items, and hope that this was just an isolated «miss».