Sen Yai Sen Lek
Girls’ night last week led us to Sen Yai Sen Lek in NE Minneapolis. Thai food is always an easy sell for me (yum…curry!) and I was excited to try Sen Yai Sen Lek, as it’s been on my (ever-growing) list of restaurants to try since Twin Cities Eats wrote about it.
The main dining room of Sen Yai Sen Lek is brightly painted in reds, blues and purples and is offset by light colored wooden tables and booths. There is also separate bar area with a lounge with couches and tables. I’m not sure that I would ever lounge there but it gave the place a nice, casual atmosphere. We were seated at a booth in the dining area and given menus to peruse.
A bottle of Prosecco for the table was quickly ordered (remember, it was girls’ night), along with a couple of appetizers. The Po Pia Tod (crispy spring rolls) were fresh, tasty and had not even a hint of greasiness. The lettuce wraps (Miang Kam), served DIY style with a variety of filling options from dried shrimp to toasted coconut, were interesting, but I can’t say they were my favorites.
Our food arrived shortly after. I had ordered the chicken curry special which was served with a side of vegetables and a thai omelet. To be honest, my order was driven from a love of curry (swoon) and my curiosity getting the better of me about the omelet. I love Thai food, but I don’t know a lot about it…is a Thai omelet a pretty normal thing? Regardless, the omelet turned out to be tasty – light, fluffy and filled with veggies. I’m not sure that I needed it alongside my curry dish, but I definitely enjoyed it. The other entrees that we tried were also very tasty – fresh ingredients, good sauces and steaming hot.
My curry special was much larger than the other portions and I was able to take the rest of my meal home to eat as two lunches. Bonus! But then, of course, Kyle tried a bite of my leftovers and started craving Thai food, so we ordered takeout on Monday night and tried two more dishes. This time we went with chicken Pad Thai and Pad Prik Khing with beef instead of pork. The Pad Thai was tasty, the Pad Prik Khing was just ‘okay’. If the beef had been more tender (which could be because of the substitution) and the dish had been spicier and saucier, I think I would have enjoyed it more.
Overall I enjoyed Sen Yai Sen Lek, both as a restaurant to sit down and dine and as a to-go option. It’s not my new favorite Thai restaurant in the downtown area – The King and I is just SO good and Kindee Thai is tasty and right by my house – but I liked it and would return.
Sen Yai Sen Lek
2422 Central Ave. NE
Minneapolis, MN
612.781.3046
Tags: restaurants, thai, twin cities
February 12th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Is it an unwritten rule that Thai portions need to be good for at least dinner and a lunch? It’s insane. The Thai scene in the Twin Cities is really getting strong.
February 12th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
That certainly seems to be case with Thai portions. I didn’t mention it before, but we both had Thai leftovers for lunch the day after we had take out. Bonus for us – four meals for $21…can’t beat it! And you’re right – the Thai scene in the Twin Cities is ridiculously good. It seems I could eat pad thai for the next two weeks and not have hit them all!
February 12th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
You are right. The King & I is dreamy. I do remember my meal there on my last visit. Wish I was also visiting next weekend.
February 14th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
great…now I am itching for Thai food. thanks a lot!