rev:text
| - I came here to use up an expiring Groupon Thursday night. The place was pretty empty, and we were welcomed quite enthusiastically. I had the pineapple (red) curry with chicken, and it was delicious. One note--their spiciness scale is shifted to the right of what's typical for Pittsburgh--I got their "spicy" (above moderate and below "very spicy"), and I'd say it's an 8 or 9 on Smiling Banana Leaf's scale. My dining companion who is less enthusiastic about spiciness got moderate and it was almost above her tolerance, so caveat eater. Our water pourer (a server-in-training) was quite good at topping up our glasses, so it ended up not being a problem.
Service was very enthusiastic but not without flaws. I presented my Groupon in the beginning and the server offered to take it then. After our meal, she asked us about dessert and mentioned a favorite of hers--a curry puff filled with taro root which is actually on their appetizer menu. We tried to express thanks for the suggestion but a polite decline, but somehow this got translated into "Yes, we want dessert." Also, we were first presented with a bill that did not account for the Groupon, although the server realized her mistake and corrected it.
The Tofu Tod-like tofu appetizer was pretty good, and the curry puff was tasty though it had nothing to do with curry from what we tasted--more like a sweet taro-filled empanada. The curries are good enough that I'll happily eat them again next time I'm in Squirrel Hill, but SBL remains my favorite Thai in Pittsburgh.
|