Orchid Thai, which opened at 16 Powerhouse over the summer, still has some work to do, says Carla Meyer in the Sac Bee.

The larb vote count, of 2-2, reflects my larger, split-down-the-middle experience at Orchid Thai, a 3-month-old restaurant that sits next to Magpie Cafe in the new 16 Powerhouse building at 16th and P streets. For every dish that wowed (a piquant yet soothing tom yum soup), another disappointed (drunken noodles with too-dry pork).

Orchid Thai also suffers from over-service, that phenomenon in which too many members of the staff arrive at one’s table during a meal. Forging a connection with one’s server, no matter how fleeting that connection might be, enhances the dining experience. But on our first visit to Orchid Thai, our original server’s face became a dim memory as other people – either other servers or food runners, and maybe even the bartender? – approached our table to deliver dishes or ask how we were doing.

Clearly, Orchid Thai’s owners, Wa Tchang and Danny Fung (Tchang also owns the original Orchid Thai, in Lincoln), want to ensure diners are taken care of. But the team approach did not prevent service gaps.

Read the entire story in the Sac Bee.

Orchid Thai is located at 1609 16th St and can be found online at http://www.orchidthai916.com/.

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