A few months back, I heard about a Thai Restaurant located in an office park in Sorrento Valley. I did some quick "Googling" (hmmm...is that an appropriate present participle?) and Thai Test Kitchen came up, located off of Lusk Boulevard, right down the street from Eurofood Depot. The place was fairly close by and they even open at 9am! A Thai restaurant! So, after returning from our last trip, I headed on over to grab an early lunch.
Thai Test Kitchen is located in the Sea View Corporate Center. Such an interesting location.
There's ample parking. The interior is a collection of posters, knick-knacks, with a certain charming kitschiness.
I took a look at the menu posted and have to say, the prices did give me some pause. I thought it was all in my mind, but when I did a menu check, in some cases Soi 30th was cheaper!
The young lady working was very friendly and when I mentioned the decor, she laughed and told me that they were previously a deli and coffee shop and decided to change course. They still do a couple of sandwiches like the BLT and also coffee. but now the focus was Thai Food. Things were going so well that they decided to open until 7pm on Fridays! Good for them!
I decided to try out the Crispy Pork with Basil ($15.49).
No, your eyes aren't fooling you. That's a fairly small portion. The egg was crisp at the edges just like I enjoy it, but a bit over cooked for my taste as the yolks was hard.
The pork belly was quite good, crisp, yet fatty. I really liked the spice level; it was a bit too much for "CY" whom I gave a sample to, but I enjoyed it. Also enjoyed the green beans and the Thai basil flavor, there's hint of garlic, just enough sodium, with nice umami from fish sauce and soy. This was definitely not an "Ameri-Thai" dish.
The portion of rice was quite large in comparison to the amount of pork belly which consisted of 4 pieces.
Well, while the price to portion ratio seemed a bit skewed, I decided to return and try one of the pick-a-protein dishes and settled on the Eggplant with Basil ($12.99). The young lady recognized me from my previous visit. I asked her what protein would go best with the eggplant and she said chicken.
Like before, the flavor and heat were quite good.... perhaps I'd enjoy a bit more basil, but no complaints with the rest. On the negative side, the chicken was really tough and dry, the eggplant was not cooked the way I like it. It was too hard. I like a slightly crisp exterior with a creamy interior; this was solid all the way thru. Like before, there was quite a generous portion of rice provided.
As I was leaving, the young lady handed me a card with a QR code on it. She told me to just scan, order, and pay.... then my order will be ready for pick-up. There's no upcharge.
So, deciding I needed to do one more visit, I did the QR thing and ordered the most expensive item on the menu, the Spicy Basil Duck ($20.99). Even though it wasn't the same young lady working on this visit, the woman working was every bit as friendly.
As you can see; there's quite a bit of rice. I really enjoyed the seasoning and spice again; the bamboo shoots were wonderful with the Thai Basil and savory components; nutty-anise goodness. The duck was a bit on the dry side, but the flavor was good, nice "duckiness" with a touch of sweet and assertive savory components.
I really appreciate having a place like this fairly close by. It's definitely not "Ameri-Thai", though I do think the proportion of rice to dish is a bit skewed on the starch side and the prices fairly high for the portion size.
Still, the folks here are quite friendly and nice. I also like that they open early, since I often like to get lunch at 10-1030. So, I'll definitely drop by again and try some other dishes. So, I guess they "passed the Test"?
Thai Test Kitchen
10184 Telesis Ct.
San Diego, CA 92121
Current Hours:
Mon - Thurs 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 730pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
While it looks amazing, I gotta admit I don't think i'd ever visit. Those prices with just a few pieces of either pork or duck and a mound of rice in this economy, i get it but man that's a tough pill to swallow as a consumer. I'm glad it all looks good though and clearly is a bit unique in the thai food scene here in SD.
Posted by: Loren | Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 09:02 AM
Inflation is really getting outta hand. At least the flavors and hours match your schedule.
Posted by: Junichi | Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 09:53 AM
It's pretty good Loren; especially for the location. Not so unique as Soi 30th, Koon, and even Chaba have similar dishes. But many "Thai" places do not.
Totally Junichi! Prices are crazy now....
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 10:08 AM
Looks good. But $$$
Posted by: SomTommy | Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 11:20 AM
Yeah, on the pricy side ST!
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 01:13 PM
this is right my office, and I never knew. i'll try some of the dishes with tofu, thanks!
Posted by: david g | Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 01:35 PM
pricey
Posted by: kat | Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 02:07 PM
Hope you enjoy it David!
Prices are getting crazy now Kat!
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 12 December 2023 at 04:05 PM