Bua Authentic Thai Cuisine

Maybe the server was having a bad day or I was asking too much. She was making a big deal about the coupon. I am a food server so I know what type of requests are appropriate and she only had 3 tables so she couldn’t have been too busy. For a new up and coming restaurant the staff really should be nice at all times. Food was not great. I had the basil chicken. Aesthetics was very nice. I was sweating inside so don’t expect a cool place when it’s really hot outside. We need good non-​fast food places like this here so I hope they read this and improve.

If it’s hot outside. It’s hot inside.
No soda fountain. Cans only.
Server was not nice. In a time when people are pinching pennies, small family owned restaurants need to make everyone feel welcome and provide a smile along with some personality.

Time to visit one of my favorite hole-​in-​the-​walls to treat family members to some Chinese/​Thai food. Wait, This isn’t Amata!?!
Yes indeed. A mere 11 days ago Amata was transformed by new owners into Bua Authentic Thai Cuisine.
Fresh slick looking Menus? Check.
Sweet friendly owner who has been in the restaurant biz for over 10 years? Check.
New attentive serving staff really hoping to make a good impression? Check. (A bit too attentive. Our server came to our table repeatedly to ask about our food. Once or twice is nice… five or six times…)
Food. Hmm. Let’s talk about the food.
The Portions are pretty large and very dense. Every inch of food-​space was jam packed with noodles, vegetables, and meat.
The plated items were very nicely presented (Photos!).
First out was the Silver Soup (aka Woon Sen Soup). Normally crafted with cellophane noodles, mushrooms, onions, and minced pork in a light broth. We asked and were able to substitute the pork with chicken. No flaming center though. The owner apologized that the new «correct size» sterno cans hadn’t arrived yet. The soup stayed hot plenty enough. Unfortunately the broth was too salty and mostly killed the other flavors in the soup. ²⁄₅
Second was the «Freshie Rolls» (aka Summer Rolls). This is what I would imagine Spring Rolls would look like if they hired a personal trainer.
Bigger, thicker, and «Ahhh-​nold» crammed with all sorts of goodness. They were AT LEAST an inch-​and-​a-​half in diameter and stuffed with vegetables, herbs, and marinated shrimp. The sticky rice-​wrap somehow managed to hold everything in without bursting… a pleasant surprise. ⁴⁄₅
P. S. Don’t forget to apply one of the two sauces and/​or moisten your lips… Rice paper has a tendency to «grab hold» unless you do so…
Third had to be the Thai signature dish: Pad Thai. With Tofu. I didn’t expect any surprises. However, the rice noodles threw me off a bit. They were very thin and light. I am much more used to a thicker bolder noodle for Pad Thai. Otherwise the dish was good: savory and sweet. 3.5÷5
Fourth was Mixed Vegetables (Pad Pak Ruem Mitt) with Chicken. The chicken was either old, overcooked, or both. Michael hates the feel of chewy chicken on his teeth. The carrots were undercooked… and had this strange bitter aftertaste. The rest of the vegetables including the broccoli and onions were tasty, with the mushrooms really standing out. 2.5÷5
The last item was a surprise. The owner treated us to something I had never had before: Sweet Sticky Rice with Thai custard AND Mango. A hearty pool of Black rice in coconut milk sweetened with cane sugar. Imagine a rice pudding with firmer heartier grains. Loved the texture. The mango slices surrounded the rice like an Olympic synchronized swimming team — sweet and firm. Off to the side was the lonely cabana chair: a slice of dark homemade Thai custard… soft and rich. Swap out palm trees with ideally-​placed mint leaves and you have a perfect Summer treat.
Yum. ⁵⁄₅
Note: Speaking with the owner later she explained that she usually serves the White sticky rice with mango and the Black Sticky rice with Thai custard. However you can add mango to the latter for a dollar. Well worth it!
The food pacing was kind of off. Even though it seems like a pretty relaxed atmosphere the next item came out moments after we had dug into the previous one. 2.5÷5
Bathrooms? Clean (Yay!). Nothing too fancy. Nothing busted. Nothing gross. ⁴⁄₅
A very nice touch: The owner Really wants to make sure you have a good experience in the restaurant and really appreciates any suggestions and/​or issues that you may have. She thanked us when we brought up the problems with our meal.
Hope this place sticks around. I can see it pulling in a more intimate conversation and family-​orientated crowd. Sit. Eat. Relax. Laugh.
The owner also let me know that the atmosphere and decorations were «in progress» from Amata’s design and should change soon. I hope that the food with good feedback improves a notch or two as well. It has potential to be a great eatery.
Looking forward to my next visit.
Sincerely, Michael