Any recent opinions on Arun's?

I searched the forums and found mostly older reviews on Arun's. Has anyone been lately? What is the current opinion of the place?

I am looking for something for my DH's birthday. We're in the St. Charles area, willing to go to the city or anywhere, really. Thai is good, or big meat, any genre (steakhouse, Italian). We also like Hawaiian, tpaas, and Asian fusion. Sushi or other fish is usually saved for my birthday, so I would prefer not ot consider those.

christine wrote:I searched the forums and found mostly older reviews on Arun's. Has anyone been lately? What is the current opinion of the place?

That's the real saving grace with Arun's...

...Even if the service has managed to tumble in recent months...

...you can surely count on the food remaining unchanged.



E.M.

I am also highly considering Red Light, and they have a tasting menu. It comes highly recommended from a friend...I admit I haven't searched the forums yet - any opinons there?

Thanks for the info on Arun's...although I can't tell if that is a positive or negative thing! We've never been, so it may not matter!

Here's another Arun's review to help you decide.

christine wrote:I am also highly considering Red Light, and they have a tasting menu. It comes highly recommended from a friend...I admit I haven't searched the forums yet - any opinons there?

Not an opinion on Red Light - never been. It may help you decide tho. Usually arrive in about a week:
http://wlup.chicagoemmisdeals.com/details.php?pid=22498

christine wrote:I am also highly considering Red Light, and they have a tasting menu. It comes highly recommended from a friend...I admit I haven't searched the forums yet - any opinons there?

I attended a group dinner at Red Light a few months ago and I'm now realizing that I've neglected to post about it on this board.

I was enthused about returning to Red Light after hearing positive reports since Chef Shen became Executive chef.

I feel bad about knocking your second choice in this thread, christine, but the food at Red Light was unpleasant, marked by outrageously sweet tastes. After tasting two different dishes which tasted like sugar, I thought it was just my taste buds that evening. But, since I was at a big table, I had the chance to taste a lot more, and I don't think there was a single dish I tasted that I would order again.

Service was terrific, drinks were great, and Red Light has a nice room. But if you're looking for a quality dining experience, it doesn't make my recommended list.

Opera, which has a similar menu style to Red Light (with a more pure Chinese focus) has always impressed me and remains today a strong recommendation of mine.

Opera
www.opera-chicago.com
1301 S Wabash Ave
(312) 461-0161

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:Opera, which has a similar menu style to Red Light

That's not necessarily a coincidence, since they are two of the four KDK restaurants.

eatchicago wrote:I feel bad about knocking your second choice in this thread, christine, but the food at Red Light was unpleasant, marked by outrageously sweet tastes. After tasting two different dishes which tasted like sugar, I thought it was just my taste buds that evening. But, since I was at a big table, I had the chance to taste a lot more, and I don't think there was a single dish I tasted that I would order again.

Service was terrific, drinks were great, and Red Light has a nice room. But if you're looking for a quality dining experience, it doesn't make my recommended list.

Opera, which has a similar menu style to Red Light (with a more pure Chinese focus) has always impressed me and remains today a strong recommendation of mine.

this is heresay, I know, but a good friend of mine had the exact same experience at Redlight 2 weekends ago. Not one entre, to her, was actually edible. She chalked it up to a bad night in the kitchen but it's obviously the recipes at fault.

A friend went recently and she really enjoyed Arun's. She tends to hit all the usual suspects -- Trotter's, Tru, Le Lan, etc. and she said it ranked rigth up there. They had which ever tasting goes for around $80. She thought it was reasonable and not overwhelming. I was pleasantly surprised as I had basically forgotten about Arun's. I will try to get more details.

My last (and only) trip to Arun's was about a year ago, Christine, and I think the reason you find so little about it here is because many (not all, of course) feel that while Arun's isn't by any means bad, it has become irrelevant.

When a better meal can be had at TAC, Spoon, Aroy or some others for a quarter of the price, you start to ask the question, what are you paying for? Of course there's something to be said for atmosphere, but is it so important that it merits a step down in food quality and an extra $60?

I hate to say it myself, because Arun's is a nice place! My feelings about it are generally positive. But at the same time, the only compelling reason to go is if you're just dying to spend a ton of extra money on second-tier Thai because you really, really want to dress up and have slightly prettier (but less tasty) plates served to you in sequence... and in the end, I don't find that very compelling.

Dmnkly wrote:My last (and only) trip to Arun's was about a year ago, Christine, and I think the reason you find so little about it here is because many (not all, of course) feel that while Arun's isn't by any means bad, it has become irrelevant.

When a better meal can be had at TAC, Spoon, Aroy or some others for a quarter of the price, you start to ask the question, what are you paying for? Of course there's something to be said for atmosphere, but is it so important that it merits a step down in food quality and an extra $60?

I hate to say it myself, because Arun's is a nice place! My feelings about it are generally positive. But at the same time, the only compelling reason to go is if you're just dying to spend a ton of extra money on second-tier Thai because you really, really want to dress up and have slightly prettier (but less tasty) plates served to you in sequence... and in the end, I don't find that very compelling.

This is a perfect crystallization of my thoughts on Arun's. And, to be frank, I don't find it all that stunning in terms of decor. I always got the feeling that somebody's cousin Joey was hired to do the contracting with the instructions: "Make it look real pretty!"

Not to totally blast the place, but I agree with Paul on the decor, plus I agree with Dmnkly except for the comment about plating in sequence. The two times I went (admittedly quite a few years ago)the apps were brought out okay-then a barrage of large plates were all brought out at once leaving almost no room for drink glasses. Basically family style service for everything but the apps. You can get that "pacing" anywhere.

It has been quite a while since I've been there, but my experience aligns with Dmnkly's and that ilk. I will add that the wine service was particularly amateurish and unhelpful - which is a big deal at a place like that.

stewed coot wrote:Not to totally blast the place, but I agree with Paul on the decor, plus I agree with Dmnkly except for the comment about plating in sequence. The two times I went (admittedly quite a few years ago)the apps were brought out okay-then a barrage of large plates were all brought out at once leaving almost no room for drink glasses. Basically family style service for everything but the apps. You can get that "pacing" anywhere.

It's my understanding that in traditional Thai dining the dishes arrive pretty much at once with most dishes being at room temperature. Whether this is expected at Arun's or not I have no idea. Any pacing at Thai restaurants is a function of the kitchen or a sop to Western preferences.

This is all really helpful, however, I am now questioning either choice! What's a desperate girl to do for her husband's birthday??

christine wrote:This is all really helpful, however, I am now questioning either choice! What's a desperate girl to do for her husband's birthday??

Maybe Topolobampo? The SO and I were there a couple of months ago with Master Shake and dinner was fabulous. It's also on-par with Arun's price-wise so you won't spend an arm and a leg (we had the tasting menu and dinner for the two of us with drinks was in the $275 range).

My family went to Thailand this spring and I thought it would be fun during their visit to go out for Thai food. Is Arun worth the price or should we opt for a great Thai meal with a tenth of the price tag? I love Jitlada on Broadway, but am open to other suggestions?

This thread will help:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=13436&highlight=aruns

I was wow-ed the first time I went to Arun's and each successive trip was less impressive though very good. I think the wow factor diminished when I did have as good and better Thai food at much lower prices around town.

In my humble experience, I think Arun's is a great special date spot or a place to take out-of-towners who are picking up the check. You'll get a good meal that is reasonably impressive albeit pricey. However, if you've been to Thailand, and you're looking for a more down-to-earth experience, wait a while on Arun's.

- Mike

We struggles with this same decision before we went to Arun's recently. I posted my thoughts here...

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

In a word, No.

The essentials of Thai cuisine - sour, sweet, salty and hot are really "dumbed down" at Arun. Sure they're present, but the essential funky, earthy, fishy major chords that you'll recall from Thailand are, to me, being played on a Fisher Price Baby Grand Piano there.

Take the $85 and go to Spoon, TAC, or Elephant Thai and the next week head over to Argyle and explore Vietnamese cuisine at Tank and Nhu Hoa.

Then stop in at Sun Wah for some Chinese bbq for the trip home.

I agree with Dmnkly that Arun's has become irrelevant.

I think Chicago Mike is exactly correct. There is a wow factor the first time one goes to Arun's - especially if one isn't particularly knowledgeable about Thai cuisine - and the appetizers and desserts have always been excellent. The main courses, while proficient, are less striking than those at Spoon, Sticky Rice, etc.

Last night I had to choose a Thai restaurant for five of us, and I chose TAC Quick. The check was quite a bit less than it would have been if I dined alone at Arun.

Arun's is the right place for a certain kind of special occasion, but for entrees it is not as creative as some of the Great Neighborhood Thai restaurants discussed on this board.

Okay, okay, everyone warned me. But I had to make the mistake for myself. An expensive mistake. I ate at Arun's about a week ago and I really thought the food was not good. I went with some friends who had really been wanting to go. I'd been a loooong time ago (before the chef's menu) and remembered a very nice meal so I was game to try it again. But I was disappointed in a way I haven't been disappointed by a meal in a long time. I wasn't expecting the food to be spectacular. But I really didn't think it came close to measuring up to my neighborhood Thai places (granted, I live near Spoon, Sticky Rice, Opart and Thai Valley).
The space is more upscale that your average neighborhood Thai restaurant but not the kind of environment I would expect from a restaurant that costs this much.
Service was good but kind of disjointed with different servers for nearly every dish.
The chef's menu is mandatory. They call it a 12 course menu but the entrees are served family style all at once. One person in our party does not eat meat and she was served, for the most part, the same dishes as the rest of us with fish substituted for the meat.
The presentation of the food was the highlight--the dishes are really quite pretty and we were all impressed by the goldfish carved out of a carrot. Unfortunately the food did not measure up. There was not a single dish that I thought was above average.
I really hate to pan a restaurant (I don't think I have before) but aside from the presentation, it's hard for me to think of anything that redeemed the meal.
The tab came to $150 per person (one person had the wine pairing--$50, the remaining three people had two glasses of wine each--none of the wines were especially memorable). I'm still kicking myself for this one--I could have had three meals at Bistro Campagne (and probably 10 at Spoon).
The images are of the entrees:
Masaman curry and gai kaprow (basil chicken)

Lobster and scallop dish

Sweet and spicy fish dish

But look at the goldfish carved out of a carrot!

You don't specifically mention the appetizers, which I have always felt were the highpoint of dinner at Arun's. Were they more appealing than the entrees? The main courses have been less creative for as long as I can recall.

Prior to the opening of Lockwood, I considered Arun's the biggest dining rip-off in Chicago. Two very expensive visits yielded pretty vegetables but little flavor. On one visit, service was so abominable that I wrote the word "ZERO" in the tip section of my credit card receipt, along with a note explaining why the aloof and sometimes nasty staff deserved a tip equal to the number of times they refilled my water glass.

I guess this is somewhat fortunate, as I live a mere 4 blocks from Arun's, and were it as great as its (former) reputation, I might be tempted to spend more than I ought to on a too-frequent basis. Thankfully, I can get great, cheap Thai food at Sticky Rice, along with smiles from a staff that genuinely want to please.

Kennyz wrote:I guess this is somewhat fortunate, as I live a mere 4 blocks from Arun's, and were it as great as its (former) reputation, I might be tempted to spend more than I ought to on a too-frequent basis.

The philospher's question, of course, is, was Arun's reputation based on the fact that the place served great food or based on the fact that most of the people who lauded it, had nothing better to base it on?

I had my first bad experience at Arun's in 1994, so, at least by this one meal (that still sits with me), I can argue that it was over-rated by then.

I think my first trip to Arun's was in the late 80s, and I remember it being amazingly good - exquisitely carved vegetables, subtle, balanced flavors and textures, and a procession of courses - unlike any experience I'd had at my usual corner Thai joints. I don't know if Arun's has slipped, or if the less-expensive places have gotten better (certainly the case with Spoon and TAC Quick) - I suspect it's a combination of the two. And I wonder if Arun's attention to his flagship restaurant has waned a bit as he's become a consultant to other restaurants.

My husband and I greatly enjoyed a lovely tasting menu there several years back. But it should be said: you are mainly paying for elegant, high end atmosphere and gracious service. I think most on the board would agree that exceptional quality Thai food can be had at dozens of other establishments at a fraction of the cost. So, if you're looking for a swanky evening out, I say go for it. If you're looking for the best quality or most authentic Thai food in the city, I would search elsewhere.

ecs wrote:Is Arun worth the price...

Compared to other Thai places, Arun's offers the unique experience of degustation menu eating, a formal atmosphere, gorgeous presentation, nice tableware, and well coordinated service (in my experience). I think you need to ask yourself the question if these things are worth the price tag that Arun puts on them. Then you'll know if it is "worth it" or not.

I went to Arun's once, about 2 - 3 years ago to celebrate a special occasion. I enjoyed the food and flavors very much. They absolutely get an A for presentation relative to other Thai food places in Chicago, particularly during the appetizer courses.

Is the food as authentic as other Thai places? Apparently not (though I've never been to Thailand.). Was the food tasty and delicious? Yes. However, I was turned off by the four courses that were dumped on the table "family style," since it was only dinner for two. It really broke with the flow of the dinner.

I thought the service was good, in that the many servers were formal, well coordinated, and the courses were well paced (but it was somewhat perfunctory given expectations). Was the service warm and cozy? No. Was the service as exemplary and professional as other high-end, degustation menu driven places? No. (Of course, some of the places I have in mind are more expensive than Arun...though they can justify it with their ingredients, culinary technique, and service. Of course, I don't know the current rate of pay for carrot artisans. Maybe we would think we were getting a bargain if we knew how much it cost to carve a goldfish out of a carrot.)

If I don't consider price, I would not have many complaints about my dinner at Arun's and would reflect on it favorably. Once I factored in the total cost, the answer for me was that the "perks" that Arun's offers over other Thai places was not worth it. The flavor of the food gets very heavily weighted in my assessment and other Thai places in town beat Arun's on that front (IMHO).

I've never returned to Arun's. Not because I have anything against them or because I had a bad meal or experience. There are simply too many other places in town that I'd rather go to when I crave Thai. After factoring in cost, the decision is made even more clear.