Noshing with Sandi: Signature Thai

Signature Thai, 6185 Lake Murray Boulevard, La Mesa, California 91942

By Sandi Masori

LA MESA, California — We were greeted promptly upon walking into Signature Thai, and were invited to sit wherever we liked.  They have a couple of booths, some tables and some half bench, half chairs tables.  The decor is done in muted colors with large line drawings showcasing different parts of Thailand. The ambiance is calm and efficient.

We ordered Thai ice tea and water to drink.  The Thai ice tea was served in a mason jar mug, which was cute, but small for the price.

Being that it was lunch time, we ordered off the special lunch menu.  The menu features various popular items in a smaller size, that come with rice, a vegetarian egg roll, a clear broth vegetable soup and a small green salad.  I ordered the spicy basil chicken, and my companion ordered the eggplant.  I also got the Tom Kah soup with tofu for the protein.  For all items, the waiter asked what level of spicy we wanted (from 1-10).  Knowing that Thai food often has a different spice meter than I do, I asked for both to be a level 2.

Though the portions seemed small, they were actually quite filling and I ended up taking some home.  The chicken was well cooked and was neither too chewy or too tough.  The flavor was nice, and at level 2 spicy, the spice was barely detectable, I probably could have gone up to a 4 or 5.  The Tom Kah soup (coconut milk base) was flavorful and very full of sliced mushrooms and onions.  I don’t usually eat mushrooms, so I took them out, but for someone who does like mushrooms, they would have found it to be a generous portion.

They made a couple of small mistakes on our order, but when it was brought to their attention, they were eager to fix it and brought each of us a complimentary Thai ice tea to compensate.  In my book that gives them an A+ for service, because while I understand that sometimes mistakes happen, it’s how you respond to them that makes the difference in a customer service-focused business and one that is not.

Overall I would give this restaurant an 8.5 out of 10.  The service was good, the pricing was fair, and the food was as expected.  I have no doubt that I will dine there again in the future.

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Masori is the food and restaurant reviewer for San Diego Jewish World.  If you would like her to review your favorite restaurant, please contact her at sandimasori@gmail.com and provide details.